Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Calls outside of office hours? No worries! Our team will respond within 10–15 minutes.
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Wednesday, September 30, 2015 from 3-5 & 7-9 PM.
Funeral Services will be held on Thursday, October 1, 2015 at 10:30 AM from the funeral home. Interment will follow at Christ the King Cemetery, Franklin Lakes.
George F. Lebrenz, “Rick” age 69, passed away suddenly on Sunday, September 27, 2015. His family was lovingly by his side at the time of his passing.
Rick was born in Teaneck but only lived there for a year before his parents moved to the Packanack Lake section of Wayne. Little did Rick know then that this would be the town where he would spend almost his entire life. He began as a student at Packanack Elementary School and Anthony Wayne Jr. High School, both of Wayne, going on to graduate in 1964 from what was then simply known as “Wayne High School.” Today we know it as Wayne Valley High School. Rick immediately went on to study further at Paterson State College - today known as William Paterson University. He graduated four years later in 1968 with a degree and certification in junior high education. Thirsty for more knowledge he immediately pursued and earned his Master’s + 30 Degree qualifying him also to be a guidance counselor.
Putting all that education to work, Rick began his first job teaching mathematics at George Washington Middle School in Wayne in 1968. He quickly won the hearts of his students, their parents and his fellow faculty members so it was no surprise that he was often requested. The secret to Rick’s success was basically two-fold: he had a special way of making math fun for his students and he always availed himself to any student who was struggling with his class or with any other problem life threw at them. The adoration and respect he enjoyed let him get away with something that he would never get away with today, namely throwing an occasional eraser at a student who wasn’t paying attention in his class. After twenty-one years of teaching math and with his genuine personal interest in the welfare each of his students, it’s no wonder that he went on to become the schools guidance counselor – a position he held for another twenty-one years. In all, Mr. Lebrenz served George Washington Middle School for 42 years and everyone was very sad to see him retire in 2010. In his early years of teaching, Rick also enjoyed a change of pace spending summers painting houses.
In 1966, while still in college, Rick worked part-time at Two Guys Department Store on Riverview Drive in Totowa. He made friends with many of the other part-timers and they often got together at a local diner after work. One of those co-workers was a girl named Carol DeVries who kind-of caught Rick’s eye. Rick’s primary mode of transportation at the time was the car he borrowed from his mom until he once let a friend drive it. Unfortunately that friend crashed Mom’s car and, from that time on Rick was demoted to getting around via public transportation. One night after being out with their friends from Two Guys, Carol offered Rick a ride home to his house in Packanack Lake. This nice girl from the City of Clifton knew nothing about getting to Packanack Lake but Rick guided her to his house. It was getting out of Packanack Lake and back home to Clifton that gave Carol her biggest challenge. She sure could have used a modern invention like GPS back then! She ultimately did find her way home and she was glad that she offered him a ride because she and Rick made a real connection that night. A loving relationship began. Since Rick was a huge sports fan, more than half of their ensuing dates were to Yankee Stadium. Then one Easter morning Rick presented Carol with an Easter basket filled with chocolate bunnies, marshmallow chicks and a diamond ring. They married on Saturday, March 28, 1970 at the First Presbyterian Church of Clifton and honeymooned in Bermuda. They moved into an apartment in Lincoln Park for two years, then moved to Pequannock where they stayed for fourteen years until flood waters drove them out. Ironically, they sold that house in literally five minutes! It was then that Rick and Carol moved to Packanack Lake – a sort of homecoming for Rick – and they’ve lived there for the past twenty-nine years.
Rick was a man with many interests. He was a huge sports fanatic and that love began at a young age when he played basketball, hockey on Packanack Lake, and baseball as an all-star pitcher, all in the Packanack youth leagues. As an adult he joined the Pequannock men’s softball league and graced them with his all-star pitching talent. He was a fan of almost every local pro sports team including the Giants and Jets, Yankees and Mets, and the Islanders, Devils, Knicks and Nets. His favorite college football team by far was the University of Alabama, a love which developed when the Jet’s Broadway Joe Namath played for Alabama before the famous quarterback was a household name.
Rick had an unquenchable thirst for soaking up sunshine at the beach. He could sometimes sit on the beach at LBI, Point Pleasant or at his Florida home of twenty-three years for up to six hours without even going in the water to cool off! He had a great sense of humor often saying to his wife Carol “We like the same three people – Elvis Presley, Mickey Mantle and Me.” Rick was also famous for waking up in the middle of the night for a big bowl of ice cream.
Rick will be greatly missed by his loyal dog Annie, a pit bull he rescued from a shelter. When pit bull Annie and Rick first met, he told the woman who was urging him to adopt her that he’d take Annie home for a night to see how it goes. Poor Annie who had a history of abuse kept nipping at Rick. He lovingly came down to Annie’s level, laying down on the floor and patiently worked at helping Annie trust him. She had been his loyal companion for the past eleven years. No wonder Rick was such a great guidance counselor.
Rick was super outgoing and friendly. He loved to talk and he had a special energetic quality that drew people to him. He made lots of friends in his life-time but he always held the specialist place in his heart for his family. His son was named George but, like he, Rick and Carol wanted to call him Rick but, worrying that everyone would mix his son up with himself, they decided to call him Ricky instead of Rick. Ricky inherited all the wonderful traits of his father including being a fantastic teacher in his own rite. Rick would often say, “I need a dog or I need some grandchildren.” Well, a little over two years ago, Ricky and his wife Karen blest Rick and Carol with twin grandchildren – Keira and Jack. They were born at 25 weeks and spent the first part of their lives in the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Barnabas Hospital. Already in those first days of their lives, the sun rose and set on Rick’s grandchildren as he was there to visit them. Every day, he’d come to the hospital and he’d always bring the nurses crumb cake. Because of this, Rick’s family soon became known at the hospital as the crumb cake family. When the babies came home, Rick was all too happy to help Carol take care of little Keira and Jack every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at the “Lebrenz Daycare Center” and those kids were always dressed in the latest University of Alabama onesies and tee shirts. In fact, Rick was all too happy to do anything with his beloved wife Carol, his beautiful wife of over forty five years who thankfully took him home from Two Guys one night in 1966.
Rick was the loving and devoted husband of Carol; dear father of George “Ricky” and his wife Karen Lebrenz; cherished grandfather of his twin grandchildren: Keira and Jack; and brother of Eugene Lebrenz of St. Petersburg, FL.
In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Rick’s name are asked to consider St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148-0142 (www.stjude.org).
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Wednesday, September 30, 2015 from 3-5 & 7-9 PM.
Funeral Services will be held on Thursday, October 1, 2015 at 10:30 AM from the funeral home. Interment will follow at Christ the King Cemetery, Franklin Lakes.
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Wednesday, September 30, 2015 from 3-5 & 7-9 PM.
Funeral Services will be held on Thursday, October 1, 2015 at 10:30 AM from the funeral home. Interment will follow at Christ the King Cemetery, Franklin Lakes.
George F. Lebrenz, “Rick” age 69, passed away suddenly on Sunday, September 27, 2015. His family was lovingly by his side at the time of his passing.
Rick was born in Teaneck but only lived there for a year before his parents moved to the Packanack Lake section of Wayne. Little did Rick know then that this would be the town where he would spend almost his entire life. He began as a student at Packanack Elementary School and Anthony Wayne Jr. High School, both of Wayne, going on to graduate in 1964 from what was then simply known as “Wayne High School.” Today we know it as Wayne Valley High School. Rick immediately went on to study further at Paterson State College - today known as William Paterson University. He graduated four years later in 1968 with a degree and certification in junior high education. Thirsty for more knowledge he immediately pursued and earned his Master’s + 30 Degree qualifying him also to be a guidance counselor.
Putting all that education to work, Rick began his first job teaching mathematics at George Washington Middle School in Wayne in 1968. He quickly won the hearts of his students, their parents and his fellow faculty members so it was no surprise that he was often requested. The secret to Rick’s success was basically two-fold: he had a special way of making math fun for his students and he always availed himself to any student who was struggling with his class or with any other problem life threw at them. The adoration and respect he enjoyed let him get away with something that he would never get away with today, namely throwing an occasional eraser at a student who wasn’t paying attention in his class. After twenty-one years of teaching math and with his genuine personal interest in the welfare each of his students, it’s no wonder that he went on to become the schools guidance counselor – a position he held for another twenty-one years. In all, Mr. Lebrenz served George Washington Middle School for 42 years and everyone was very sad to see him retire in 2010. In his early years of teaching, Rick also enjoyed a change of pace spending summers painting houses.
In 1966, while still in college, Rick worked part-time at Two Guys Department Store on Riverview Drive in Totowa. He made friends with many of the other part-timers and they often got together at a local diner after work. One of those co-workers was a girl named Carol DeVries who kind-of caught Rick’s eye. Rick’s primary mode of transportation at the time was the car he borrowed from his mom until he once let a friend drive it. Unfortunately that friend crashed Mom’s car and, from that time on Rick was demoted to getting around via public transportation. One night after being out with their friends from Two Guys, Carol offered Rick a ride home to his house in Packanack Lake. This nice girl from the City of Clifton knew nothing about getting to Packanack Lake but Rick guided her to his house. It was getting out of Packanack Lake and back home to Clifton that gave Carol her biggest challenge. She sure could have used a modern invention like GPS back then! She ultimately did find her way home and she was glad that she offered him a ride because she and Rick made a real connection that night. A loving relationship began. Since Rick was a huge sports fan, more than half of their ensuing dates were to Yankee Stadium. Then one Easter morning Rick presented Carol with an Easter basket filled with chocolate bunnies, marshmallow chicks and a diamond ring. They married on Saturday, March 28, 1970 at the First Presbyterian Church of Clifton and honeymooned in Bermuda. They moved into an apartment in Lincoln Park for two years, then moved to Pequannock where they stayed for fourteen years until flood waters drove them out. Ironically, they sold that house in literally five minutes! It was then that Rick and Carol moved to Packanack Lake – a sort of homecoming for Rick – and they’ve lived there for the past twenty-nine years.
Rick was a man with many interests. He was a huge sports fanatic and that love began at a young age when he played basketball, hockey on Packanack Lake, and baseball as an all-star pitcher, all in the Packanack youth leagues. As an adult he joined the Pequannock men’s softball league and graced them with his all-star pitching talent. He was a fan of almost every local pro sports team including the Giants and Jets, Yankees and Mets, and the Islanders, Devils, Knicks and Nets. His favorite college football team by far was the University of Alabama, a love which developed when the Jet’s Broadway Joe Namath played for Alabama before the famous quarterback was a household name.
Rick had an unquenchable thirst for soaking up sunshine at the beach. He could sometimes sit on the beach at LBI, Point Pleasant or at his Florida home of twenty-three years for up to six hours without even going in the water to cool off! He had a great sense of humor often saying to his wife Carol “We like the same three people – Elvis Presley, Mickey Mantle and Me.” Rick was also famous for waking up in the middle of the night for a big bowl of ice cream.
Rick will be greatly missed by his loyal dog Annie, a pit bull he rescued from a shelter. When pit bull Annie and Rick first met, he told the woman who was urging him to adopt her that he’d take Annie home for a night to see how it goes. Poor Annie who had a history of abuse kept nipping at Rick. He lovingly came down to Annie’s level, laying down on the floor and patiently worked at helping Annie trust him. She had been his loyal companion for the past eleven years. No wonder Rick was such a great guidance counselor.
Rick was super outgoing and friendly. He loved to talk and he had a special energetic quality that drew people to him. He made lots of friends in his life-time but he always held the specialist place in his heart for his family. His son was named George but, like he, Rick and Carol wanted to call him Rick but, worrying that everyone would mix his son up with himself, they decided to call him Ricky instead of Rick. Ricky inherited all the wonderful traits of his father including being a fantastic teacher in his own rite. Rick would often say, “I need a dog or I need some grandchildren.” Well, a little over two years ago, Ricky and his wife Karen blest Rick and Carol with twin grandchildren – Keira and Jack. They were born at 25 weeks and spent the first part of their lives in the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Barnabas Hospital. Already in those first days of their lives, the sun rose and set on Rick’s grandchildren as he was there to visit them. Every day, he’d come to the hospital and he’d always bring the nurses crumb cake. Because of this, Rick’s family soon became known at the hospital as the crumb cake family. When the babies came home, Rick was all too happy to help Carol take care of little Keira and Jack every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at the “Lebrenz Daycare Center” and those kids were always dressed in the latest University of Alabama onesies and tee shirts. In fact, Rick was all too happy to do anything with his beloved wife Carol, his beautiful wife of over forty five years who thankfully took him home from Two Guys one night in 1966.
Rick was the loving and devoted husband of Carol; dear father of George “Ricky” and his wife Karen Lebrenz; cherished grandfather of his twin grandchildren: Keira and Jack; and brother of Eugene Lebrenz of St. Petersburg, FL.
In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Rick’s name are asked to consider St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148-0142 (www.stjude.org).
Guestbook