Ruth M. Kozell

Ruth M. Kozell (née Van Houten), age 90, of Wayne, NJ, passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 26, 2025, surrounded by her loving family.

Born and raised in Paterson, Ruth was one of two children of the late Ben and Anna Van Houten. She graduated from Eastside High School with the Class of 1952. Shortly thereafter, she met the love of her life, Jacob Kozell, on a blind date.  Their meeting blossomed into a beautiful marriage in 1957.

Ruth and Jacob settled in Clifton, where they raised their four daughters: Deborah, Donna, Doreen, and Dawn.  Devoted to her family, Ruth embraced her role as a homemaker with unwavering dedication and joy.  She created a warm, loving, and nurturing home. Later in life, she and Jacob moved to Wayne, where they continued to build a life together, cherishing 60 years of loving marriage until Jacob’s passing in November 2017.

Ruth's family was her true passion in life. Summers were joyfully spent in the backyard pool in Clifton and on cherished vacations to Long Beach Island at the Jersey Shore. In her spare time, she enjoyed watching her favorite game shows, and she was an avid fan of the New York Yankees, the New York Knicks, and the Kansas City Chiefs.  Ruth was a gentle, private soul whose love for her family was deep and unconditional. Her family finds comfort and joy in the belief that she is now reunited with her beloved Jacob in eternal peace.

Ruth will be remembered with love and will be sincerely missed by all who knew her.

Ruth is survived by her four daughters; Deborah Kozell of Nutley, NJ, Donna Kozell of Clifton, NJ, Doreen Catelli and her husband Donald of Doylestown, PA, and Dawn Kennedy and her husband Richard of Pompton Plains, NJ, sister Elizabeth Marchitti and her husband John of Totowa, NJ, and three grandchildren; Nicholas Catelli, Joseph Catelli, and Megan Kayal and her husband James.  She was predeceased by her husband Jacob Kozell in November of 2017.