Obituaries-Nov. 17, 2005

John Eler

   SOLEBURY — John Dean Eler, 58, of Solebury Township and Normandy Beach died Sunday, Nov. 6, at Compassionate Care Hospice Center at St. Francis Hospital in Trenton.
   Mr. Eler was born in Trenton and grew up in Ewing Township.
   He graduated from the Parkway School, The Pennington School, Lehigh University and the University of Maryland School of Law.
   Mr. Eler was the third-generation president of State Capital Title and Abstract Company in Trenton and a partner in the law firm of Maida and Eler in Ewing Township.
   He was a member of the Mercer County Bar Association, New Jersey Land Title Association, New Jersey Title Abstractors Association, New Jersey State Bar Association and the Real Property Probate Section Foreclosure Committee.
   He was a frequent speaker for the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education.
   Mr. Eler was past president of the Trenton Jaycees and Hopewell Valley Optimists. He was a member for many years of the Trenton Kiwanis Club and the Asa Packer Society of Lehigh University.
   For nearly 20 years, he served on the board of the Rescue Mission of Trenton. For the past 10 years, he was the Republican committeeman for the lower district of Solebury Township and an executive of the Bucks County Republican Committee.
   Mr. Eler was a member of the Thompson Memorial Presbyterian Church in Solebury, The Nassau Club of Princeton, Hopewell Valley Golf Club, the Normandy Beach (N.J.) Yacht Club and the Philadelphia chapter of the Chaine Des Rotisseurs.
   He was a lifetime member of The Society, Sons of the Revolution, in the State of New Jersey where he served as legal counselor to the state organization and president of the Witherspoon Chapter.
   He was the son of the late Elizabeth Dean Eler.
   Surviving are his wife, Diane Gronikowski Eler; a daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer Eler and Frederic Haubrich; a grandson, Christopher John Eler and his wife, Kathryn; his father, Wellington Ballard Eler; a sister, Dr. Barbara Jean Eler, and her partner, Judy Koch; and many cousins, nephews and nieces.
   A prayer service was held Friday at the church with the Rev. Stuart H. Spencer, pastor, officiating. Burial was in Ewing Church Cemetery.
   Arrangements were under the direction of the Wilson-Apple Funeral Home, Pennington.
   Memorial donations may be made to The New York Brain Tumor Project of Weill Cornell Medical College, in care of Dr. Susan Pannullo, director of neuro-oncology, New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center, 525 E. 68th St., Box 99, New York City, 10021.
   For information or to send condolences, visit www.wilsonapple.com.
Charlette Odette

   PITTSTOWN, N.J. — Charlotte A. Odette, 84, of Pittstown died Tuesday, Nov. 8, at the Country Arch Care Center in Pittstown.
   Born in Brooklyn and raised in Great Neck, Long Island, Mrs. Odette lived in Pittstown since 1997.
   Earlier, she had lived in New York City, Dumont, N.J., and Richmond, Va.
   A registered nurse, Mrs. Odette specialized in obstetrics in her early career and later in geriatric care. She worked in hospitals, particularly in Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, N.J., in industrial settings such as Faberge in Ridgefield Park, N.J., and Yardley in Totowa, N.J., and in public health nursing in Virginia. She retired in 1997.
   In 1942, she graduated from the Cornell University New York Hospital School of Nursing and in 1938 from Northfield Academy in Northampton, Mass.
   She was a member of AARP and St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, Va. She also was active with the Bluebirds, a group of alumni from the Cornell University New York Hospital School of Nursing.
   She was the widow of Richard E. Odette, daughter of the late Marion Cruikshank Wilson and David Wilson and sister of the late Marion Carrier.
   Surviving are two daughters, Linda Holahan of New York City and Ann Olson of New Hope; a son, David Holahan of Flemington; two grandsons, Eric Olson of High Bridge and Brian Olson of London; and two great-grandchildren, Connor Andrew Olson and Lindsey Chase Olson of London.
   Services were held Friday at the Van Horn-McDonough Funeral Home, Lambertville.
   Memorial donations may be made to a local hospice.
Edith Hager

   LAMBERTVILLE — Edith F. Hager, 77, of Lambertville died Sunday, Nov. 13, at the Country Arch Care Center in Pittstown, N.J.
   Born in Stockton, Mrs. Hager was a lifelong resident of the Stockton-Lambertville area.
   She was a packer with Jockey International in Lambertville for more than 25 years. She also worked at the Union Camp Bag Mill in New Hope and the DelVue Cleaners in Lambertville before retiring several years ago.
   She was the widow of Francis H. Hager Sr., daughter of the late Harold V. and Mary Dalley Lines and mother-in-law of the late Stephanie Hager.
   Surviving are two sons and a daughter-in-law, Francis H. Hager Jr. of Lambertville and Frederick S. and Deborah Hager of Kingwood Township; and three granddaughters, Meghan Temple and her husband, Kenneth, of Melbourne, Fla., and Sandra Leigh Hager and Anna Rose Hager, both of Kingwood Township.
   Funeral services were held Wednesday at the Van Horn-McDonough Funeral Home, Lambertville, with the Rev. David Errickson of Old Rocks Church in West Amwell officiating. Burial was in Holcombe-Riverview Cemetery in Delaware Township.
   Memorial donations may be made to the Stockton Fire Company First Aid Squad, P.O. Box 100, Stockton, 08559.
Raymond Lewallen

   BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP — Raymond A. Lewallen, 80, died Friday, Nov. 11, at Compassionate Care Hospice.
   Born in Trenton, he had resided all his life in the area.
   He was an Army veteran of World War II.
   He retired as a tool and dye maker for Stokes Manufacturing of Trenton.
   He was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Bordentown, the American Legion and the Disabled American Veterans.
   He was honored for more than 60 years of service with the Boy Scouts of America as district unit commissioner.
   Surviving are his wife of more than 50 years, Virginia; three sons and daughters-in-law, Dan and Debbie of Jacksonville, Fla., Ken and Marilyn of Lumberton and Jim and Carol of Bordentown; a brother, Leroy of Hamilton; two sisters, Ruth Wilcox of Lambertville and Evelyn Klink; five grandchildren, Dawn, Danny, Lynnmarie, Donna and Kenny; and several nieces and nephews.
   Funeral services were held Wednesday from the Huber-Moore Funeral Home, Bordentown. Burial followed in Princeton Memorial Park, Robbinsville.
   Memorial donations may be made to the First Baptist Church, Boy Scouts of America or Disabled American Veterans.
Rino Belardo

   EWING — Rino Belardo, 54, died Thursday, Nov. 10, in the hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
   Born and educated in Casandrino, Italy, Mr. Belardo immigrated to the United States in 1969 and resided in Trenton before moving to Ewing in 1992.
   Mr. Belardo formerly was employed with Hill Refrigeration for 25 years and was employed with Marshall Industrial Technologies in Trenton.
   He was a member of Our Lady of the Angels St. Joachim Church and Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Mercer County.
   He was the son of the late Paolo and Antonietta Di Matteo Belardo and brother of the late Joseph and Angelo Belardo.
   Surviving are his wife, Paola Pugliese Belardo of Ewing; two sons and a daughter-in-law, Robert and Andrea Belardo of Hamilton and Steven Belardo of Ewing; five brothers and three sisters-in-law, Salvatore and Sue Belardo of Trenton, Matteo and Maria Belardo of Hamilton, Peter Belardo of Trenton, Pasquale and Consiglia Belardo of Italy and Pio Belardo of Italy; three sisters, Rosaria Marrazzo and Anna Chianese, both of Italy, and Nella Greco of Hamilton; two sisters-in-law, Maryann Belardo and Tina Belardo, both of Hamilton; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Rosalbino and Francesca Pugliese of Hamilton; a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Franco and Sandra Pugliese of Langhorne, Pa.; a sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Loredana and Geoffrey Cromarty of Lambertville; and several aunts, uncles, many nieces, nephews, cousins here and in Italy.
   The funeral was held Monday at Chambers D’Errico and Correnti Funeral Home, Trenton. A Mass of Christian Burial was held Monday at the church. Entombment followed in St. Mary’s Mausoleum in Hamilton.
   Memorial donations may be made to the church at 19 Bayard St., Trenton, 08611, or Anchor House, 482 Centre St., Trenton, 08611.