Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Calls outside of office hours? No worries! Our team will respond within 10–15 minutes.
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Sunday, March 8, 2015 from 2-6 PM.
Funeral Services will be held at 11 AM on Monday, March 9, 2015 at the Calvary Temple, 1111 Preakness Avenue, Wayne.
Mary Jane Haffner (nee Shaffer), age 77 of Stockholm, NJ, and formerly of Bloomfield, NJ, went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, March 5, 2015 after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Mary grew up near Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania, in the rural town of South Canaan. She was one of five children and her father worked tirelessly as a logger in the local forests. One of Mary’s earliest jobs was helping a local woman, Gertrude Hawk, make chocolates at her home. Besides helping make chocolate, Mary was also a very loving caregiver and she was often babysitter for Gertrude’s children. Little did either of them know then that Gertrude Hawk chocolates would grow to become a well-known treat throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
As a young woman, Mary took a liking to a local boy she knew, Sy Haffner, and she often visited him at his work – the local slaughter house, of all places. Despite the unpleasant conditions of Sy’s workplace, Mary was drawn to Sy’s close knit family and the two of them hit it off and became inseparable friends. Realizing that they had something special between them, they soon married and started a family there in South Canaan. However, both of them dreamed of ‘getting out’ of that small town and in 1959, an opportunity to move came upon them. They packed up all they had, which wasn’t really that much, and moved to Orange, NJ. Within a couple of years, they had saved enough money to buy a home in Bloomfield, where they lived for nearly fifty years, raising their two daughters. Mary and Sy were absolutely devoted to one another and did just about everything together. Even when Mary began to struggle during the early stages of her Alzheimer’s disease, they relied on their deep faith and trust in God. Sy drew her in even closer and cared for her like no one else could have. Day and night, she was never alone. Sy passed in 2009 and sadly, Mary’s condition had advanced to the point where she no longer knew who he was. Perhaps that was a blessing in disguise, as Mary was spared the grief of his loss. Mary then moved to Stockholm, NJ to live with her daughter Terri and John, where she received the same love, care, and devotion. With the care she received all of her family, and her new team of caregivers (who are now adopted into the family) she continued to touch the lives of all those around her.
Mary was a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother. She was gifted with a strong, nurturing soul that she shared with so many people throughout her lifetime. She loved caring for children, all children, and served as a babysitter for countless children in her home in Bloomfield over the years. But to simply refer to her as a ‘babysitter’ would not do justice. She truly and sincerely cared for all the children in her care and their families as well. Many of them have since grown to adulthood but still consider her to be their ‘surrogate’ mom, and some even call her ‘grandma.’ She volunteered at her church and soon found herself involved in the nursery. She was a wonderful listener and always provided sage advice when called upon, usually suggesting that you should pray about all situations…for she trusted that God listened and cared for everyone. She was an active member of the Calvary Temple in Wayne since the 1980’s and she prayed daily for all of those in need. She was nothing less than a wonderful, special, kind and loving lady. Although she will be missed dearly by all those who love her, she is surely an angel enjoying her reward in the loving arms of Jesus Christ today.
Mary is survived by her two daugthers; Terri Ferrara and her husband John of Stockholm, NJ, and Lisa Spano and her husband Larry of Roseland, NJ, four grandchildren; Rebecca Spano of Roseland, Jennifer Lopresti and her husband Joseph of Sparta, Amy Sherwood and her husband Ronald “Scot” of Hawthorne, NJ, and Jonathan Ferrara of Wayne, three great-grandchildren; Tyler and Lexi Lopresti of Sparta and Freddy Sherwood of Hawthorne, as well as one sister; Naoma Drozd of N. Plainfield, NJ. She was predeceased by her husband Sylvester “Sy” in 2009 and by three brothers; Lloyd, Evert, and Charles Shaffer.
Memorial contributions, if friends so wish, would be appreciated. Please consider the Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice, 99 Sparta Ave., Newton, NJ 07860.
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 Sunday, March 8, 2015 from 2-6 PM.
Funeral Services will be held at 11 AM on Monday, March 9, 2015 at the Calvary Temple, 1111 Preakness Avenue, Wayne.
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Sunday, March 8, 2015 from 2-6 PM.
Funeral Services will be held at 11 AM on Monday, March 9, 2015 at the Calvary Temple, 1111 Preakness Avenue, Wayne.
Mary Jane Haffner (nee Shaffer), age 77 of Stockholm, NJ, and formerly of Bloomfield, NJ, went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, March 5, 2015 after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Mary grew up near Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania, in the rural town of South Canaan. She was one of five children and her father worked tirelessly as a logger in the local forests. One of Mary’s earliest jobs was helping a local woman, Gertrude Hawk, make chocolates at her home. Besides helping make chocolate, Mary was also a very loving caregiver and she was often babysitter for Gertrude’s children. Little did either of them know then that Gertrude Hawk chocolates would grow to become a well-known treat throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
As a young woman, Mary took a liking to a local boy she knew, Sy Haffner, and she often visited him at his work – the local slaughter house, of all places. Despite the unpleasant conditions of Sy’s workplace, Mary was drawn to Sy’s close knit family and the two of them hit it off and became inseparable friends. Realizing that they had something special between them, they soon married and started a family there in South Canaan. However, both of them dreamed of ‘getting out’ of that small town and in 1959, an opportunity to move came upon them. They packed up all they had, which wasn’t really that much, and moved to Orange, NJ. Within a couple of years, they had saved enough money to buy a home in Bloomfield, where they lived for nearly fifty years, raising their two daughters. Mary and Sy were absolutely devoted to one another and did just about everything together. Even when Mary began to struggle during the early stages of her Alzheimer’s disease, they relied on their deep faith and trust in God. Sy drew her in even closer and cared for her like no one else could have. Day and night, she was never alone. Sy passed in 2009 and sadly, Mary’s condition had advanced to the point where she no longer knew who he was. Perhaps that was a blessing in disguise, as Mary was spared the grief of his loss. Mary then moved to Stockholm, NJ to live with her daughter Terri and John, where she received the same love, care, and devotion. With the care she received all of her family, and her new team of caregivers (who are now adopted into the family) she continued to touch the lives of all those around her.
Mary was a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother. She was gifted with a strong, nurturing soul that she shared with so many people throughout her lifetime. She loved caring for children, all children, and served as a babysitter for countless children in her home in Bloomfield over the years. But to simply refer to her as a ‘babysitter’ would not do justice. She truly and sincerely cared for all the children in her care and their families as well. Many of them have since grown to adulthood but still consider her to be their ‘surrogate’ mom, and some even call her ‘grandma.’ She volunteered at her church and soon found herself involved in the nursery. She was a wonderful listener and always provided sage advice when called upon, usually suggesting that you should pray about all situations…for she trusted that God listened and cared for everyone. She was an active member of the Calvary Temple in Wayne since the 1980’s and she prayed daily for all of those in need. She was nothing less than a wonderful, special, kind and loving lady. Although she will be missed dearly by all those who love her, she is surely an angel enjoying her reward in the loving arms of Jesus Christ today.
Mary is survived by her two daugthers; Terri Ferrara and her husband John of Stockholm, NJ, and Lisa Spano and her husband Larry of Roseland, NJ, four grandchildren; Rebecca Spano of Roseland, Jennifer Lopresti and her husband Joseph of Sparta, Amy Sherwood and her husband Ronald “Scot” of Hawthorne, NJ, and Jonathan Ferrara of Wayne, three great-grandchildren; Tyler and Lexi Lopresti of Sparta and Freddy Sherwood of Hawthorne, as well as one sister; Naoma Drozd of N. Plainfield, NJ. She was predeceased by her husband Sylvester “Sy” in 2009 and by three brothers; Lloyd, Evert, and Charles Shaffer.
Memorial contributions, if friends so wish, would be appreciated. Please consider the Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice, 99 Sparta Ave., Newton, NJ 07860.
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