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Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Wednesday, November 2, 2016 from 4-8 PM.
Funeral Services will be held at 8:30 AM on Thursday, November 3, 2016 from the funeral home, then to St. Mary’s RC Church, Pompton Lakes, where at 9:30 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered.
Roberta C. Pankow (nee Botyos), age 80 of Pompton Lakes died peacefully on Saturday, October 29, 2016. She had battled with Parkinson’s disease for many years.
Roberta grew up in Teaneck and graduated from Teaneck High School with the class of 1954 where she had also played on the basketball team. She met her husband Charles on a blind date to Bear Mountain in New York State shortly after her graduation, and they truly hit it off. Charles admits he fell in love when he first met her, but Roberta needed a little more time to warm up to him. They were soon married on October 20, 1956 and honeymooned at Miami Beach. After living in Tenafly and Westwood, they settled in Pompton Lakes in 1966 where they have lived ever since. They recently celebrated their sixtieth anniversary. Charles humbly admits that they had their ups and downs, but their marriage was a good one filled with many happy times and joyful memories. He will miss her dearly.
Roberta’s children recall their mom being a wonderful homemaker and the best mom to each of them. Their mom kept an impeccably clean home and each of them played a part; Wednesday was cleaning day and they could not go out to play with their friends until each of their chores were complete. Their home was never quiet either, as Roberta usually had a radio playing music, or the television tuned to her favorite soap opera; afternoons were dedicated to “Guiding Light” and “The Young and the Restless.” Roberta never sat still though, and was usually ironing clothes while she watched her soaps. Thursday was shopping day when Roberta “the coupon queen” would do all of her grocery shopping for the week – and she never paid full price! As serious as she was about keeping a clean and orderly home, she also had a great sense of humor that never seemed to rest (except for the time her daughter brought the pet bunny inside and it chewed all the draperies!). Roberta was a fantastic hostess and threw the best parties at her home. Whether it was the Super Bowl, Father’s Day, a birthday, or any other reason to gather family and friends, parties at Roberta’s house were always the most fun. Summer vacations were also a tradition for them many years ago; the last two weeks in August at the Jersey Shore. This made for some of the best and most fun times that Roberta’s children remember, including their grandfather’s fried bologna sandwiches! They all have wonderful memories to cherish for years to come.
Roberta is survived by her husband Charles of Pompton Lakes, three daughters; Carol Pankow of Oak Ridge, Suzanne Gaffney and her husband Ray of Hamburg, Amy Haggerty and her husband Dean of Wantage, her sister; Georgene Herschbach and her husband Dudley of Cambridge, MA, and her sister-in-law; Geraldine Botyos, and nine grandchildren. Roberta was predeceased by her daughter; Nancy Pankow-Brennan in 2013, by her grandson; Nicholas Liggio in 1994, and by her brother; Clifford Botyos in 2015.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5014 or by visiting www.michaeljfox.org.
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 Wednesday, November 2, 2016 from 4-8 PM.
Funeral Services will be held at 8:30 AM on Thursday, November 3, 2016 from the funeral home, then to St. Mary’s RC Church, Pompton Lakes, where at 9:30 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered.
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Wednesday, November 2, 2016 from 4-8 PM.
Funeral Services will be held at 8:30 AM on Thursday, November 3, 2016 from the funeral home, then to St. Mary’s RC Church, Pompton Lakes, where at 9:30 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered.
Roberta C. Pankow (nee Botyos), age 80 of Pompton Lakes died peacefully on Saturday, October 29, 2016. She had battled with Parkinson’s disease for many years.
Roberta grew up in Teaneck and graduated from Teaneck High School with the class of 1954 where she had also played on the basketball team. She met her husband Charles on a blind date to Bear Mountain in New York State shortly after her graduation, and they truly hit it off. Charles admits he fell in love when he first met her, but Roberta needed a little more time to warm up to him. They were soon married on October 20, 1956 and honeymooned at Miami Beach. After living in Tenafly and Westwood, they settled in Pompton Lakes in 1966 where they have lived ever since. They recently celebrated their sixtieth anniversary. Charles humbly admits that they had their ups and downs, but their marriage was a good one filled with many happy times and joyful memories. He will miss her dearly.
Roberta’s children recall their mom being a wonderful homemaker and the best mom to each of them. Their mom kept an impeccably clean home and each of them played a part; Wednesday was cleaning day and they could not go out to play with their friends until each of their chores were complete. Their home was never quiet either, as Roberta usually had a radio playing music, or the television tuned to her favorite soap opera; afternoons were dedicated to “Guiding Light” and “The Young and the Restless.” Roberta never sat still though, and was usually ironing clothes while she watched her soaps. Thursday was shopping day when Roberta “the coupon queen” would do all of her grocery shopping for the week – and she never paid full price! As serious as she was about keeping a clean and orderly home, she also had a great sense of humor that never seemed to rest (except for the time her daughter brought the pet bunny inside and it chewed all the draperies!). Roberta was a fantastic hostess and threw the best parties at her home. Whether it was the Super Bowl, Father’s Day, a birthday, or any other reason to gather family and friends, parties at Roberta’s house were always the most fun. Summer vacations were also a tradition for them many years ago; the last two weeks in August at the Jersey Shore. This made for some of the best and most fun times that Roberta’s children remember, including their grandfather’s fried bologna sandwiches! They all have wonderful memories to cherish for years to come.
Roberta is survived by her husband Charles of Pompton Lakes, three daughters; Carol Pankow of Oak Ridge, Suzanne Gaffney and her husband Ray of Hamburg, Amy Haggerty and her husband Dean of Wantage, her sister; Georgene Herschbach and her husband Dudley of Cambridge, MA, and her sister-in-law; Geraldine Botyos, and nine grandchildren. Roberta was predeceased by her daughter; Nancy Pankow-Brennan in 2013, by her grandson; Nicholas Liggio in 1994, and by her brother; Clifford Botyos in 2015.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5014 or by visiting www.michaeljfox.org.
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