Mrs. Hessler, 75, of Tuckerton, formerly of Old Bridge, died Jan. 1 in Sea Crest Village Nursing Home, Little Egg Harbor. She was predeceased in 1994 by her husband, Gustave. Surviving are four sons, Dennis Hessler of Howell, Kevin Hessler of South River, Doug Hessler of Old Bridge and Bruce Hessler of Voorhees; a daughter, Linda Hugi of Tuckerton; 13 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Services were held at Michael Hegarty Funeral Home, Old Bridge. Interment was in Chestnut Hill Cemetery, East Brunswick.
Madeline Werner Kosmo
Mrs. Kosmo, 82, of Old Bridge died Dec. 30 at home. Prior to her retirement, she worked at J.C. Penney Co., East Brunswick, and was the owner of Kosmo Bridal Boutique, Old Bridge, for 20 years. Surviving are her husband, Joseph Kosmo; a daughter, Madeline McCaskill of Piscataway, two sons, Joseph Kosmo of North Brunswick and Carl Kosmo of Lincolnville, Maine; and six grandchildren. A Mass was offered at St. Mary of Ostrabrama Church, South River. Entombment was in Holy Cross Mausoleum, South Brunswick. Memorial donations may be made to the St. Mary of Ostrabrama Church Building Fund.
Walter Wilczewski
Mr. Wilczewski, 70, of South River died Jan. 3 in Haven Hospice, Edison. Prior to his retirement in 1999, he was employed by the East Brunswick Department of Public Works for 10 years. Before that, he worked for National Lead Industries, Sayreville, for 26 years. Surviving are his wife, Gail Quade Wilczewski; a daughter, Susan Webb of South River; a son, Kevin of Milltown; four sisters, Ann of South River, Mary Burtick of East Brunswick, Helen Mocarski of the Morgan section of Sayreville and Jane Lucid of Langhorne, Pa.; two brothers, John of South River and Joseph of Phoenix, Ariz.; and three grandchildren. Services were held at Maliszewski Funeral Home, South River. Cremation was private. Memorial contributions may be made to Haven Hospice, c/o JFK Medical Center, 65 James Sr., Edison, NJ 08818.
Walter J. Migut
Mr. Migut, 80, of South River died Jan. 7 in St. Peter’s University Hospital, New Brunswick. Prior to his retirement, he was employed as chief film cutter at E.I. DuPont Photo Products, Parlin section of Sayreville, where he worked for 43 years. His wife, Sophie Ceslowski Migut, died in 1991. Surviving are a son, Paul of South River; two brothers, Chester Migut of South River and Frank Migut of Bradley Beach; two sisters, Rose Banach of South River and Jean Montigros of Red Bank; and many nieces and nephews. A Mass was offered at St. Mary of Ostrabrama Church, South River. Interment was in Holy Trinity Cemetery, Jamesburg.
Joseph N. Haggerty
Mr. Haggerty, 79, of Milltown died Jan. 9 in Francis E. Parker Nursing Home, Piscataway. Prior to his retirement several years ago, he was a truck driver with union local No. 701, North Brunswick. His wife, Peggy Mills Haggerty, died in 2002. Surviving are two daughters, Susan Hamel of Mendham and Merle Piech of Milltown; a brother, John; a sister, Marilyn; three grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter. A liturgy was offered at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Milltown. Entombment was in Holy Cross Burial Park, South Brunswick. Memorial contributions may be made to the Milltown Lions Club, P.O. Box 15, Milltown, NJ 08850.
Andrew Shershen
Mr. Shershen, 92, of Monroe, formerly of South River, died Jan. 11 in University Medical Center at Princeton. His wife, Anna Kozarski Shershen, died in 1996. Surviving are a daughter, Lenora Wasenda of Monroe, and two grandchildren, David and Suzanne. A Mass is planned for 9 a.m. on Jan. 15 at Corpus Christi Church, South River. Interment will follow in Holy Cross Burial Park, South Brunswick.
Violet Ziemba Slaski
Mrs. Slaski, 87, of South River died Jan. 12 in St. Peter’s University Hospital, New Brunswick. Prior to her retirement in 1969, she was a seamstress at the Rutgers Cloak Co., South River, where she worked for 13 years. Her husband, Edward Slaski, died in 1998, and a son, Kenneth E. Slaski, died in 1997. Surviving are a son, Bruce E. Slaski of Wyomissing, Pa., and four grandchildren. A Mass is planned for 10 a.m. on Jan. 17 at St. Mary of Ostrabrama Church, South River. Interment will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery, East Brunswick.
Walter Suska
Mr. Suska, 79, of Spotswood, formerly of South River, died Jan. 2 in Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick. Surviving are his wife, Marie Martin Suska; a stepson, Robert Scorzo of Spotswood; a stepdaughter, Judith Miller of Jamesburg; two sisters, Mary Roselli of South River and Olga Dutka of the Somerset section of Franklin; a grandson; and many nieces and nephews. Services were held at Immaculate Conception Church, Spotswood.
Carmelita Skifski Zaleski
Mrs. Zaleski, 92, of Manasquan died Jan. 5 in Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune. She was predeceased by her husband, Matthew G. Zaleski. Surviving are a son, Matthew of Manasquan; a brother, Edward Skifski of South River; two sisters, Florence Mondrick and Edwinda Clausen, both of South River; and two grandsons. A Mass was offered at St. Mary’s Church, South River. Interment was in St. Mary’s Cemetery, East Brunswick.
Sophie Truchel Tomaszewicz
Mrs. Tomaszewicz, 89, of East Brunswick died Jan. 11 in Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick. She was a seamstress in the South River garment industry for many years. Her husband, John A. Tomaszewicz, died in 1995. Surviving are two sons, John S. Tomaszewicz of Monroeton, Pa., and Donald P. Tomaszewicz of Monroe; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. A Mass is planned for 9 a.m. on Jan. 15 at St. Mary of Ostrabrama Church, South River. Interment will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery, East Brunswick.
Grace T. Vantosh
Mrs. Vantosh, 79, of Manalapan, formerly of East Brunswick and North Brunswick, died Jan. 5 in CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township. She was a dental assistant for more than 30 years for Dr. Theodore Bloom, Metuchen. Her husband, Michael, died in 2002. Surviving are a daughter, Patty Marsh of Howell; a son, Jeffrey of Atlanta; four grandchildren; and a great-grandson. A graveside service was held at Hillside Cemetery, Lyndhurst. Freeman Manalapan-Marlboro Funeral Home, Manalapan, was in charge of arrangements.
Francis Xavier Meyers
Mr. Meyers, 70, of East Brunswick died Jan. 8 at home. Surviving are his wife, Claire Mersereau Meyers; a son, Michael Meyers of East Brunswick; two daughters, Patricia Maine and Kathleen Graciano, both of Brick; his mother, Louise Meyers; and eight grandchildren. Services were held at Rezem Funeral Home, East Brunswick. Interment was in Holy Cross Burial Park, South Brunswick.
June Sarah Belanger Fischer
Mrs. Fischer, 74, of the Parlin section of Sayreville died Jan. 11 in Victoria House, Matawan. Her husband, Fredrick Norman Fischer, died in 2003, and a daughter, Norma Jeanne Fischer, died in 1998. She was a hospice volunteer at Raritan Bay Medical Center, Old Bridge and Perth Amboy, and served as treasurer of the program’s executive board, worked in the office and visited patients at home. Surviving are a daughter, Catherine Townsend of Spotswood; a grandson, Shawn Eugene Townsend of Okeechobee, Fla.; and two great-grandsons. A Mass was offered at St. Mary’s Church, South Amboy. Entombment was in St. Mary’s Mausoleum, South Amboy.
Viola Novak Nebus
Mrs. Nebus, 79, of Sayreville died Jan. 7 in Victoria Care Center, Matawan. Her husband, Edmund Nebus, died in 1982. Surviving are a son, Jesse Nebus of South River; a sister, Mary Bodak of Sayreville; a brother, Alfred Novak, also of Sayreville; a grandson, Adam Nebus of Old Bridge; and a great-grandson. A Mass was offered at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, Sayreville. Interment was in the church cemetery.
John P. "Jack" Hurley
Mr. Hurley, 72, of East Brunswick died Jan. 7 in Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick. Surviving are his wife, Geraldine Goodine Hurley; a daughter, Kathleen Nolan of Monroe; five sons, Patrick Hurley of Sayreville, Michael Hurley of Cedar Grove, John Hurley of East Brunswick, James Hurley of Colts Neck and Gregory Hurley of New York City; two brothers, Alfred of Denton, Texas, and William of Manhasset, N.Y.; his mother-in-law, Mary Goodine of Monroe; a sister-in-law, Joan Nardo of the Toms River section of Dover; and nine grandchildren. A Mass was offered at St. Bartholomew’s Church, East Brunswick. Interment was in Holy Cross Burial Park, South Brunswick. Memorial contributions may be made to Covenant House, 346 W. 17th St., New York, NY 10011.
William M. Begley Sr.
Mr. Begley, 74, of Spotswood, formerly of Old Bridge, died Jan. 5 at home. Surviving are his wife, Edna Coulillard Begley; a son, William M. Jr. of Holmdel; three daughters, Nancy Ann Duran of Medford, N.Y., Betty of the Bronx, N.Y., and Abby of Old Bridge; a sister, Peggy Monteleone of Staten Island, N.Y.; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Services were held at Simpson United Methodist Church, Old Bridge. Cremation was private. Memorial contributions may be made to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation.
Doris Meyer LaMaestra
Mrs. LaMaestra, 84, of East Brunswick, formerly of Old Bridge, died Jan. 6 in Monroe Village Nursing Home. Prior to her retirement 19 years ago, she was a math teacher at East Brunswick High School and Our Lady of Lourdes School, Milltown. Her husband, Arnold J. LaMaestra, died in 1999. Surviving are a son, William J. LaMaestra of Monroe; a daughter, Laurie Feickert of Purcellville, Va.; a sister, Regina Cafferty of North Brunswick; and three grandchildren. A Mass was offered at St. Bartholomew’s Church, East Brunswick. Entombment was in Holy Cross Burial Park, South Brunswick. Memorial contributions may be made to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, P.O. Box 650309, Dallas, TX 75265.