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.
JANET R. BORST, 83, of Spotswood died March 18 at home. Born in Jersey City, she had lived in Cliffwood Beach before moving to Spotswood 23 years ago. She was supervisor of voter registration for the Middlesex County Board of Education for 30 years before her retirement in 1988. She was predeceased by her husband, Donald L., in 1986. Surviving are three sons, James of Hazlet, Douglas of Old Bridge, and Richard of Helmetta; a daughter, Janet Wolber of Sayreville; a sister, Eleanor Bushman of Cliffwood Beach; 17 grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren. The funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. March 21 at the Day Funeral Home, 361 Maple Place, Keyport. Interment will be at Shoreland Memorial Gardens, Hazlet.
CLARE RATYNSKI MODZELEWSKI MYTNICK, 84, died Feb. 13 at her home n Boca Raton, Fla. Born in Buffalo, N.Y., she had lived in South River and Sayreville before moving to Boca Raton in 1974. Before her retirement in 1974, she was a secretary for the Borough of Sayreville Clerk’s Office. She was predeceased by her first husband, Edward Modzelewski, and her second husband, Frederick Mytnick. Surviving are a son, Lawrence Modzelewski of Boca Raton; and two stepsons, Frederick and Richard Mytnick, both of Sayreville. A memorial Mass will be offered at 11 a.m. March 22 at St. Stanislaus Roman Catholic Church, Sayreville, followed by burial of her cremated remains in the parish cemetery.
ROBERT N. HAND, 78, of Old Bridge died March 15 in the Barbara E. Cheung Memorial Hospice, Edison. He was predeceased by his wife, Muriel Kupper Hand, who died in 1970. Surviving are a daughter, Cynthia R. Weber of Old Bridge; two sons, Robert N. of Orlando, Fla., and Michael J. of Winter Springs, Fla.; 12 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Interment was in Rosedale Cemetery, Linden.
HELEN KOZAK KWIECINSKI of Sayreville, died March 15 in Raritan Bay Medical Center, Perth Amboy division. She was predeceased by her husband, Andrew J., who died in 1975. She was also predeceased by her son, Raymond. Surviving are a son, Thomas of Sayreville; a daughter, Dolores Cross of South Amboy; a brother, Stanley Kozak of Sayreville; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. A Mass was offered at Sacred Heart Church, South Amboy. Interment was in St. Stanislaus Kostka Cemetery, Sayreville.
WALTER W. SCHAEFER SR., 97, of Sayreville died March 17 in Raritan Bay Medical Center, Old Bridge division. He was a past assistant chief of the East Meadow, Long Island, Fire Department. He was predeceased by his wife, Ruth E. Hanfield Schaefer, who died in 1986. Surviving are two sons and daughters-in law, Walter W. and Carol of Lakewood, and Gary L. and Dorothy of Wever, Iowa; seven grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren. A Mass was offered at Our Lady of Victories Church, Sayreville. Interment was in New Calvary Cemetery, Parlin.
LEO AUERBACH, 52, of Old Bridge died March 5 at Mount Sinai Hospital, Queens, N.Y. He was born in Romania and came to the United States 13 years ago. He was an engineer for the government. He is survived by his wife, Magda, and a son, Olaf.
WALTER BARTLINSKI, 77, of Sayreville died March 14 in Raritan Bay Medical Center, Old Bridge division. He was the owner of Wal-Bar Builders, Sayreville, which he operated for 40 years prior to his retirement in 1985. Surviving are his wife, Ann Woznica Bartlinski; two sons, Walter Jr. of Deltona, Fla., and Kenneth of Franklin Township; two sisters, Pearl Rusak of East Brunswick and Frances Singer of Sayreville; and a brother, Thomas Kolacz of Englishtown. A Mass was offered at Our Lady of Victories Church, Sayreville. Interment was in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Parlin section of Sayreville.
LOUIS VASVARY, 81, of Spotswood died March 15 in Old Bridge Manor, Old Bridge. Surviving are his wife, Liz Vasvary of Spotswood; a son and daughter-in-law, Louis and Dawn of Maine; a brother, William of North Brunswick; a sister, Lillian McCarthy of Cape Cod, Mass.; and three grandchildren. Services were held at the Spotswood Reformed Church, Spotswood. Interment was in the church cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the Spotswood Reformed Church Memorial Fund.
MARIO DESILVA GRAMATA, 53, of Old Bridge died March 17 at home. He was the owner/operator of Gramata Trucking Company, Old Bridge. Surviving are his wife Maria Martinho Gramata, and two daughters, Cathy Martinho Gramata and Gina Martinho Gramata, all of Old Bridge; two sisters, Rosa Lopes and Maria Mateiro; two brothers, Carlos and Jose; and many nieces and nephews. A Mass was offered at St. Mary’s Church, South River. Interment was in Washington Monumental Cemetery, South River.
BETTY KESTER MUIRHEAD, 78, of South River died March 17 in Barbara E. Cheung Memorial Hospice, Edison. She was predeceased by her husband, Philip Muirhead, who died in 2001. Surviving are two sons, Jeffrey of Parlin, and Ricky of South River; two daughters, Lynne Radcliffe of Highland Lakes, and Carol Joyce of Toms River; three sisters, Beverly Palmer and Clara Helen Moyer, both of Clearfield, Pa., and Mary Hile of Valencia, Pa.; and eight grandchildren. Services were held at Rezem Funeral Home, East Brunswick. Interment was in Washington Monumental Cemetery, South River. Memorial contributions may be made to the Barbara E. Cheung Memorial Hospice, 1 Roosevelt Drive, Edison 08837 or the American Cancer Society.
CECELIA WODARCZYK POPOWSKI, 91, of Sayreville died March 12 at home. Prior to her retirement in 1972, she was employed for 30 years as a florist at Mary’s Flower Shop, Sayreville. Her husband, Frank S. Popowski, died in 1985. Surviving are three daughters, Ann Claire Murasko of Sayreville, Sandra Bohinski of Helmetta and Nancy Fallon of the Parlin section of Sayreville; nine grandchildren; and eight great-granddaughters. A Mass was offered at St. Stanislaus Church, Sayreville. Interment was in the church cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Stanislaus School, MacArthur Avenue, Sayreville, NJ 08872.
FRANK J. ROJEWSKI JR., 69, of Sayreville died March 12 in St. Michael’s Medical Center, Newark. Surviving are his wife, Patricia Penzynski Rojewski; two sons, Stanley of Sayreville and Dennis of Florida; four daughters, Anne Burdash of Parsippany, Patricia Ball of the Whitehouse Station section of Readington and Paula Rojewski and Kim Berry, both of Sayreville; a sister, Florence Samuel of the Parlin section of Sayreville; and eight grandchildren. A Mass was offered at Our Lady of Victories Church, Sayreville. Interment was in St. Stanislaus Cemetery, Sayreville. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association or to the American Diabetes Foundation.
ANDREW "TOBY" TOBIAS, 78, of South River died March 11 at home. Prior to his retirement in 1985, he was employed as a truck driver for Hercules Inc., Parlin section of Sayreville. A former special police officer in both South River and Sayreville, he was a 25-year member of Reliable Company, South River Fire Department. He was a volunteer with the South River Rescue Squad for 59 years. Surviving are his wife, Lillian Laul Tobias; four sons, Wayne Laul, John Ciak and Andrew Tobias Jr., all of South River, and Stanley Ciak of California; four daughters, Cindy Wilczynski and Mary Lister, both of South River, Lillian Tobias of Budd Lake and Andrea Santos of Sayreville; two brothers, Frank and John, both of South River; 13 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. A Mass was offered at St. Mary of Ostrabrama Church, South River. Interment was in Washington Monumental Cemetery, South River.
CHESTER OSTASZEWSKI, 72, of South River died March 19 at Raritan Bay Medical Center, Old Bridge. Born in Poland, he lived in Pennsylvania prior to moving to South River in 1960. He was employed by Sunshine Biscuit, Sayreville, retiring in 1997. He was a member of Christian Life Fellowship Center, South River. He is survived by his wife, Zenobia Lubanska Ostaszewski of South River; four daughters, Helen Poplawski of East Brunswick, Lola Ostaszewski and Susan Tkachuk, both of South River, and Anna Berlew of Springhill, Fla.; and 13 grandchildren. Funeral services will be March 23 at 10 a.m. at Rezem Funeral Home, East Brunswick. Burial will follow at Washington Monumental Cemetery, South River.
SIDNEY H. LICHTMAN, 85, of East Brunswick died March 12 in Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick. Surviving are his wife, Rosalie Pizzoloto Lichtman; three sons, Henry "Hank" of Wheat Ridge, Colo., Robert of North Howell and Howard of Jamesburg; a brother, Herbert Lichtman of the Bronx, N.Y.; and nine grandchildren.