Robert L Fomen age 76 of Wayne passed away peacefully on Monday, January 29, 2018 while receiving the loving care of his family.

Robert was born in the summer of 1941 in Passaic to Leonard and Mary Fomen. Bob lived with his family in Garfield from 1941 until 1946. His family then moved to Fairfield in 1947, and this is where Bob would grow up and spend his formative years. After graduating High School in 1959, Bob continued to further his education and was in the midst of taking some certification courses and working for the Bendix Corporation, when he got the call to serve his country in the US Armed Forces.

Bob decided that he would enter the US Navy in 1965, was stationed in Newport, RI and served on the USS Brownson. His service on the USS Brownson took him almost twice around the globe. Some of the operations of the USS Brownson during Bob’s service were the bombing of coastal Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Robert served honorably in the United States Navy from 1965-1967 and spent another two years in the Naval Reserves.

A young lady by the name of Judith Capparelli was asked by a few of her co-workers at the time, if she would like to write and correspond with the GI’s overseas to boost their morale. Judy agreed and sent her first letter to Robert L. Fomen in November of 1966. It took a little while but Robert wrote back to her a month later in December. They wrote each other during Bob’s entire service overseas. Finally, when Bob was honorably discharged from the Navy, he called Judy on the phone informing her that his service had ended and he was on his way to see her. He showed up at her doorstep on May 12, 1967. Bob and Judy dated for about three years and as fate would have it they fell in love and on September 12, 1970 they were married at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church in Oakland.

Judy and Bob settled in Wayne, NJ and they would call it their home for the rest of their lives together and would raise their two children David and Jaclyn. In 1973 Bob went to work for SB Thomas Bakery in Totowa where he worked as a Project Manager for three years until 1976. Following his employment at SB Thomas, Bob earned a position as a Manager of Facilities Maintenance at Werner & Pfleiderer in Ramsey. Bob spent the next twenty-six years there until his retirement in 2003. Bob worked part-time after his retirement and then enjoyed full retirement a couple of years later. During his employment at both SB Thomas and Werner Pfleiderer, Bob made good of his spare time and went back to school at night at NJIT where he eventually earned his Bachelor Degree in Engineering Technology along with other various certifications.

Bob was a “Motorhead” from when he was just a teenager. Cars were one of Bob’s passions, he spent countless hours fixing, repairing, and rebuilding automobiles. His pride and joy was his maroon 1935 Ford Coupe. He was a long time member of the Tri-County Cruisers in Wayne and would attend and display his car in Car Shows just about every weekend in places such as Boonton, Wayne, Pompton Lakes, and Succasunna to name just a few. While with the Tri-County Cruisers, Bob would drive his car in the Memorial Day Parades in the area and was also involved in organizing Automotive Scholarships through the organization as well. Over the years, Bob owned a variety of cars and motorcycles including his joint ownership of a race car that he would race at Island Dragway in Great Meadows, NJ and other nearby states. Bob was also a member of the American Society for Industrial Security where they organized field trips to places like the Metropolitan Opera House and the Empire State Building. He was also a long time member of the Association of Facility Engineering.

Bob got his fill of world travel while in the United States Navy and decided that if he were to continue to travel, it would be within the United States. He and his family enjoyed many trips to various places throughout the country. Bob was a quiet man and as one would figure with his technological and engineering background, he was patient and organized. He truly enjoyed doing his yard work and being handy around the house was an understatement. Bob could fix just about anything. Aside from all of Robert’s talents, hobbies and interests, his greatest passion was for his family. Nothing meant more to Bob than spending time with his family. He and his wife Judy cherished forty-eight years of loving and loyal marriage and was a devoted father to his children. Bob touched the lives of many people and will be sincerely missed by everyone that knew him.

Robert is survived by his wife Judy (nee Capparelli) of Wayne, his son David Fomen of Wayne, and his daughter Jaclyn Wacker and her husband Derek of Raleigh, NC.

In lieu of flowers, those planning to make a donation in Robert’s name are asked to consider the American Cancer Society, NJ Chapter, 986 S Springfield Avenue, Springfield, NJ 07081 or the Tri-County Cruisers PO Box 3671, Wayne, NJ 07470.