Lilyan Menegus

Lilyan Menegus, of Wayne, passed away on Saturday, October 19, 2019.

Lilyan was born in New Brunswick, the daughter of Andrew and Anna Smerek, joining her older sister Anne.  Raised in South River, NJ, she graduated with the Class of 1945 from South River High School.

As a young woman, Lilyan went down to the Jersey shore with a group of eight of her girlfriends and rented a bungalow for the week in Seaside Heights. There she met a handsome young man, fresh back from service in the U.S. Army named Bruno Menegus who just happened to be on vacation down the Jersey Shore with eight of his buddies. The gang all hung out on the beach with their portable transistor radio and a driftwood bonfire. Bruno was smitten by Lilyan and drove to South River to visit her. He met Lilyan’s parents and her father greeted him with “nice to meet you Brown.” “Brown” was German slang for Bruno. The two hit it off so well that, if Lilyan and Bruno had an argument  Lilyan’s parents would tell her she must be at fault. After asking for her father's permission, Bruno asked Lilyan to marry him. They wed on June 26, 1948 at Saint Stephens RC Church in South River, and enjoyed a two month honeymoon in Florida.

After returning from their honeymoon, the newlyweds moved to Bruno’s home town of Clifton and Lilyan got a job as an executive administrator for Shulton Cosmetics and Skincare Company – makers of Old Spice. She worked there until 1955 when she and Bruno welcomed their son Mark. In 1957 they moved to Clifford Drive in Wayne and, two years later, Mark got a little sister when Donna was born. During those years when her children were growing up, Lilyan stayed home to lovingly care for them and their new home in Wayne. She eventually decided to pursue a career in real estate taking her first job with Joseph Felice Realtors. Lilyan found that she really enjoyed the business so she earned her broker’s license and eventually opened North Ridge Realty in Wayne. She enjoyed a career that spanned more than 25 years with great success and the respect of her many clients.

Lilyan loved going skiing as a family and had skied for over thirty years in Utah, New Mexico, New England, France, Italy and Austria. She and Bruno lived a storied life enjoying trips all over the world on almost every continent. Closer to home, she and her local girlfriends started the Wayne Ladies Volleyball League and played for over twenty years in all the local school gyms. She adored her grandchildren and would take them anywhere – museums or out for dinner – any excuse to be with them. She was so very proud of her family that, when she moved to Cedar Crest Village in 2017, she couldn’t help but tell all of her friends about her children and grandchildren. Her faith in God was very important to her too and she and Bruno were parishioners of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Wayne for many years.

Lilyan will be remembered as a loving wife, devoted mother and awesome grandmother. She was a truly glamorous and stylish woman who took great pride in her outward appearance, but, with a warm heart and easy-to-talk-to disposition, she was just as beautiful on the inside.    

Lilyan was the beloved wife of Bruno, blessed in wonderful, loving, affectionate and devoted marriage for 67 years until his passing in 2015; devoted mother of Dr. Mark Menegus and his wife Jane of Harrington Park, Donna McLaughlin and her husband John of Verona; cherished grandmother of Sara and Bryan Menegus, Brittany and husband Todd Biron, and Nicole McLaughlin; dear sister of the late Anne Torok.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the American Cancer Society, NJ Chapter, 7 Ridgedale Ave., Suite 103, Cedar Knolls, NJ 07927, would be appreciated.