Hon. Thomas R. Rumana

Hon. Thomas R. Rumana, age 95 of Wayne, died suddenly on Saturday, August 24, 2019.

Tom grew up in Paterson and remained fond of the City his whole life.  A product of the Paterson Public Schools, Tom attended School 9, which he and his buddies called “Saint Nines,” since many of his friends went to Catholic schools.  He graduated from Central High School with the class of 1942 and was an outstanding basketball player.  He began taking college classes at William Paterson, but was soon called to join the U.S. Army in March of 1943.

During his service, Tom was assigned to Patton’s 3rd Army.  He landed on the beaches of Normandy, France just a few days after D-day and was engaged in battles and campaigns from Northern France to the Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe.  He recalled seeing the sky filled with airplanes too numerous to count, as far as he could see.  After his discharge in 1945, he returned home and took advantage of the GI Bill for college.  He graduated from Rutgers before earning his J.D. from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania.  He was very proud to have graduated second in his class…among just two graduates!  He was admitted to the Bar in 1950 and started his own law practice at 136 Washington Street in Paterson while also working on the assembly line at Curtis Wright to pay the bills.  He became Deputy Treasurer of the City of Paterson in 1953 and served there for several years.  He eventually moved to Wayne in 1964 and became involved in local politics.  He was soon elected to the Town Council in Wayne and became Council President right off the bat!  He served as President for all three years on the Council.  In 1972, he was sworn in as a Superior Court Judge and served on the bench in his beloved Paterson for more than eighteen years.  He retired from the bench in 1991.  In 2016, Tom was very proud to don his judge’s robe one more time for the historic ‘swearing in’ ceremony of his son; Hon. Scott T. Rumana.  It was the first time in Passaic County history that a Superior Court Judge was able to swear-in his own son, also as a Superior Court Judge.

Tom was an athlete from his early school days, playing basketball and football.  He became an avid golfer, tennis player, bowler, and he even taught himself how to ski as an adult.  He and his wife Marilyn enjoyed many weekends in Stowe Vermont skiing with friends, and they also went out to Colorado a few times.  Tom became a member of the National Ski Patrol and was trained to assist injured skiers off the mountain.  He remained active throughout his life and knew how to have a good time.  His family, of course, is what made him happiest, and his grandson, Tommy, was his pride and joy.  Little Tommy “lit him up” whenever they were together.  Each day brought him more smiles and they were wonderful for each other.

Tom met his wife, Marilyn O’Neil, while on vacation at Avon by the Sea, on the Jersey Shore.  It was July 3, 1953, to be exact.  The two of them were drawn away from the beach by a truck crash that created a large explosion and fire.  A crowd ran from the beach to see what had happened and Tom saw Marilyn in the crowd.  He followed her afterward and introduced himself.  They began dating and a few years later, Tom drove her to Avon by the Sea to reminisce.  He brought her to the spot where they had first met and proposed to her right there at that very location.  They married on May 28, 1960 and honeymooned on the island of Bermuda.  They have enjoyed fifty-nine fun years together, and Marilyn will miss him dearly.

Tom is survived by his beloved wife of fifty-nine years; Marilyn (nee O’Neil) of Wayne, his son; Hon. Scott T. Rumana and his wife Laura of Wayne, and one grandson; Tommy.

Donations in Tom’s memory would be appreciated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959, www.stjude.org.