Obituaries

Greater Media Newspapers prints obituaries as a free community service, at no charge to the families of the deceased or to the funeral homes that provide the information.

JAMES S. BLACK, 88, of the Parlin section of Sayreville died Nov. 2 in Manor by the Sea Health Care Center, Ocean Grove. His wife, Ellen Black, died in 1994. Surviving are a sister, Smollett "Elsie" Whitehouse of Rehoboth Beach, Del., and several nieces and nephews. Services were held at Carmen F. Spezzi Funeral Home, Parlin. Interment was in East Ridgelawn Cemetery, Clifton.

OLIVE M. TESTA BZDYRA, 67, of Old Bridge died Nov. 2 at home. Her husband, Theodore Bzdyra, died in 1980. Surviving are two brothers, Joseph Testa of the Parlin section of Sayreville and Richard Testa of Watchung; and four sisters, Betty Luciano of Tampa, Fla., Bernice Albanese of Monroe, Denise DePuy of Staten Island, N.Y., and Claire Corbitt of Land O’Lakes, Fla. Services were held at Carmen F. Spezzi Funeral Home, Parlin. Cremation was private.

DOROTHY PAWLYK HURLEY, 71, of the Parlin section of Sayreville died Nov. 1 in Haven Hospice at JFK Medical Center, Edison. Prior to her retirement several years ago, she was employed for 15 years as a fine jewelry salesperson at J.C. Penney Co. Inc., East Brunswick. Her husband, Donald Hurley, died in 1997. Surviving are four daughters, Colleen Hurley of Jersey City, Linda Flynn of Edison, Donna Hurley of Westminster, Colo., and Dorothea Bongiovi of Red Bank; three sisters, Lillian Sullivan of Vero Beach, Fla., Helen Wyckoff of Brick and Olga Farozic of Berlin, Md.; and eight grandchildren. Services were held at Kurzawa Funeral Home, Sayreville. Memorial contributions may be made to Haven Hospice at JFK Medical Center, 65 James St., Edison, NJ 08818.

BEATRICE POPOWSKI, 90, of South River, formerly of Sayreville, died Nov. 10 in Bartley Health Care Center, Jackson. Surviving are two brothers, Frank Popowski of Piscataway and Stanley Popowski of Sayreville; a sister, Jennie Krenzel of Helmetta; and many nieces and nephews. A Mass is planned for 9 a.m. on Nov. 14 at St. Stanislaus Church, Sayreville. Interment will follow in the church cemetery.

BARBARA F. KOSSMAN LUTZ, 58, of Virginia, formerly of Old Bridge, died Nov. 4 in Virginia. Surviving are her husband, Edward Lutz; and two daughters, Katherine Lutz of Old Bridge and Kristina Lutz of Fair Haven, Mass.

HELEN D. OLSZEWSKI BURDAK, 82, of Sayreville died Nov. 9 in Reformed Church Home, Old Bridge. Her husband, Joseph Burdak, died in 1990. Surviving are two daughters, Carol A. Hardin of Red Bank and Rose Marie Turick of Piscataway; three sisters, Jean Bove of South River, Rose Burdak of Sayreville and Theresa Waszczak of North Fort Myers, Fla.; two grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. A Mass was offered at Sacred Heart Church, South Amboy. Interment was in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Parlin section of Sayreville.

ROBERT J. MARONE, 64, of Helmetta, formerly of East Brunswick, died Nov. 4 in Raritan Bay Medical Center, Old Bridge division. He was coordinator of building and grounds for the past eight years at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Old Bridge. Surviving are his wife, Margaret McHugh Marone; two sons, Robert Jr. of Boonton and Keith of Helmetta; a brother, Kenneth of Tamarac, Fla.; and two grandchildren. A Mass was offered at St. Thomas the Apostle Church. Entombment was in Holy Cross Burial Park, South Brunswick. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Thomas Memorials of Honor, c/o St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 1 St. Thomas Plaza, Old Bridge, NJ 08857.

BRIAN MILTON, 58, of Sayreville died Nov. 7 in Veterans Administration Hospital, East Orange. Surviving are a sister, Betty Bowes of Sayreville; three brothers, Henry Milton of Edison, Michael Milton of the Bronx, N.Y., and John Milton of Southington, Conn.; and many nieces and nephews. A Mass was offered at Our Lady of Victories Church, Sayreville. Interment was in Chestnut Hill Cemetery, Old Bridge.

BENITO V. LEPORE, 78, of the Toms River section of Dover, formerly of Old Bridge, died Nov. 9 in Veterans Administration Medical Center, East Orange. Surviving are his wife, Arline Carroll Loyer Lepore; two sons, Vincent of Tinton Falls and Richard of Moreno Valley, Calif.; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. A memorial service will be announced at a later date.

SHARON D. HAMMOND MACRE, 51, of Freehold died Nov. 6 in CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township. She was a preschool teacher at Sunshine Schoolhouse, Freehold. Prior to that, she was a director of Rolling Hills Day Camp, Marlboro, for six years. Surviving are her husband, William; a son, Brian, and a daughter, Lauren, both at home; her mother, Jennie Pedalino Hammond of Old Bridge; a brother, John Hammond of Union; four sisters, Brenda Cantor of West Windsor, Gail Drysdale of Helmetta, Valerie Nugent of Spotswood and Cindy Markus of East Windsor; her mother-in-law, Lucille Macre of Old Bridge; a sister-in-law, Donna Macre of Connecticut; and three nieces and two nephews. A Mass of Christian Burial was offered at St. Stephen Protomartyr Church, South River. Interment was in Holy Cross Burial Park, South Brunswick. Memorial contributions may be made to any cancer research fund.

IRENE F. RUDY MAROZINE, 78, of East Brunswick, formerly of South River, died Nov. 6 at home. Her husband, John, died in 1996. Surviving are two daughters, Kathleen Rimberg of South Amboy and Nancy Simons of Howell; two sons, John Gary of East Brunswick and Michael of Bensalem, Pa.; a brother, Joe Rudy of Sayreville; three sisters, Ann Panella of South Plainfield, Alice Johnson of Jacksonville Beach, Fla., and Carol Samuels of Fort Madison, Iowa; five grandchildren; and three step-grandchildren. A Mass was offered at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Old Bridge. Entombment was in Holy Cross Burial Park, South Brunswick. Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one’s choice.

EDITH HAASE IRISH, 92, of Old Bridge died Nov. 12 at home. She began her teaching career in a two-room schoolhouse in the former Madison Township, now Old Bridge. Prior to her retirement in 1974, she was employed as a learning disability specialist for the Matawan Regional School District. Surviving are her husband, Ralph N.; a son, Donald Irish of Sussex; three daughters, Joan Weglarz of Monroe, Helen Carroll of Washington Crossing, Pa., and Edythe Monek of Bayville; 11 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren. A Mass is planned for 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 15 at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Old Bridge. Interment will follow in Holy Cross Burial Park, South Brunswick. Memorial contributions may be made to the Visiting Nurse Association of Central New Jersey Hospice, 141 Bodman Place, Red Bank, NJ 07701.

VICTORIA GRABOWSKI, 75, of Sayreville died Nov. 4 in Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick. Surviving are a brother, Walter Grabowski of Apopka, Fla.; four sisters, Frances Petner of the Parlin section of Sayreville and Jean Synarski, Mary Lis and Theresa Grabowski, all of Sayreville; and several nieces and nephews. A Mass was offered at St. Stanislaus Church, Sayreville. Interment was in the church cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Diabetes Foundation or the American Heart Association.

MARGARET KANCA GOMOLKA, 84, of South Amboy died Nov. 12 in Raritan Bay Medical Center, Old Bridge division. Her husband, Conrad, died in 1987. Surviving are a daughter, Barbara Bottka of South Amboy; five sisters, Elizabeth Samuel and Anna Mae Bacho, both of Sayreville, Helen Golla and Evelyn Kreudl, both of South River, and Irene Fronczak of South Amboy; and many nieces and nephews. A Mass is planned for 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 16 at Sacred Heart Church, South Amboy. Interment will follow in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Parlin section of Sayreville.

JOSEPH G. McANDREWS, 71, of Sayre-ville died Nov. 6 in Summerhill Nursing Home, Old Bridge. His wife, Julia DiPasquale McAndrews, died in 1989. Surviving are two daughters, Deborah Dooling of the Parlin section of Sayreville and JoAnn Cosgrove of South Amboy; three brothers, John McAndrews of Florida, Donald McAndrews of Staten Island, N.Y., and Patrick McAndrews of Brooklyn, N.Y.; a sister, Anne Mattera of Staten Island; and a grandson. A Mass was offered at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, Staten Island. Interment was in Moravian Cemetery, also Staten Island.

ALFRED G. PIATEK, 85, of Sayreville died Nov. 8 at home. Prior to his retirement in 1974, he was employed as a mechanic with Peter J. Switzer, Spotswood, where he worked for 34 years. Surviving are many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. A Mass was offered at St. Stanislaus Church, Sayreville. Interment was in the church cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Stanislaus School Endowment Fund or to the Sayreville Emergency Squad.