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April 18, 2013
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Monday, April 22, 2013 from 2-4 & 7-9 PM. A service by the Eastern Star is planned for 7:30 PM and a Masonic Service will follow at 8 PM, during the evening visiting hours. Funeral Services will be held at 10 AM on Tuesday from the funeral home, then to Our Lady of the Valley RC Church, Wayne, where at 11 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered.
Joseph Avella, Jr., age 77 of Wayne died peacefully at home on Thursday, April 18, 2013. His wife and children were gathered at his bedside.
Joe had been an Elmwood Park police officer for twenty five years before retiring in 1991.
Joe was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in Passaic and quite amazingly, his mother kept the original paid hospital receipt from his birth. The total charge to deliver baby Joseph, including the doctor, the nurses, the birthing room and lab tests, came to $24.25! He moved with his family to East Paterson when he was in grammar school. East Paterson, which later became Elmwood Park, didn’t have its own high school in those days, therefore Joe went to Lodi High School. He graduated with the class of 1955 and attended the University of Alabama before completing his BS degree at William Paterson College. He began working as a brick layer before being accepted into a grant program which offered training to become a police officer. He first joined the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department after completing the program, and then made his way to the Elmwood Park Police Department in 1966. He was PBA Delegate for many years while on the force.
Joe was active with the Freemasons, Euclid Lodge 136 in Hasbrouck Heights where he was Past Master and Club Trustee. He was also active with the Scottish Rite, and Past Patron of the Order of the Eastern Star, Eclipse 226.
While in high school, Joe met Marge Almodovar. They struck up a relationship at a Valentine’s Day dance and as Joe would often tell the story of that first date; his “knees went to mush.” They fell in love and were married on September 20, 1959 at St. Ann’s RC Church in Fairlawn followed by a fabulous honeymoon in Acapulco. They first settled in Garfield and lived in Saddle Brook before moving to East Paterson in 1966. After retirement, the two of them traveled extensively to Spain, Africa, Gibraltar, Venezuela, the Caribbean and Hawaii. Among one of Joe’s favorite destinations of all however, was home. Together, he and Marge moved to Wayne in 2001 and they recently celebrated fifty three very happy years of marriage. Joe was a great family man. His children made him very proud and he especially adored his grandchildren. He was truly blessed with a good life.
Joe is survived by his loving wife of fifty three years; Marge of Wayne, his two children; Malvina Weiss and her husband David of Cary, Illinois, and Joseph III of Haledon, four grandchildren; Gabrielle and Robby Perez, Evan and Matthew Weiss, all of Cary, Illinois, and his sister Geri Avella of Elmwood Park. He was predeceased by his sister Virginia Morisco of Oakland, NJ.
In lieu of flowers, please consider Valley Hospice and mail your donations to: Valley Hospital Foundation, 223 N. Van Dien Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450. Be sure to indicate “Valley Hospice” in the memo, including Joe’s name.
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 Monday, April 22, 2013 from 2-4 & 7-9 PM. A service by the Eastern Star is planned for 7:30 PM and a Masonic Service will follow at 8 PM, during the evening visiting hours. Funeral Services will be held at 10 AM on Tuesday from the funeral home, then to Our Lady of the Valley RC Church, Wayne, where at 11 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered.
April 18, 2013
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Monday, April 22, 2013 from 2-4 & 7-9 PM. A service by the Eastern Star is planned for 7:30 PM and a Masonic Service will follow at 8 PM, during the evening visiting hours. Funeral Services will be held at 10 AM on Tuesday from the funeral home, then to Our Lady of the Valley RC Church, Wayne, where at 11 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered.
Joseph Avella, Jr., age 77 of Wayne died peacefully at home on Thursday, April 18, 2013. His wife and children were gathered at his bedside.
Joe had been an Elmwood Park police officer for twenty five years before retiring in 1991.
Joe was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in Passaic and quite amazingly, his mother kept the original paid hospital receipt from his birth. The total charge to deliver baby Joseph, including the doctor, the nurses, the birthing room and lab tests, came to $24.25! He moved with his family to East Paterson when he was in grammar school. East Paterson, which later became Elmwood Park, didn’t have its own high school in those days, therefore Joe went to Lodi High School. He graduated with the class of 1955 and attended the University of Alabama before completing his BS degree at William Paterson College. He began working as a brick layer before being accepted into a grant program which offered training to become a police officer. He first joined the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department after completing the program, and then made his way to the Elmwood Park Police Department in 1966. He was PBA Delegate for many years while on the force.
Joe was active with the Freemasons, Euclid Lodge 136 in Hasbrouck Heights where he was Past Master and Club Trustee. He was also active with the Scottish Rite, and Past Patron of the Order of the Eastern Star, Eclipse 226.
While in high school, Joe met Marge Almodovar. They struck up a relationship at a Valentine’s Day dance and as Joe would often tell the story of that first date; his “knees went to mush.” They fell in love and were married on September 20, 1959 at St. Ann’s RC Church in Fairlawn followed by a fabulous honeymoon in Acapulco. They first settled in Garfield and lived in Saddle Brook before moving to East Paterson in 1966. After retirement, the two of them traveled extensively to Spain, Africa, Gibraltar, Venezuela, the Caribbean and Hawaii. Among one of Joe’s favorite destinations of all however, was home. Together, he and Marge moved to Wayne in 2001 and they recently celebrated fifty three very happy years of marriage. Joe was a great family man. His children made him very proud and he especially adored his grandchildren. He was truly blessed with a good life.
Joe is survived by his loving wife of fifty three years; Marge of Wayne, his two children; Malvina Weiss and her husband David of Cary, Illinois, and Joseph III of Haledon, four grandchildren; Gabrielle and Robby Perez, Evan and Matthew Weiss, all of Cary, Illinois, and his sister Geri Avella of Elmwood Park. He was predeceased by his sister Virginia Morisco of Oakland, NJ.
In lieu of flowers, please consider Valley Hospice and mail your donations to: Valley Hospital Foundation, 223 N. Van Dien Avenue, Ridgewood, NJ 07450. Be sure to indicate “Valley Hospice” in the memo, including Joe’s name.
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