Louise M. Traficante

Louise M. Traficante, age 88, of Wayne, passed away on Friday, September 20, 2019.

As the story goes, Louise was born at home in Pittston, PA where she was the seventh of John and Margarite Mullery’s eight children. Louise called that house her home until her father passed away when she was just nine years old. Consequently, in 1941, her mother moved the family to Newark, NJ. Louise attended St. Charles High School in Newark during her freshman and sophomore year and then she transferred to Hillside High School for her last two years, graduating there with the Class of 1950. During her teen years, you could often find Louise down at the family-owned riding stables in Livingston where she loved participating in equestrian activities with her dear horse Daisy.

After graduation from high school, Louise worked for NJ Bell and for a furniture company. One day, while down the shore at Seaside Heights with her great friend Phyllis (Fernicola) Tecza, they met a couple of young gentleman – one of them being Charles J. Traficante. As their good fate would have it, Louise and Charles soon fell in love and, on Friday, September 6, 1952, they exchanged their wedding vows before God, family and friends at St. Catherine’s Church in Hillside. After the wedding ceremony and reception, the newly married bride and groom spent their honeymoon in Niagara Falls and Lake George, NY. When they returned, their first homes together were apartments in Garfield and Fair Lawn. From there, they were able to purchase a home in Lincoln Park. They were blest with three beautiful daughters – Patrice, Diane and Sharon. In 1962, the family moved once more, to Wayne and three years later, the blessing of a son and brother arrived – Charles John “CJ”. Louise split her time between raising her children and working part time for Consolidated Freightways. When CJ was old enough to be in school all day, she went full-time with the company and, during a span of over thirty years until retirement in 1997, she capably served as Consolidated’s office manager. Louise loved working there and was so proud to be a member of Teamsters Local 560.

Louise and her husband Charlie shared a loved of dancing and playing golf. When they were young, they would often go to clubs where they especially impressed everyone with their mastery of the polka. Louise and Charles considered it a great day just to get out on the course for eighteen holes of golf. Favorite courses included ones in Myrtle Beach, SC, Pinehurst, NC, Sea Isle, GA, and occasionally courses in the Poconos, in Florida, and locally at the Passaic County Golf Course right here in Wayne. Louise would always say that “Marriages are made in heaven.” Well, she definitely felt that way about her marriage to Charlie! Theirs could only be described as blessed and joyous. Sadly, their time on earth came to an untimely end when Charles passed away in 1992 at the young age of 64. They must be enjoying a heavenly reunion now. Since moving to Wayne in 1962 they were local parishioners of Our Lady of the Valley R.C. Church and their faith and love for God was a foundation on which they built their lives.

When Louise retired, a life of worldwide travel began. She took trips to destinations all over the globe with friends. She could tell you all about her experiences to such places as Spain, Ireland, Italy, England, Paris France, Mexico, Canada, and Switzerland. She loved the beautiful mountain views in Switzerland but would be the first to tell you that the Canadian Rockies were even more spectacular.

Above all else, Louise was deeply devoted to her amazing family. She would always express how much she loved all of her children and that she thought she had the most wonderful son-in-law’s a mother could ask for. She truly enjoyed quality time spent with her eight grandchildren and even taught some of them to play golf, and more recently, she was enjoying the latest members of her family – her great-grandchildren Nathan and Celeste. Like so many good families where loving care runs deep, Louise enjoyed having everyone together for special times and attracting them was easy with her great cooking and baking skills. Some family favorites included her pot roast, frying pan steaks, rice pudding, and apple and pumpkin pies. And maybe once in a while, some of the dogs which she enjoyed over the years were the lucky recipients of some of that delicious food snuck under the table.  

Louise was the beloved wife of Charles – blest in marriage for 39 years until his passing in 1992. She was the loving mother of Patrice and husband Joseph Salvatore of Wayne, Diane Silbernagel of Little Falls, Sharon and husband Kevin Western of Pompton Plains, and Charles John “CJ” Traficante of Wayne: cherished grandmother of Christina Salvatore, Dominic A. and wife Jacki Salvatore, Leigh Anne and husband Javier Garcia, Stephen Silbernagel and partner Ariel Strauss, Michael Silbernagel and fiancé Ana Giacomelli Jillian Laurel Western, Charles Western, and Brian Western; adoring great-grandmother of Nathan J. and Celeste M. Salvatore; dear sister-in-law of: Marie Mullery, Marta Mullery, Leslie Novak and Bobby Novak; dear aunt and great-aunt of many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews; and dear life-long friend of Phyllis Tecza. Louise was predeceased by her seven siblings: Jack Mullery, Harry Mullery, Marie McConnon, William Mullery, Marguerite Senchyshyn, Joseph Mullery, and Francis Mullery.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Louise’s name are asked to consider The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), 26 Broadway, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10004, or click here to make an online contribution.