Mark Forsatz

Mark Forsatz, age 73, of Wayne, passed Sunday, July 28, 2019.

He was born in Paterson and raised in Clifton at 305 Washington Avenue. He served in the Air National Guard of New Jersey with the 108th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and was Honorably discharged as a Sergeant on September 1, 1972.

Mark always had an innate knowledge of all things mechanical. As a young man he worked for his father at Johnnie’s Garage and Towing in Clifton having also worked at Sears Automotive Department in Wayne, Clifton Auto Parts, and then as a North Jersey Sales Associate for Uniroyal Tire, Progressive Hydraulics and the Kwikway Manufacturing Company’s  automotive reconditioning equipment division. Before semi-retiring he worked as an instructor for Lincoln Technical Institute in Mahwah for about fifteen years. Never one to sit still for too long Mark worked for the Breckenridge Condominium complex and later Brittany Chase Condominium and Townhome associations as a handyman.

Mark met his wife Mollie in 1969 while working at Sears in Wayne.  Mark’s ability to fix anything is what brought Mollie into his life.  Mollie’s car broke down and they met at the Auto Service Center.  A few weeks later, their paths crossed again when Mark bought an ugly statue as a Christmas gift for his mother from Mollie’s department in Sears. (Needless to say the statue was returned) They started dating and five years later he asked Mollie’s father, John for his blessing.  They were married on May 12, 1973, at St. John’s, Russian Orthodox Church in Singac, New Jersey.  They honeymooned in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

Mark will be lovingly remembered as being outgoing and generous with his time and talents. He could fix just about anything and was always there to lend a hand to friends and family when you needed him.  He could talk to just about anyone and always enjoyed putting his Irish take on funny jokes and stories.  He was dedicated to raising his children and loved to take them camping, helping at soccer and scouting. Another of his joys was restoring cars and building street rods.  For many years he was a member of the Meadowlands Street Rod car club and enjoyed drag racing at Raceway Park in Englishtown.

Mark was also dedicated to his Catholic faith.  For many years he was a dedicated parishioner of Our Lady of the Valley Church in Wayne. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus Council 6354 of Our Lady of the Valley and Holy Cross Churches where he had previously served as Grand Knight.

Mark was the loving husband of Mary Helen “Mollie” Forsatz; devoted father of Brian Forsatz and his wife Meghan of West Caldwell, and Kathryn “Kate” Loayza and her husband Christopher of Brooklyn, NY; he was the cherished grandfather of Juliana Loayza; loved brother of John “Jack” Forsatz and his wife Eileen of Wayne, Richard “Rick” Forsatz and his wife Janet of Cedar Grove, and Karen Conte of Bel Air, Maryland.