Obituaries
Daniel R. Bonamici

Mr. Bonamici, 72, of Monroe, formerly of East Brunswick, died Sept. 16 at home. An accountant since 1957, he founded the Bonamici Co., P.A., Spotswood, in 1967. The firm, of which he was president, is now known as Bonamici, Colletti, P.C., CPAs. From 1955-1963 he taught at Jamesburg High School, where he was also department chairman. He was past board secretary, Jamesburg Board of Education, and past board secretary of the Helmetta Board of Education. A director and past president of the East Brunswick Regional Chamber of Commerce, he also served as treasurer of the chamber’s charitable foundation and was past president of the Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of the board of directors of the Raritan Valley YMCA, East Brunswick. Surviving are his wife, Gloria Smith Bonamici; three children, Kendall Anne Spencer and Kirk Bonamici, both of Monroe, and Kimball Bonamici Williams of Austin, Texas; a sister, Ruth Rolseth of Tarpon Springs, Fla.; and six grandchildren. Services were held at Brunswick Memorial Home, East Brunswick. Entombment was in Holy Cross Burial Park, South Brunswick. Memorial contributions may be made to the East Brunswick Regional Chamber of Commerce Charitable Foundation, P.O. Box 56, East Brunswick, NJ 08816; Haven Hospice, 65 James St., Edison, NJ 08818; or the Raritan Valley YMCA Building Fund, 206 Dunhams Corner Road, East Brunswick, NJ 08816.

Richard W. Palmer

Mr. Palmer, 76, of the Laurence Harbor section of Old Bridge died Sept. 16 in JFK Medical Center, Edison. Surviving are his wife, Louise "Pat" Holden Palmer; two sons, Richard J. Palmer of Fair Haven and Rande H. Palmer of Long Branch; a daughter, Robin Colatrella of Laurence Harbor; and six grandchildren. Services were held at Gundrum Service Home for Funerals, South Amboy. Cremation was private. Memorial contributions may be made to the Monmouth Council of Boy Scouts of America, P.O. Box 188, Oakhurst, NJ 07755.

Ann T. Downey King

Mrs. King, 73, of Old Bridge, formerly of the Monmouth Junction section of South Brunswick, died Sept. 22 in Old Bridge Manor. She was predeceased by her husband, John F. King Sr. Surviving are four sons, John F. and Rob, both of Howell, Pat of Jackson and Paul of Bradley Beach; four daughters, Eileen Avillion of Monmouth Junction, Nancy Novellino of the Toms River section of Dover, Kathy O’Donnell of the Colonia section of Woodbridge and Mary O’Neill of Avon, Conn.; a brother, Peter Downey of Burke, Va.; a sister, Mary Haas of Sun City, Fla.; and 19 grandchil­dren. A Mass is planned for 11 a.m. on Sept. 25 at St. Ambrose Church, Old Bridge. Cremation will be private. Memorial con­tributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 400 Morris Ave., Suite 251, Denville, NJ 07834.

The Rev. Kristaps Valters

The Rev. Valters, 72, of East Brunswick died Sept. 17 in Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick. Ordained in 1958, he served Lutheran Church of America congregations in North Dakota, New York City, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, and Latvian Lutheran churches in Milwaukee, Washington, D.C., and, finally, East Brunswick. He retired in 2000 from the Latvian Lutheran Church of East Brunswick and Lakewood after serv­ing as pastor for nine years. Surviving are his wife, Brigita Utinans Valters; two sons, Vilnis Valters of Milwaukee and Peter Valters of Gaithersburg, Md.; two sisters, Daina Tsurumaki of Fort Washington, Md., and Ruta Shuart of Hackensack; and two grandchildren. A service was held at the Latvian Church, East Brunswick. Interment was in Van Liew Cemetery, North Brunswick. Memorial contributions may be made to the Latvian Church, 12 Gates Ave., East Brunswick, NJ 08816.

John Pickowicz

Mr. Pickowicz, 79, of Old Bridge died Sept. 15 in JFK Medical Center, Edison. Surviving are his wife, Doreen; a son, Clifford of the Brick Town section of Brick; a daughter, Deryl Moller of Old Bridge; a brother, Richard Pickowicz of Georgia; a sister, Josephine Frisch of Flemington; and three grandchildren. A Mass was offered at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Old Bridge. Interment was in Franklin Memorial Park Cemetery.

Nora O’Shea O’Brien

Mrs. O’Brien, 73, of South Amboy died Sept. 17 in Bayshore Community Hospital, Holmdel. She was predeceased by her hus­band, Timothy O’Brien, and by a grand­son, Kevin O’Brien. Surviving are two sons, Gerald O’Brien of Hicksville, N.Y., and Timothy O’Brien of South Amboy; a daughter, Maureen O’Donnell of Mechanicsville, Md.; two brothers, Michael O’Shea of London and James O’Shea of County Kerry, Ireland; three sisters, Sister Rosemary O’Shea of Kent, England, Bridget Doyle of Yonkers, N.Y., and Mary Fitzgerald of County Kerry; and seven grandchildren. A Mass was offered at St. Mary’s Church, South Amboy. Interment was in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, N.Y. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.

Anthony T. Racioppi

Mr. Racioppi, 78, of Old Bridge died Sept. 14 in Madison Center, Old Bridge. Surviving are his wife, Marguerite; three sons, Anthony, Stephen and David; a step­son, John Alex; three stepdaughters, Marguerite Tamasy, Mary Baker and Anne Marie Citta; a brother, Joseph; three sisters, Marie Monaco, Dorothy Salome and Dolly Clark; and 11 grandchildren. A Mass was offered at St. Ambrose Church, Old Bridge. Interment was in Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington.

Elizabeth Vlcej

Ms. Vlcej, 84, of South River died Sept. 16 in Southern Ocean County Hospital, Manahawkin. Surviving are a brother, Anthony Vlcej of Sayreville, and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, great-great-nieces and great-great-nephews. A Mass was offered at St. Mary of Ostrabrama Church, South River. Interment was in Holy Trinity Cemetery, Hopelawn.

Arthur Bjonnes

Mr. Bjonnes, 75, of Old Bridge died Sept. 17 in Newton. Surviving are his wife, Dolores Carlson Bjonnes; three sons, Eric Bjonnes of Old Bridge, Steven Bjonnes of Pennsylvania and Neil Bjonnes of Sea Bright; a daughter, Lisa Wistuba of Newton; 10 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Services were held at Rezem Funeral Home, East Brunswick.

Anna Yuras Corkery

Mrs. Corkery, 86, of Old Bridge died Sept. 17 in Raritan Bay Medical Center, Old Bridge division. Her husband, Michael Corkery, died in 1987. Surviving are a son, Nick Chomko of Old Bridge; a daughter, Joanne Chomko, also of Old Bridge; and two granddaughters. A Mass was offered at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Old Bridge. Interment was in Holy Cross Burial Park, South Brunswick.

Richard Schmidt

Mr. Schmidt, 70, of Jacksonville, Fla., formerly of South River, died Sept. 17 in Florida. Surviving are his wife, Helga Hofmann; four daughters, Doris Meade, Christine Wolf, Sandra Transu and Linda Greco; five sisters, Magda Kosztolanyi, Thea Rottenspacher, Barbara Marmurczak, Mary Dombrowski and Christine Camp; and seven grandchildren. A Mass was of­fered at St. Stephen Protomartyr Church, South River.

Mary Woznica Rojek

Mrs. Rojek, 90, of the Somerset section of Franklin, formerly of Helmetta and Sayreville, died Sept. 13 in McCarrick Care Center, Somerset. Prior to her retirement many years ago, she was employed for 10 years as a seamstress by Charles Komar and Son Inc., South Amboy. Her husband, Walter S. Rojek, died in 1995. Surviving are a son, Michael Rojek of Somerset; two daughters, Dolores Gonden of Monroe and Maryann Kelson of Hope, Idaho; three sis­ters, Anna Bartlinski of Sayreville, Clara Projowski of Woodbridge and Margaret Woznica of Belleville; a brother, Edward Woznica of South Amboy; seven grandchil­dren; and two great-grandchildren. A ser­vice was held at Our Lady of Victories Church, Sayreville. Interment was in New Calvary Cemetery, Parlin section of Sayreville.

Theresa "Tess" Callahan Wojton

Mrs. Wojton, 81, of Sayreville, formerly of South River, died Sept. 14 in Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick. She was predeceased by her first husband, Donald Callahan, in 1967; by her second husband, Frank Wojton, in 1982; and by her companion, Howard J. Kolb. Surviving are four daughters, Donna Nawalany, Theresa Kuczynski and Mary Ann Connnors, all of Sayreville, and Patricia Baffa of New York; a son, Kevin Callahan of Sayreville; a brother, Otto Vanek of South River; and eight grand­children. A Mass was offered at Our Lady of Victories Church, Sayreville. Interment was in New Calvary Cemetery, Parlin sec­tion of Sayreville. Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one’s choice.

Joseph Picciano

Mr. Picciano, 33, of Jamesburg died Sept. 18 in Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick. Surviving are his parents, Angelo and Carol Picciano of Jamesburg, and a sister and brother-in-law, Christine Picciano-Tomaro and Tony Tomaro, also of Jamesburg. Services were held at Rezem Funeral Home, East Brunswick. Interment was private.