John Cap, Jr., 89, of Belmar, New Jersey, loving father and grandfather, passed away on July 31, 2023.
John was born in Bayonne, New Jersey, to Evodkia (Evelyn) and John Cap Sr., and was a proud first generation American. John and his brother Alexander had many jobs as children. John's first job was delivering ice after school when he was nine years old. His other jobs included delivering milk and newspapers. For fun the boys would go to the movies on Saturday afternoon to see double features. John's favorite games were stickball and cards. He received the rotary club citizenship award in elementary school for collecting money and buying bond stamps for a club that supported World War II. John graduated Bayonne High School and was the first one in his family to attend college. After graduating St. Peter's College, he spent three years in the US Army. He completed basic training at Fort Dix and was stationed in Germany. After the Army, John went into sales, as a sales rep for building supplies and eventually a partner in his own company, GrayCap LLC. Finding himself without any plans for New Year's Eve 1963, John was set up on a blind date with Helen Petropoulos of Newark, NJ. The successful date with Helen resulted in a whirlwind romance, a wedding on Flag Day, June 14, 1964, and a marriage of 57 years. Helen and John lived in West Orange, NJ for 52 years and raised their three daughters Johanna, Stephanie, and Andrea there. They enjoyed spending summers as a family at the Jersey Shore. The drive to the shore was filled with singing including a few of John's original songs he wrote for his daughters. John loved to go crabbing and to prepare seafood dinners for his family. John often took his family to New York City for museums, art shows, circus, ballet and the theater. He regularly took his daughters to Broadway shows fostering a love of musicals. Together, John and Helen immersed their daughters in their Lemko and Greek cultures and kept many holiday and family traditions. They travelled together to Greece, Egypt, Russia, England, Belgium and France. He was most proud of his trip to the Carpathian Mountains of Poland to see his ancestral homeland. He also spent a month in Ghana, West Africa. John and Helen spent their retirement in Belmar going to local concerts and walking on the boardwalk. When Helen's health declined John was her champion and primary caregiver. Helen was absolutely the love of his life and he cared for her at home until she passed in 2021. John's religion was a cornerstone of his life. He attended St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church, Little Falls, where you would find him in the same pew each Sunday, red prayer book in hand, actively participating in services. He served as a trustee and attended and supported many local Orthodox events and organizations. To his grandchildren, John was known as Papa, and always had a candy bar ready for them whenever they visited. One of his favorite pastimes with his grandchildren was feeding ducks on the lake across from his house. John is survived by his daughters Johanna Cap Gatch, Stephanie Sackariasen and her husband Kurt, Andrea Kruger and her husband Mike; Grandchildren Alexis, Kurt, Lily, Mia and Violet. A viewing will be held at Gaita Memorial Home (154 Newark Pompton Turnpike, Little Falls, NJ 07424) on Thursday, August 3rd from 4 pm- 8 pm with a Parastas service and memorial at 7 pm. The funeral service will be held on Friday, August 4th at 10 am at St. John the Baptist Russian Orthodox Church (29 Weaver Street, Little Falls, NJ 07424). Please meet directly at church. Burial will follow at 12:30 pm at St. Vladimir's Russian Orthodox Christian Cemetery (316 Cassville Road, Jackson, NJ 08527). In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to International Christian Charities (IOCC), 110 West Road, Suite 360, Baltimore, MD 21204 or online at www.iocc.org or to Cure PSP in support of Supranuclear Palsy Research at Cure PSP, 1216 Broadway, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10001 or online at www.psp.org/iwanttohelp/ways-to-give/ Envelopes will also be provided by the funeral home during visitation hours.
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Beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, cousin and uncle- Robert Anthony Monteyne (Bob), 77, of Totowa, New Jersey, passed away on July 9, 2023.
Bob is survived by his devoted wife, Rosemary Monteyne (nee Seminara), and loving daughters, Renee Ciccarella and husband Robert, Rosemary Bergamasco and husband Thomas, and Roberta Bergamo and husband Michael. Bob was also a cherished grandfather (Big Daddy) to Giavonna Bergamasco, Valentina Bergamasco, Reide Ciccarella, Natalie Bergamo, and Grace Bergamo and step grandchildren Luke Bergamasco and Ben Bergamasco. Bob was an endeared brother to Donald Monteyne and his wife Joyce, caring brother-in-law to Thomas Seminara and husband Chuck, Gary Seminara and wife Andrea. Bob was also surrounded by many treasured cousins, nephews, nieces, great-nephews, and great-nieces. Bob is predeceased by his parents, Bette and Gabriel Monteyne, and father-in-law Ignatius Seminara and mother-in-law Gloria Seminara. Born in Paterson on April 24, 1946, Bob lived most of his life in Totowa and then later in life split his time between New Jersey and Florida. He spent his life working and providing for his family. He was a talented and respected builder, Paterson fireman, and entrepreneur. Bob was a member of the "Do Good House" in Totowa. As his nickname "Big Bob" suggested he was a man that possessed a personality larger than life and the stature to carry it. He will be greatly missed and remembered always. The family will receive their friends on Wednesday, July 12, 2023 from 3 pm to 8 pm at Gaita Memorial Home, 154 Newark Pompton Turnpike, Little Falls. A funeral mass will be held on Thursday, July 13, 2023 at 10 am at Notre Dame RC Church, 359 Central Avenue, North Caldwell. Please meet directly at church. Entombment to follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, East Hanover, NJ. In lieu of flowers, donations in Bob's memory may be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or online at www.stjude.org or to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, 2361 Hylan Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10306 or online at www.t2t.org Envelopes will be provided by the funeral home during visitation hours for your convenience. JoAnn Lucille Riotto, 76, of Little Falls, New Jersey, passed away on July 5, 2023. JoAnn was a bookkeeper with Advanced Video Surveillance, a family business. She not only enjoyed her work, but loved working with family, something she cherished deeply. Her family was her world. She took pride in maintaining her home in Little Falls, where she lived for over 50 years. She could often be found gardening or playing cards. If JoAnn was not at home, she was out shopping! JoAnn is survived by her loving husband Joe Riotto, her daughter Deborah Durocher and her husband Ken, her son Michael Riotto and his wife Lisa, and grandchildren Nicholas Durocher, Michael Durocher, Jonathon Riotto and Alyssa Riotto. A Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, July 10, 2023, at 9:30 am, at Our Lady of the Holy Angels Church, 473 Main Street, Little Falls, NJ 07424. Interment will follow at Immaculate Conception Cemetery, Montclair. Please meet directly at church. In lieu of flowers, donations in JoAnn's memory may be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or www.stjude.org Karnig Arsen Thomasian died on July 5, 2023 in Pompton Plains, NJ. Born in NYC on April 8, 1924 to immigrant Armenian parents, Karnig was raised in a loving home full of old world traditions. As a child he loved sports, especially baseball. He followed the NY Yankees his entire life. One of the highlights of his childhood was when he met his idol, Lou Gehrig. By the time high school graduation neared, WWII was looming. Always the patriot, Karnig dropped out of school to join the Army Air Corps. Because of his age and the fact that he was an only child, he needed his parents' permission to enlist. His parents placed one condition before giving their blessing; that he promises to finish high school and get his diploma. He kept his promise.
He completed basic training and rose to the rank of Staff Sgt. He became a flight engineer on the state-of-the-art B-29. Stationed in Karachi, India his third mission on December 14, 1944, took his crew to Rangoon, Burma where his plane exploded due to colliding bombs under his plane and set off a chain reaction in his formation. He was the last to parachute out of the plane and he watched in shock as 5 of his buddies and the wreckage of the B29 fell to earth in a ball of fire. He was quickly captured and taken to a Japanese prison camp where he remained until his liberation on May 2, 1945. The horrors he experienced as a POW remained with him for the rest of his life. After the war, he returned to life in NYC and began a career in advertising. On a business trip to Pittsburgh, PA he met the love of his life, Diana. They married in 1952 after dating five months. After two years in NYC and the birth of their first child, Linda they moved to River Edge, NJ where their second daughter Karla completed the family. Over the years, Karnig and his dear Diana turned their backyard into a beautiful Japanese garden complete with a waterfall, 3 patios, a barbecue pit, a bamboo grove and added a shuffleboard court on the side of the house just for fun! Each stone was cemented in place by Karnig, each shrub pruned by Diana. The Thomasian home was known for its warmth, hospitality, good food, laughter, love and oh the parties! Mom and Dad also created a home that was a safe harbor for people who came to this country seeking to make a new life. Karnig was active and loved playing tennis, racquetball and handball often beating men half his age. He and his wife were adventurous souls who went hot air ballooning, rode 10 speed bikes, shot the rapids in Colorado and traveled the world. He served his community in many ways and soon after retiring at 70, he became an NSO with the VA and helped veterans from all wars navigate the maze of the VA system to get their disability payments and other well-earned benefits that were life-changing. He surprised himself by becoming an author at the age of 80. With mom by his side, as his Editor-in-Chief, he wrote Then There Were Six which told the story of the Rangoon air disaster and his life as a POW. Karnig loved to speak to various audiences across the country particularly young students about his experiences to help them begin to understand the cost of war and what it taught him. After losing his beloved Diana in 2011, Karnig moved to Cedar Crest in Pompton Plains. After a few months, God blessed him with a great love for a second time when he met Inga in Cedar Crest's communal garden. It was there that their love grew. They were inseparable from then on. Their love was an unexpected gift they cherished daily. They shared a deep passion for gardening and created a beautiful and unique oasis they dubbed "Shangri-La" complete with a small waterfall! After losing Inga in January 2023, his joy for life began to fade. Finally, with his daughter, Karla, embracing him, he joined Diana and Inga in heaven. Karnig is survived by his "first born" Linda and her husband Ed Glagola, his "little baby daughter" Karla Robertson, sister-in-law, Claudette Sarian, granddaughter Alicia Thomasian, and nephews Chris and Mark Sarian. Karnig will be remembered for his larger-than-life presence, his booming laughter, his patriotism, his friendship, generosity of spirit and positive outlook and his perseverance in times of adversity. His compassion for others and straight-talking way of communicating was as much a part of him as were his endless enthusiasm and childlike glee in playing practical jokes on some people and living with wild abandon. He was the kind of guy you knew for 5 minutes, and you ended up loving him. He will be missed by all who were touched by him. Celebration Service details: Chapel at Cedar Crest Cedar Crest Village Drive Pompton Plains, NJ 07444 Friday, July 28, 2023 1:00pm- 2:00pm Coffee and dessert reception afterward at Cedar Crest- specific location to be announced at service. Please do not park in any spaces marked RESERVED. BURIAL Karnig will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery at a future time yet to be assigned by ANC. I will advise everyone when I hear from them. Be patient. It will be a while. DONATIONS The Seeing Eye, Inc. tinyurl.com/5t4dwh9m Project Horses for Forces (make check out to them) P.O. Box 329, Whitehouse Station, NJ 08889 (They do not have an online donation platform at this time) For more information on this org please visit horsesforforces.weebly.com/ 95% of all donations go directly to serving Veterans and their families! They are a 100% volunteer team. Joseph T. Farnese, M.D., 66, of North Caldwell, New Jersey, passed away on July 2, 2023.
Joe is survived by his loving wife, Robin Farnese, and cherished daughters, Nicole Farnese, Jacki Farnese and Alexa Farnese. Joe was a beloved brother to Dr. Jeffrey Farnese and his wife, Marlene, caring brother-in-law to Randy Mitchell and her husband, John, and Renee Ilaria and her fiancé, Frank. Joe is also survived by his adoring mother-in-law, Dolores Ilaria, and dear nieces and nephews, James, Danielle, Jeffrey, Gabriella, Daniella and Alex. Joe is predeceased by his parents, Mary and Joseph Farnese, Jr., brothers, John "Jackie" Farnese and James "Jimmy" Farnese, and father-in-law, Robert Ilaria. Joe graduated from Rutgers University with a bachelor's degree in biology in 1979 and went on to graduate from St. George's University School of Medicine in Grenada in 1984. Joe completed his Residency at St. Joseph's Hospital in Paterson and continued to practice family medicine in his private office in Little Falls, New Jersey for over 35 years. Joe took the true meaning of family practice seriously. His patients were his family. The number of lives Joe touched is immeasurable. He helped everyone he met and worked tirelessly doing so. He had the biggest heart, especially when it came to his family. He was a role model for his daughters, teaching them lessons and giving advice they will carry throughout their lifetime. Outside of medicine, Joe was a pilot, a fisherman, a modern-day Renaissance Man. Joe was a FAA Physician, he loved flying and seeing the world. From Wildwood Crest to Myrtle Beach to countries outside of the United States, Joe found beauty wherever he flew. Joe could fix anything. He built homes, was a great contractor as well. It seemed there was nothing Joe could not fix. In his free time, he would spend weekends putting up walls, fixing water pipes, rewiring electrical devices, sanding sheetrock, fishing at Lake Hopatcong with friends and debating New England Journal articles with his brother Jeff. Most importantly, Joe was a friend to all. A friend that would help anyone and everyone. Family and friends are welcome to gather on Sunday, July 9, 2023 from 1 pm to 5:30 pm at Gaita Memorial Home, 154 Newark Pompton Turnpike, Little Falls. Please keep a continuous flow during visitation to ensure everyone has an opportunity to pay their respects. In lieu of flowers, donations in Joe's memory may be made to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, P.O. Box 97075, Washington, DC 20090-7075 or online at www.mda.org or to Alzheimer's New Jersey, 425 East Rock Avenue, Suite 203, Roseland, NJ 07068 or online at www.alznj.org Envelopes will also be provided by the funeral home during visiting hours for your convenience. |
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