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Stasia B. Gerry, 84
Stasia B. Gerry, 84, of Fanwood died on Sunday, November 5, 2000 at Runnells Specialized Hospital of Union County in Berkeley Heights.
Born in New Bedford, Mass., she had lived in Closter before moving to Fanwood in 1985.
She was predeceased by her son, Walter Gerry, in 1945; her brother, Zygmon Potyrala, in 1991, and her sister, Gladys Kaczorowski, on October 8.
Surviving are her husband of 64 years, Witold A. Gerry; three daughters, Carol Kraus of Fanwood, Janet Hellmuth of North Palm Beach, Fla. and Marilyn Murray of Valdosta, Ga.; 10 grandchildren; two step-grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
The funeral will be held at 9 a.m. on Monday, November 13, from the Memorial Funeral Home, 155 South Avenue in Fanwood, followed by a Mass at 10 a.m. at St. Bartholomew the Apostle Roman Catholic Church in Scotch Plains. Interment will take place at Holy Cross Cemetery in North Arlington.
Visitation will be on Sunday, November 12, from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Runnells Specialized Hospital, Alzheimer’s Unit 2W, 40 Watchung Way, Berkeley Heights, 07922, or to the Alzheimer’s Association of Northern New Jersey, 299 Cherry Hill Road, Parsippany, 07054.
Rosa Macaluso, 78
Was Seamstress At Westfield Shops for 30 Years
Rosa Macaluso, 78, of South Toms River died on Saturday, November 4, 2000 at home.
Born in Palermo, Italy, she came to the United States in 1955 and lived in Brooklyn and in Westfield before relocating to South Toms River in 1990.
Mrs. Macaluso had been a seamstress for Westfield Tailors and Milady’s Shop in Westfield for 30 years before retiring in 1990.
Surviving are two sons, Peter Macaluso and Salvatore Macaluso; three daughters, Rosalie Gamba, Maria Czarnik and Lorraine Bedson; a brother, Niccolo Riccobono; two sisters, Adela Riccobono and Pina Mandala; 14 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Services were held on Tuesday, November 7, at the Carmona-Bolen Home for Funerals in Toms River.
Manuel Raposo, 79
Manuel Raposo, 79, of Scotch Plains died on Monday, October 30, 2000 in Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center in Plainfield.
Born in Bayonne, he had lived in Spain and Elizabeth before moving to Scotch Plains 20 years ago.
Mr. Raposo had owned the Beacon Cabinet Manufacturing Company in Newark for 35 years before retiring 13 years ago.
He was a member of Club Espana in Newark.
Surviving are his wife, Maria Raposo; a son, Roberto Raposo, and a grandchild.
A Mass was held on Friday, November 3, at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church in Newark, following the funeral from the Galante Funeral Home in Union.
Josephine M. Dwyer
Josephine M. Dwyer of Southampton died on Friday, November 3, 2000 at the Virtua Memorial Hospital in Mount Holly.
Born in Newark, she had lived in Westfield for more than 45 years before relocating to Southampton 12 years ago.
She was predeceased by her husband, Robert M. Dwyer, in 1993.
Surviving are three sons, Robert F. Dwyer of Milford, Raymond J. Dwyer of Bricktown and Roger M. Dwyer of Bethlehem, Pa.; a daughter, Monica Dressel of Edison; 13 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held yesterday, Wednesday, November 8, at the Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church in Westfield.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tenn. 381051905.
Betty S. Dankel, 81
Betty S. Dankel, 81, died on Sunday, November 5, 2000 at The Chelsea assisted living facility in Fanwood.
Born in Cranford, she had lived in Westfield before moving to Manchester in 1979. She relocated to Fanwood about two years ago.
Mrs. Dankel was a member of the Women’s Club of Westfield and a volunteer at Overlook Hospital in Summit.
She was also a member of the Leisure Village West Golfers Association of Manchester Township.
She was predeceased by her husband, William M. Dankel, in 1979.
Surviving are two daughters, Barbara Pierce of Whitehouse Station and Virginia Sullivan of Aurora, Ohio; a sister, Margaret Kiesling; three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
A graveside funeral service took place yesterday, Wednesday, November 8, at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield.
Arrangements were under the direction of the Gray Funeral Home, 318 East Broad Street in Westfield.
Frank Lestarchick, Jr.
Frank J. Lestarchick, Jr., 70, of Scotch Plains, a retired fire department captain, died on Friday, November 3, 2000 at home.
Born in Plainfield, he lived all his life in Scotch Plains.
Mr. Lestarchick had been employed by the Scotch Plains Department of Public Works for 20 years before retiring in 1995 as Supervisor.
He had previously been a foreman for the D’Amato Construction Company in Scotch Plains.
He was a United States Army veteran of the Korean Conflict.
He was a member of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood UNICO, and American Legion Post No. 209 of Scotch Plains-Fanwood and a Charter member of the Polish National Homes of South Plainfield.
He was predeceased by a brother, Edward Lestarchick.
Surviving are his wife, Dolores I. Capraro Lestarchick; two sons, Frank J. Lestarchick, 3rd and John J. Lestarchick; two daughters, Lori Jacobsen and Wendy Pirozzi, and a sister, Florence Clark.
Funeral services were held on Monday, November 6, at the Rossi Funeral Home in Scotch Plains, followed by a Mass at St. Bartholomew the Apostle Roman Catholic Church in Scotch Plains.
Interment was at St. Gertrude’s Cemetery in Colonia.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Scotch Plains Volunteer Rescue Squad, P. O. Box 325, Scotch Plains, 07076.
Alva D. Higgins
Longtime Nurse; Volunteered With Support Groups
Alva Denton MacDonald Higgins of Pittstown died on Wednesday, December 16, 1998 at her home.
Born in Union, the daughter of Arthur and Myrtle MacDonald, she was descended from an original Charterer of Elizabethtown.
She graduated in 1955 from the Presbyterian School of Nursing in Newark before embarking on a nursing career which lasted 43 years.
Mrs. Higgins had served on the staffs of several hospitals, and also worked
for several years as Director of Resident Care for the Society of Friends’ life care community near Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.
She completed her career as an employee health nurse at Prudential in South Plainfield.
Mrs. Higgins attended graduate school at Rutgers University, as well as at Immaculata and Wilmington colleges.
Although disabled for the past two years, Mrs. Higgins volunteered with two support groups at Hunterdon Medical Center in Raritan Township, including “Partners in Healing” and “Chemocare.”
She was a member of the Alumni Association of Presbyterian Hospital, the American Nursing Association and American Brain Tumor Society.
Mrs. Higgins was additionally a member of St. Catherine of Siena Church in Pittstown and a supporting member of the Blue Army Shrine in Washington, Warren County.
She was predeceased by a sister, Patricia Kuran, the first woman Mayor of Fanwood.
Surviving are her husband of 42 years, Vincent P. Higgins, originally of South Amboy; two sons, Vincent Paul Higgins, 3rd of Marietta, Georgia and John Arthur Higgins of Washington; two daughters, Tracey Kathleen Higgins and Amy Margaret Higgins, both of Tewksbury; her parents, Myrtle and Arthur MacDonald of Westfield; a sister, Mrs. Thomas Horan of Tucson, Arizona, and six grandchildren.
Services were held on Saturday, December 19, at the Martin Funeral Home in Clinton. Interment was to be private.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Cancer Center at Hunterdon Medical Center, 2100 Westcott Drive, Flemington, 08822.
Paul Schaaf, Jr., 74
Mechanical Engineer; Army Veteran and Former Sales Executive
Paul H. Schaaf, Jr., 74, of Mountainside died on Tuesday, December 15, 1998 in Overlook Hospital in Summit.
Born in Newark, Mr. Schaaf had lived in Irvington before moving to Mountainside 45 years ago.
He had been a self-employed mechanical engineer in the Mountainside area for 20 years.
Mr. Schaaf had previously been Vice President of Sales for Pyro Plastics, Inc. in Union, where he had worked for 27 years.
He graduated in 1949 from the Newark College of Engineering. He was a United States Army veteran of World War II and served in the Pacific.
Surviving are his wife, Lauretta A. Schaaf; a son, Steven P. Schaaf; two daughters, Susan O’Brien and Mary Ellen Lerner, and seven grandchildren.
A Mass was offered on Saturday, December 19, in Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Mountainside.
The funeral was from Smith and Smith (Suburban) in Springfield.
