Patricia Montalbano

Patricia A. Montalbano (nee Nanus), age 73 of Little Falls, died peacefully on Friday, October 9, 2020.

Pat grew up in Wood-Ridge, NJ and after graduating from Wood-Ridge High School, she learned Interior Design at Pratt Institute in New York City.  Early in her career, she worked as an art teacher at several area parochial schools, and was a designer for Brenner Desk.  She went on to open her own interior design business known as Montalbano Design Group, in Little Falls.  She taught interior design at Berkeley College and also served as the President of the NJ Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers.

Pat loved her family and friends and enjoyed socializing and entertaining with them.  They enjoyed many great years at Rockaway River Country Club with friends and family.  Pat was a fantastic cook and made many traditional Italian foods.  Christmas Eve was always a big event in their home, and no one ever went home hungry.  Pat especially loved being a grandmother – her granddaughters fondly called her "Mima".  She enjoyed a very close,  special and unique relationship with each one of her granddaughters.  Of course she enjoyed shopping, and that was something she gladly did with all of them.  On their birthdays, Mima’s tradition was to take them shopping for the day, and they all had very special memories to cherish.  Her granddaughters will all miss her dearly.

Pat met her husband, Bernie Montalbano, after being introduced by a mutual friend.  They hit it off immediately and Bernie asked her out on a date.  They went to a local restaurant and their affection for one another became apparent very early on.  Bernie proposed to Pat while they were strolling along Main Street in Rutherford, window shopping during the Christmas season.  They were married at St. Philips Church in Clifton on November 21, 1970 and honeymooned in Montego Bay, Jamaica.  They eventually settled in Little Falls, where they have lived happily ever since.  Throughout the years, they were very social and enjoyed playing tennis and golf at Rockaway River Country Club.  Pat also enjoyed playing Mahjong with friends from the club.  Eventually they purchased a vacation home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina where Pat and Bernie enjoyed watching the sunset from the beach and spending time with children, granddaughters, and friends.  They loved being there together, and they would often go down to the beach, sit on ‘their’ bench, and simply watch the ocean.  Together, they enjoyed fifty years of what Bernie describes as a “perfect” marriage.  Bernie has lost his soulmate and the love of his life.

Pat is survived by her beloved husband Bernard of Little Falls, their two children; Mark Montalbano and his wife Mary Ann, Paula Rubenacker and her husband Matthew, and four granddaughters; Madeline and Grace Montalbano and Lea and Eryn Rubenacker, all of Wayne.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Sharing Network would be greatly appreciated.  Pat has long been an advocate for organ donation, having received a living donor kidney herself many years ago, your support to the Sharing Network would be most meaningful. www.njsharingnetwork.org.