Ray Brienza. Courtesy of SBOA NJ.

Ray Brienza, the “dean of harness racing reporters in New Jersey,” will be honored on July 30 with the installation of a print of his Communicators Hall of Fame portrait in the press box at the Meadowlands Racetrack.

The honor is being bestowed by the United States Harness Writers Association.

Brienza passed away at age 80 last fall. He lived for nearly 50 years in South Orange. Brienza was predeceased by his wife Una who died in 2002. The couple had six children and six grandchildren.

Brienza worked as a columnist and writer for the Star-Ledger for nearly 40 years. He won three John Hervey Awards, the 2004 President’s Award from the United States Harness Writers Association, and he was inducted into the U.S. Harness Writers Association Communicators Hall of Fame.

Read more about Brienza here and here.

Dave Curtin, former Athletic Director at Columbia High School and current freshman football coach at Livingston High School, has passed away after a battle with cancer and heart failure.

The following notice was posted on the South Orange Maplewood Education Association Facebook page this morning:

It is with deepest sorrow that we inform you of the passing of Dave Curtin. He was a P.E. teacher and the former Athletic Director at Columbia High School. Dave recently turned 58 years old last week. Dave was a devoted husband, father of three and a grandfather of one. He also taught at the following schools: Wardlaw Hartridge, Malboro, Roselle Catholic and Breathy High School. He coached football at every school that he taught at except Roselle Catholic. Most recently he was the football coach at Livingston High School and the track and field coach at New Providence High School. He also enjoyed watching the NY Mets and NY Jets play because they were his favorite teams. Dave Curtin will be truly missed.

The following statement was issued by Livingston Public Schools: 

“The extraordinary bond that Coach Curtin established with players and parents alike provided us an opportunity to witness what happens as a result of great teaching, coaching and character,” said David Cohen, the athletic director at Livingston High School, where Curtin recently coached freshmen football.

“We are very proud and thankful for Coach Curtin’s greatest accomplishment: the positive impact he has had on our athletes, which will remain with them for the rest of their life,” Cohen said.

Services are as follows:

Visitation will take place 3 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, August 14, 2016 at Higgins and Bonner Funeral Home, 582 Springfield Ave., Westfield, N.J.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Monday, August 15, 2016 at 10 a.m. at the Kenilworth Gospel Chapel, 557 Newark Avenue, Kenilworth, N.J.

South Orange and Maplewood are yet again mourning the untimely death of a neighbor with the loss of South Orange resident Jeremy Mathews, 44, who suffered a heart attack while attending a media luncheon at the Rio Olympics on Friday, August 12, according to The New York Post.

Mathews lived in South Orange with his long-time partner Christopher Crews.

He worked as a media buyer for the IPG-owned UM (formerly Universal McCann).

According to the Post, Mathews had climbed Rio’s Sugarloaf Mountain on Thursday and complained of chest pains. He collapsed at the industry luncheon on Friday; attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.

Mathews was a native of Chester, PA and a graduate of Temple University.

Visitation will be held Aug. 19 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Preston Funeral Home, 153 South Orange Ave. in South Orange. Donations in Jeremy’s name may be made to Shriners Hospital or St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

Read the Post’s story here.

This obituary was originally posted in the Courier-Post:

Jeanette Manning Estoye

News of the sudden death of Jeanette Manning Estoye, 37, of Maplewood, has shocked many locals, but shock and pain have been turned into action.

A meal train has been set up to help Jeanette’s husband David and her three boys, Logan (age 5), Derek (age 3) and Trevor (age 5 months). The next two weeks are covered, but dates start opening up around September 5, with many slots still open.

Find the meal train link here: https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/rv1qed.

Friends have also created an Amazon wish list to help the family. Items include everything from infant formula to diapers to children’s shampoo. See the list here.

A GoFundMe page has also been created at www.gofundme.com/2k2z3dw for Logan, Derek and Trevor.

Read Jeanette’s full obituary here.

On September 13, 2015, Marcia Worth-Baker left us suddenly, heartbreakingly. Marcia was our colleague, collaborator and friend. She touched many lives in South Orange, Maplewood and beyond. In the year since, we have missed her every day. And we have dreamed of her. In fact, a number of Marcia’s friends have shared similar dreams of Marcia, all of which involve her apologizing for leaving so abruptly and without a proper goodbye. In mine, she is writing notes of explanation on lovely stationery — so very Marcia. Below are the remembrances that Carolyn Maynard-Parisi compiled in tribute to Marcia a year ago. Many were referenced at her memorial service at Morrow Church. We share them here again to keep her memory ever present or, at the least, only a dream away. — Mary Mann

Marcia Worth-Baker

The South Orange/Maplewood and surrounding communities were left reeling by the news of the sudden passing of Marcia Worth-Baker on Sunday, Sept. 13.

An educator, journalist, historian, coupon queen, New York Times blogger, cancer survivor, active community and school volunteer, Zumba lover, swap meet fan, and most importantly, wife and mother of three, Marcia touched many lives in her nearly 49 years of life.

She is survived by her family, including husband, David; children Abigail, James and Charles; parents Catherine T. Dwan and Larry D. Worth; stepfather Donald A. Dwan and brother, John D. Worth. Read more in her obituary here.

The Village Green asked people who knew Marcia — and there are many — to contribute memories and anecdotes about her and what she meant to them.

But first, a personal memory: When I met Marcia in 2011, one of the first stories she assigned me was a piece on how locals were celebrating the royal wedding. I considered it no small victory that Marcia – a devoted and knowledgeable Anglophile – loved the article.

After I became editor of Maplewood Patch, she and I were a close-knit duo during a frequently tumultuous year. Our daily phone calls were about work, but they were also about kids, food, life. I admired her lightening speed as a writer, her quirky sense of humor, her extreme love of Able Baker cookies.

Marcia had an essential humanity that shone through everything she did and a strong moral compass that guided her through even the toughest stories. I learned from her that often the story is secondary to the lives impacted. I will miss her more than words can say.

————————————

“Marcia was not only a warm, caring and nurturing teacher, but she also gave our son the gift of confidence in himself; of being comfortable with what made him stand out from the crowd. She taught him how to have pride in who he is, and they shared a love of books and of humor. Many of us have that one teacher that was able to connect with us and draw out our unlimited potential, and for our son we know that will always be Marcia. She was a truly special person and so many of us are lucky that our children were able to know her.” — Ana Maria Quintero and Damien Zoubek

“She really touched the lives of so many students at Far Brook. She loved Shakespeare and our rich core curriculum. She encouraged students to pursue their rich reading and writing lives, always sharing her work with them and championing them on their own individual journey of finding their voice.” — Amy Ziebarth, Far Brook Head of School

“Marcia was a great colleague to many of us at Newark Academy. I will certainly remember the fun times that we had performing in our ‘Rookie Review’ (that Marcia wrote!), talking at the lunch table, or just in the mailroom. It was in a mailroom  encounter that we discovered that we both had a shopping bag fetish. It is no joke that I think of her each time I see my stack of bags in the basement. It’s nice to know that they finally serve a purpose other than taking up space; they will serve as a reminder of our friendship.” — Debbie Ronan, chair of Language Dept.

“Marcia and I shared a lot of coffee and walks in the woods from the time we met in 2009. One of the things I loved about Marcia was that there was no small talk. From the beginning, we could share our highs and lows, as if we’d always known each other. We had daughters the same age and we listened and shared advice as they went from the same middle to high schools and on to college. Like so many of her friends, I will miss our talks, her smile and her brave and positive spirit, both in my life and in our community.” — Laura Griffin, former Millburn Patch editor

“Marcia was always looking out for me from the moment we met in college to the last year of her life. She always did it in the most quiet and humble way. In college she arranged for me to write a movie review in the college newspaper so I would be eligible to join her on a young journalist’s tour of the former Soviet Union. She opened her apartment to me in Cambridge, MA and I lived on her couch for close to 6 months. She arranged a food train for my family after I spent 10 days in the hospital. She always came to my art openings and whenever possible wrote about them for various local news outlets. Very few people can see past the chaos of their own lives to be totally on your side. Marcia was one of those rare people who did.” — Sybil Archibald

“It is rare to find a writer with the enthusiasm of Marcia. Match that with impeccable skills and she was the rarest of breeds – that was Marcia. I will miss her laugh and her joy and her ‘all in’ attitude to whatever we were working on. Our readers responded to her gift of storytelling. Stories that she personally and thoroughly relished – that of the history and the people of her beloved towns. She will be missed by so many.”  — Karen Duncan, publisher, Matters Magazine

“[Marcia] left her mark on me. I wanted to be more like her because Marcia lived her values. Her family was the most important part of her life. She talked about her husband and children in such loving ways I felt like I knew all of them. She was brilliant and hilarious. When she looked at you with that Marcia smile you knew that she was on to you or completely understood your point. She was a helpful, caring and thoughtful colleague. I will miss the wise way she navigated life and lived her values every day in her actions and her insightful writing.” — Beth Sparacino, Newark Academy

“When you think of our beloved community, you think of Marcia and what a blessing she was to everyone who met her. And she met everyone! I have been asked to attend her memorial service by the parent of one of her students who she inspired and encouraged to read when no one else could, by a parent of her oldest son’s best friend who had Marcia’s support and love when going through challenging family times, and by co-workers at the South Orange Library where her daughter was a page. And swapping…Marcia never met an item that couldn’t be reused. We probably reswapped our own items back at some point. Marcia was the one with a way with words. I can only poorly attempt to convey what a amazing woman we have lost.” — Nancy Chiller Janow, South Orange Public Library

“Marcia was committed to the Turnover Sale at Morrow in many ways. She spent countless hours sorting children’s clothing and bearing hot and crowded sale events with a huge smile, and generosity and care. She helped Morrow connect to communities, using her skills to promote the sale and getting the word out in Creole and Spanish. She loved that beautiful donations found new life. She loved helping people find just the right thing. She loved that the proceeds helped support women’s and children’s programs in the community. She brought light and love to the sale.” —  Rev. Brenda Ehlers, Morrow Memorial Church

I will miss her and her wonderful energy
I will miss seeing her at girl scout events.
I will miss her at the Morrow Church sale.
I will miss her wonderful writing.
I will miss her. — Joy Yagid

“Ever since a teacher suggested in first grade [that our sons should be friends] Marcia Worth has been an integral part of our life. Marcia was the kind of person who cares for other people’s children as her own. She saw kids as individuals, nurtured their interests, and built their confidence. She recommended just the right book to spark an interest in reading. She gave (or made) the birthday gift that perfectly captured a child’s personality. She e-mailed you the best pictures of your own children. Marcia went out of her way to support the activities and causes that matter most to her children, and to their friends. She helped teens find jobs, edited countless college essays, and sent college students care packages. Marcia lent an empathetic ear to any child who needed to talk.

Marcia cared this way for everyone. She listened to people… She connected people and strengthened her many social networks. We have lost Marcia unexpectedly, but the bonds she established will lend strength to her children, to our children, and to everyone she cared for.” — Anthony Ewing

“Marcia: Funny how you asked for my help and then gave me a most beautiful gift in return. I understand humility and grace through you. Your light, smile and laughter are loud and clear. With love.” — Gena Rho-Smith

“Marcia was loved by our community. If you took everything that’s good in this world and put it into one person, it would be Marcia.” — Sheena Collum, South Orange Village President.

“Marcia Worth [was] to me a truly and wholly good person. [Before hearing of her death] I posted a comment about appreciating a view even when it isn’t so bright and clear…this news has made the view a lot less sunny and bright today, but I really appreciated knowing her. And I appreciate the community she helped make a brighter place.” — Hank Zona

“I spent two years working elbow to elbow with Marcia, wrangling our way through marathon Board of Education meetings and getting all the news in Maplewood and South Orange covered. She was of one the kindest people I ever met. Unbelievably intelligent — and thoughtful in the truest sense: She never acted rashly or without consideration of others. I am stunned and shaking. I loved her.” — Mary Mann, VillageGreenNJ.com

“In trying to make sense of this, I’ve been going over in my head all the many things that Marcia did indeed have a chance to enjoy. Her family, of course, her community of friends here in South Orange/Maplewood, the library, Girl Scouts, Downton Abbey, all things English really, pearls, Lilly Pulitzer fashion, Paterson, digging into historical documents, her alma mater Mount Holyoke, teaching, reading, writing, Columbia High School a capella, the Morrow Church turnover sale.” — Marilyn Joyce Lehren, former editor Livingston Patch

“I’ve been looking through pictures Marcia took of my kids, remembering the friend who was always ready to make a day into an adventure. Just the other week, we drove to Edgewater to the Japanese supermarket just because that seemed like a fun thing to do. One of my favorites, though is when Marcia made the cake [for my daughter’s birthday] and worked for days figuring out how to get those horsies to stand up in the frosting.

“She was a thoughtful person and I know that life could be hard for her, but when she had time for me, we always had fun. Her eyes always sparkled with tremendous joy. I remember that she made me deeply deeply happy, that she always made me feel like it was going to be okay, that she made my struggles seem easy to surmount and made my joys richer. She and I were born on the same day. What a friend. A friend of my heart.” — Anne Fernald

Kara Beloreshka will be remembered at a service at 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 18, 2016 at Prospect Presbyterian Church in Maplewood.

A bulletin posted on the Prospect Church website stated, “‘…and God shall wipe away all tears…’ Our sympathy as a church family goes out to the family of Kara Beloreshka, who died on September 10th. A memorial service will take place at Prospect this afternoon [September 18] at 2:00 p.m.”

Beloreshka, age 45, was killed when she was struck by a train traveling eastbound on the Morris & Essex NJ Transit line in Millburn late on Saturday evening, September 10.

Beloreshka moved to Springfield two years ago but previously lived in Maplewood. A friend described her as a “kind, generous and very sweet person.”

Prospect Church is located at 646 Prospect Street in Maplewood, NJ.

Margaret K. Brutofsky, 84, longtime Maplewood resident, Verizon/NJ Bell employee and active member of Our Lady of Sorrows Church in South Orange, passed away October 12, according to an obituary in the Star-Ledger.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the funeral at the Preston Funeral Home, 153 South Orange Ave., South Orange, N.J., on Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 9:30 a.m. followed by a 10:30 a.m. funeral mass at Our Lady Of Sorrows Church. For more information, visit the Preston Funeral Home website.

Read the full obituary here.

Jennifer Feinberg

South Mountain School 4th grade teacher Jennifer Feinberg died suddenly this morning, shocking and saddening the South Orange-Maplewood community and beyond. The South Orange-Maplewood School District responded by sending counselors to the school and releasing the following letters from Principal Alyna Jacobs (see below).

Jacobs called Feinberg an “incredibly positive, open, and warm individual – the kind of teacher who inspired kids to love to come to school each day,” and wrote, “Our hearts are broken.”

Circumstances of Feinberg’s passing have not been confirmed. According to a friend, Feinberg was found in her home in Livingston.

Principal Jacobs also noted that the after-school event for 5th graders following their field trip on Monday had been cancelled. She assured parents that counselors would be on site on Wednesday.

This article will be updated as more information becomes available.

Dear South Mountain Families,

It is with tremendous sadness that I share with you the news that 4th grade teacher Jennifer Feinberg passed away this morning. Ms. Feinberg was a beloved member of our school community. She was an incredibly positive, open, and warm individual – the kind of teacher who inspired kids to love to come to school each day. We will miss her as a friend and a colleague. Our hearts are broken.

Whether you discuss this with your children or not, they are likely to hear about it from other students on the bus, walk to school, or playground. We therefore suggest that you consider talking about this with your children, in a way that feels comfortable for you, before they return to school on Wednesday. The following link provides guidance for helping children deal with grief and news of death: http://www.sasd.k12.pa.us/Downloads/grief2.pdf

The South Mountain administrative team, school social workers, and teachers will actively support students as they process the passing of this beloved teacher. We will have additional school social workers on-site on Wednesday, and available as needed in the coming days. If your child shows signs of stress or needs support processing grief, please notify his or her teacher or a member of the administrative team. We will be offering additional support to the students in Ms. Feinberg’s classes, as well.

We extend our deepest sympathy to Ms. Feinberg’s family and to all of the students and families whose lives she has touched.

Sincerely,

Alyna Jacobs, Principal

Dear Fifth Grade Families,

In light of the passing of one of our beloved staff members, we will be rescheduling this evening’s fifth grade activities. The fifth grade teachers will notify the students that the events will be rescheduled. We will allow you to share the news of the passing of Ms. Feinberg with your own children in a way that is comfortable for your family.

Please meet the buses at the school upon their arrival and prepare to take your children home.

Sincerely,

Alyna Jacobs, Principal

Jennifer Feinberg

Jennifer Stulberger Feinberg, a lifelong resident of Livingston, N.J., died unexpectedly on Nov. 7, 2016, at the age of 47.

A funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016, at Temple B’nai Jeshurun, 1025 South Orange Ave., Short Hills, N.J. Arrangements are under the direction of the Bernheim- Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel, Livingston.

Jennifer, known as Jenn, was born on Sept. 28, 1969, in Boston, Mass., to Dr. Eugene and Mrs. Audrey Stulberger. Jenn graduated from Livingston High School, Muhlenberg College and Bank Street College of Education. Jenn was well known for her warm smile and outgoing, friendly nature. She was a dedicated elementary school teacher [4th grade at South Mountain School in South Orange, NJ] and will be remembered as an educator who cared deeply about her students and changed many lives for the better. She was also a dedicated practitioner of yoga.

Jenn was a devoted and loving mother to her three sons, Jack, Josh and Jesse. She is also survived by her mother, Audrey Stulberger, and her brother, Adam Stulberger. She was predeceased by her father, Dr. Eugene Stulberger.

Contributions in memory of Jenn may be made to the Feinberg Children Education Trust, 74 Westview Road, Short Hills, N.J. 07078.

A memorial service for Jesse Dunlap Weiss, 33, will be held Sunday, Dec. 11 at the Preston Funeral Home in South Orange, NJ, according to an obituary in the Star-Ledger.

Weiss, who died Dec. 5 in Chandler, AZ, is survived by his father, Dan Weiss and stepmother, Mary Olive Smith, both of Maplewood, NJ.

Guests are welcome at 1 p.m., with service at 1:45 p.m., followed by a gathering at the home of Dan and MO at 54 Burroughs Way, Maplewood, N.J. Weiss is also survived by his half-brother, Grant Weiss and his grandmother, Lucille Weiss; he was predeceased by his mother, Rosemary Dunlap, and his grandfather, Arthur Weiss.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to childsplaycharity.org.

Read the full obituary here.

Longtime Maplewood resident Chris B. Amundsen died unexpectedly on December 20, 2016. He and his wife Susan J. Onuma own KoKoRo in Maplewood Village. Chris was a member of the Maplewood Village Alliance Board for the last six years.

Chris is survived by his wife Susan, his twin sister Susan Amundsen (Seattle) and his brother Craig Amundsen (Chicago). A graduate of Grinnell College (Economics) and the University of Pennsylvania (Masters in Public Policy), Chris was an economist by profession for the semi-conductor industry, a jazz lover and a diehard Chicago Cubs fan.

A celebration of his life will be held at the Maplewood “Little” Club (489 Ridgewood Road) on Sunday, January 15, 2017 from 1 – 3 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to:

Grinnell College, Office of Development and Alumni Relations 733 Broad St., Grinnell, IA 50112-1690

A service will also be held in New York on:

January 14 (Saturday) 2 – 4 p.m. @
Japanese American Association of New York
49 West 45th Street, 11th floor (between 5th and 6th Avenue)
New York, New York 10177

In the last few days, many local residents closely followed the heartbreaking story of Peanut the dog, who slipped his collar on December 30 on Pierson Road in Maplewood and whose body was found on Springfield Avenue in Union on January 2.

In the three days that Peanut was missing, hundreds — if not thousands — of locals shared information about Peanut’s escape and potential sightings in a frantic search to find him. Residents hit area neighborhoods posting fliers and searched street by street, block by block and park by park for the 9 lb. Chihuahua/Jack Russell mix who scampered about on just three legs.

When the tragic news of Peanut’s demise was announced, local residents posted words of condolence addressed to Peanut’s owners, the Delett/Hatch family.

“We are completely heartbroken,” Catherine Delett wrote on the Village Green News & Views Facebook group, Swap SOMa Lounge and other social media platforms. “Thank you to everyone who liked or shared posts, offered kind words and support, helped search or hang flyers, or anything else. There are too many people to list, but we are grateful to every single person in this community.”

Peanut was two years old, Delett told Village Green. He had been adopted in August 2015 from the Jersey Animal Coalition and belonged to Delett’s 12-year-old son Nate, who is a 7th grader at Maplewood Middle School. “Peanut was really Nate’s dog,” explained Delett. “Nate and Peanut were attached from the first day we brought Peanut home. He fed, walked, and trained Peanut, and slept with him every night.”

At Village Green, we thought we would simply relay the sad news via our social media platforms — hoping not to cause further pain for the family with an article about Peanut’s death. However, the Delett/Hatch family asked us to post this story in order to acknowledge and thank the greater Maplewood community.

Jane Randel, a neighbor of the Delett/Hatch family, also was looking for that silver lining: “The outpouring of support, the boots on the ground looking, the people who did not even know the family well pitching in, even strangers aware and on the lookout, I found all of it so inspiring — especially with such uncertainty and divisiveness in the air. People were invested in what happened to this pup.”

In the end, Delett said she is trying to find perspective. “We are very sensitive to the fact that there are people dealing with much bigger tragedies. We loved Peanut beyond belief and we are devastated, but we recognize that people are dealing with larger things such as missing or sick family members, loss of home or income, etc.”

Nonetheless, said Randel, “While some might say Peanut was ‘just a dog,’ both his life and his untimely passing brought people together in a beautiful and hopeful way.”

Click on photos to enlarge:

It’s been less than eight months since David Adox, nearly completely paralyzed and in the late stages of ALS, was removed from his ventilator and died a peaceful death with his husband Danni Michaeli by his side.

Adox had already impacted South Orange by inspiring Michaeli to create Artbender, a collaborative arts event that gave back to the Seton Village community that supported Adox and Michaeli through their ordeal.

Now, eight month’s later, Adox’s story of the struggle he went through to donate his organs has been covered in various media and has fostered a continuing conversation about how to treat end of life for patients like Adox — hopefully improving this difficult experience for those who come after him.

The difficulty for Adox was that University Hospital in Newark, where he had received treatment, had agreed to admit him so that he could be taken off of life support and have his organs donated. However, despite the fact that medical staff and others had signed off, the hospital’s lawyers intervened, fearful that the move would be seen as assisted suicide.

Ultimately, Adox was admitted to Mount Sinai Hospital where his wish was fulfilled on May 18. His liver and kidneys were donated.

The Wall Street Journal published a thoughtful piece in June detailing his struggle to donate his organs and providing quotes from various experts in palliative care advocating for patients like Adox.

And now another new service has tackled the issue.

On Jan. 3, 2017, Kaiser Health News published the story, “A Dying Man’s Wish To Save Others Hits Hospital Ethics Hurdle.” After following the medical, ethical and legal twists and turns of Adox’s and Michaeli’s story, the piece ends with this affecting description of Adox’s final moments:

“We sat; we listened to ’80s music. I read Dave a poem,” Michaeli recounted, close to tears. “And when they were really sure — and we were all really sure — that he was in a deep state of sedation, they disconnected his breathing machine.”

And in the end, Adox’s wishes were met — he was able to donate his liver and kidneys. Michaeli said he felt “an incredible swelling of gratitude” to the hospital team who helped make that happen.

“The person we were trying to do a direct donation for was a match,” Michaeli said. “And he has Dave’s kidney right now.”

Related story:

Read Danni Michaeli’s piece on Artbender here.

Peter Cross, 80, passed away on February 12, 2017 after a long career as a coach and educator at Columbia High School, according to The Star Ledger.

Peter is survived by his wife, Jean; children, Peter Cross Jr. and Cathy Saudelli; and K9 companion, Buster. He studied at Panzer College and later obtained his Master’s in education at Montclair State University before coming to CHS. At Columbia, he founded the Pete Cross Columbia High School Athletics Hall of Fame Award and was later himself inducted.

A memorial will be held on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the D’Elia Funeral Home, 1300 Vermont Ave., Lakewood, N.J., 08701. For further information or to post a tribute please visit www.deliafuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers please make donations in Peter’s memory to the SOMEA Scholarship Fund through the Maplewood Board of Education.

Longtime Maplewood resident, mother and grandmother, and skilled and prolific knitter Margaret J. Amon passed away at 87 on Friday, February 17 at St. Barnabas Medical Center, according to an obituary in the Star Ledger.

Amon (nee Hopta), was born in Newark and lived in Maplewood for 60 years. She was well known for her hand-knit sweaters, blankets and pillows, which she made for family and friends. Amon (known as “Margie”) also knitted 700 hats for children wih critical illness, donating them to the Valerie Fund and other charities.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Funeral Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, 217 Prospect St., South Orange, N.J., on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 10:30 a.m. Entombment will be at Hollywood Memorial Park in Union, N.J. Visitation will be held at the Jacob A. Holle Funeral Home, 2122 Millburn Ave., Maplewood, on Monday from 5 to 8 p.m. For more information, or to send condolences, please visit jacobhollefuneralhome.com.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Read the full obituary here. 

The Maplewood community was shocked and heartbroken to hear of the sudden death of Caitlin Evans Jones, wife and mother of two, on Tuesday, March 14.

Arrangements for a celebration of her life are pending.

Jones fell gravely ill on March 3.

Immediately friends, neighbors and fellow parents of students at Tuscan School and Columbia High School set up a meal train and a gofundme page to aid Jones, her husband Gwynton, son Dylan (grade 10) and daughter Camryn (grade 4).

The New Jersey Center for Performing Arts posted a tribute to Jones on its Facebook page; see below. Village Green will post a fuller obituary for Jones when it becomes available.

To join the Jones family meal train, visit: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0448a4ab23a02-meals

To contribute to the Jones family gofundme, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/assistance-for-the-jones-family

NJPAC mourns the sudden loss of our beloved friend Caitlin Evans-Jones, a remarkable individual known for her dedication to NJPAC’s Center for Arts Education, who served as our Senior Director of School and Community Programs and was the longest serving member of the Arts Education department. Tens of thousands of students looked up to Caitlin throughout a 14-year career here, and their families, teachers and neighbors recognized her as a person willing and capable of changing their children’s lives in wonderful ways.

Caitlin Evans-Jones, 48, passed away unexpectedly and peacefully on March 14, 2017. Born Fabiana Politi on June 28, 1968 to Rolando Politi and Elizabeth Evans in Queens, New York, Caitlin had two passions, her family and the theater.

She was a loving wife to husband Gywnton and supportive mother to her two children, Dylan Maxfield, a sophomore at Columbia High School; and Camryn Rose, a fourth-grade student at Tuscan Elementary School. Caitlin played an active role in supporting their many activities and sports. For the past 11 years she worked as the production stage manager directing technical and backstage crews for Tuscan’s annual stage show. She had been finalizing rehearsals for this year’s show, which will be presented March 24-26 and will include tributes to her life and dedication to arts education. Her daughter Camryn asked to work on the show’s crew because “she wants to follow in Mommy’s footsteps.”

Caitlin was an active supporter and volunteer at the South Mountain YMCA in Maplewood where her children participated in its youth development, arts, sports and summer day-camp programs throughout her children’s early years, and where she has been honored for her many contributions. She never missed Dylan’s basketball games, from the YMCA days years ago to his current position on the Columbia High School team. More recently she was assisting with leadership of her daughter’s Girl Scout troop. She will be remembered as one of the most supportive and vocal fans of every basketball, softball and baseball game both of her kids played. She was so proud of both of her children and loved to see them pursue their own paths.

Her life-long passion for the performing arts began with a fourth-grade musical play. She graduated from Chapel Hill High School in 1986 and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. During her senior year she interned at The Goodman Theatre in Chicago with acclaimed director Mike Nichols. While attending UNC she legally changed her name to Caitlin Evans. Upon graduation in 1990 she moved to New York City with the Theatre’s production of a Jules Feiffer play “Elliot Loves.” After the production closed, she attended the prestigious “The New Actors Workshop,” a two-year acting conservatory in NYC co-founded and taught by master teachers including Mike Nichols. She graduated in 1993.

Caitlin lived on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, for a while as a squatter on 13th St. in Alphabet City and, while pursuing a performing arts career, took an executive hostess job at Madison Square Garden. She and Gwynton met in 1994 when both were working the NHL All Star Game. Two years later, they were married in a ceremony at the Garden where the coming event was announced and the occasion celebrated in the lights of its iconic marquee fronting Seventh Avenue. They lived in Queens for a short time before moving to Maplewood, New Jersey in 1997 to be near where Caitlin had been hired by Arts Power, a national touring theatre company.

In 2003, Caitlin began work in the Center for Arts Education at the NJ Performing Arts Center in Newark where she rose to the position of Senior Director of Partnerships and Professional Development. She drove NJPAC’s programs for conducting in-school and community-based training in dance, theater and music throughout the state. According to a statement by NJPAC, “Thousands of students looked up to Caitlin throughout a 14-year career here, and their families, teachers and neighbors recognized her as a person willing and capable of changing their children’s lives in wonderful ways.” Her leadership and talent in promoting arts education has been recognized by numerous statewide organizations; she received the Governor’s Recognition Award for Arts Leadership in May, 2015 at a NJ State Council on the Arts celebratory annual gala.

Caitlin was very proud of her suburban Maplewood community, its people and artistic lifestyle. That community has reached their loving arms around her family during her brief hospital stay and after her sudden death. She was a remarkable woman known for her generosity, integrity and passion for the performing arts. To help fund her children’s higher education, community residents have established a GoFundMe website page (https://www.gofundme.com/assistance-for-the-jones-family?). In addition to her husband and children, she is survived by her parents, an uncle and cousins.

A memorial celebration of Caitlin’s life is forthcoming and details will be announced when arrangements are finalized. Queries regarding details of the event may be addressed to: gwyntonjones@yahoo.com. If you wish to honor Caitlin’s memory, please consider making a donation to NJPAC or the South Mountain YMCA.

Colleagues of Caitlin at NJPAC have set up an education fund for her children on GoFundMe. To contribute, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/dylan-camryn-jones-education-fund.

To contribute to a fund for general expenses for the Jones family, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/assistance-for-the-jones-family.

To join the Jones family meal train, visit: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0448a4ab23a02-meals.

[Editor’s note: Maplewood resident Deborah Burton, 62, was shot and killed in Newark on March 13. Her murder is still under investigation by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office. Read more about Burton’s life in this NJ.com report.  The following is from the eulogy Burton’s daughter, Aiyanna Burton Anderson, gave at the funeral last weekend. Burton had four children and two grandchildren. The family has set up a memorial fund; details are at the end of this article.]

In the Old Testament, in the Book of Judges, Deborah is a heroine. A heroine is a woman admired or idealized for her courage, outstanding achievements or noble qualities. In mythology a heroine is a woman of superhuman qualities. My mother is all of these things. She is a superhero. She is my favorite girl. If you know me, you know how much I adore her. She is so sweet, so gentle. She is the strongest person I know. She loved completely, despite people’s faults.

She was always smiling. She had the best laugh, which was really more of a giggle. When she spoke, it sounded like a song. She was optimistic and always saw the best in people. She taught me by her example. She taught me strength, how to love, how to smile, how to see the best in everyone. I didn’t really ask much advice on how to be a good mother because I had the ultimate example. Because of that, I am blessed. She loved us so much and did whatever she could for us. I in turn did whatever I could for her, and wanted her to always have the best. I will continue to do my best for her, to make her proud. I’m glad I sound like her, smile like her, look like her, and love like her. I love you Ma, and I’ll be talking to you.

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