Mrs. Dietrich, 69, of Middletown, died Aug. 6 at Bayshore Community Hospital, Holmdel. Born in Newark, she resided there prior to moving to Middletown 33 yeas ago. She was a bank manager at First Union Bank, Belford section of Middletown, for 25 years, retiring six years ago. She was a communicant of, and Eucharistic Minister at St. Catherine’s Roman Catholic Church, Middletown. She was also a member of the its Altar Rosary Society. She was predeceased by a brother, William Donoughe; and a sister, Patricia Arcaro. She is survived by her husband of 49 years, Joseph Dietrich; a son, Joseph Dietrich of Middletown; a brother and sister-in-law, Leo and Irene Donoughe of Edison; four sisters and two brothers-in-law, Margaret Hughes, Bernadette Fraser, and Kathy and Vincent Jankowski, all of Middletown, and Maryanne and Richard Esandrio of Sayreville; a sister-in-law; and a brother-in-law. A funeral liturgy was offered at St. Catherine’s Church. Arrangements were by John F. Pfleger Funeral Home, Middletown. Memorial donations may be made to St. Catherine’s Altar Rosary Society, 1 Shore Acres Drive, Middletown 07748.
Melodye D. Mello Medina
Mrs. Medina, 59, of Sayreville, formerly of the Avenel section of Woodbridge, died July 24 in Raritan Bay Medical Center, Old Bridge division. Surviving are three sons, Michael, Patrick and David; two daughters, Dianna Fischer and Laura Hyland; her former husband, Victor Medina; three sisters, Ginny Leigh, Lucille and Cindy; and nine grandchildren. Services were held at Gundrum Service Home for Funerals, South Amboy. Interment was in Hollywood Memorial Park, Union.
Frank E. Pennington
Mr. Pennington, 92, of Manalapan, formerly of Milltown, died Aug. 7 in Francis E. Parker Nursing Home, Piscataway. Prior to his retirement in 1981, he was civil defense director for Middlesex County for 14 years. He also was co-owner, with Harry Burgeson, of the F. Bright Merit Insurance Agency, New Brunswick, for 25 years. Surviving are his wife, Marie Ballou Pennington; three daughters, Jean Olsen and Pat Balachick, both of North Brunswick, and Diane Davis of Manalapan; two sons, Ross Pennington of Old Bridge and Rich Pennington of Hillsborough; nine grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. A funeral liturgy was offered at Our Lady of Mercy Church, Englishtown. Memorial donations may be made to Our Lady of Mercy Roman Catholic Church, 58 Main St., Englishtown, NJ 07726, or to Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, 1140 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60607-9952.
Frank E. Wittkofsky
Mr. Wittkofsky, 80, of Leland, N.C., formerly of East Brunswick, died July 26 in New Hanover County Hospital, Wilmington, N.C. Prior to his retirement, he was a cable tester at Triangle Conduit Cable Co., New Brunswick, where he worked for 37 years. He was predeceased by a daughter, Nancy Wittkofsky. Surviving are his wife, Charlotte Breese Wittkofsky; a son, Edward Wittkofsky Sr. of Leland; two sisters, Rose Szabiocs of North Brunswick and Ella Zaabadick of the Whiting section of Manchester; two grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Interment was in Dayton Cemetery, Dayton section of South Brunswick. Arrangements were under the direction of Brunswick Memorial Funeral Home, East Brunswick.
Helen Sosnowitz Chionchio
Mrs. Chionchio, 88, of Sayreville died Aug. 3 in St. Peter’s University Hospital, New Brunswick. Surviving are her husband, Thomas; three sons, Matthew Chionchio Jr., and Paul Chionchio, both of Sayreville, and Jonathan Chionchio of Palm Harbor, Fla.; four brothers, John, Edward, Anthony and Walter Sosnowitz, all of Sayreville; a sister, Olive Smith of Yardville section of Hamilton; 15 grandchildren; and 14 great-great-grandchildren. A Mass was offered at Our Lady of Victories Church, Sayreville. Interment was in New Calvary Cemetery, Parlin section of Sayreville.
Robert W. McKenna Sr.
Mr. McKenna, 68, of Union Beach, formerly of Sayreville, died Aug. 3 in Raritan Bay Medical Center, Old Bridge division. Surviving are his wife, Ida High McKenna; three sons, Robert W. Jr., Kevin and Brian McKenna; two daughters, Eileen Warren and Margaret McKenna; four grandchildren; and five great-granddaughters. A Mass was offered at Holy Family Church, Union Beach. Interment was in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Sayreville.
Mary Nowelsky
Mary Nowelsky, 90, died Aug. 4, 2004 at Cedar Oaks Care Center in South Plainfield, where she had been a resident since November 2003. She was born in Goshen, Indiana. She graduated from Goshen School of Nursing and worked in hospitals in Indiana, Chicago and Baltimore before moving to New Jersey, where she worked at Elizabeth General Hospital. She lived in Union and Oakhurst and Gulfport, Florida and Heritage at Clara Barton in Edison before moving to the Cedar Oaks facility. She was predeceased by her husband, John Nowelsky. Surviving are her brother Myron Roll, of Goshen, Indiana; a son, Tom Nowelsky of the Philippines, and two daughters, Marlene Jordan of Edison and the Rev. Linda Jaymes of Philadelphia, and seven grandchildren. A memorial service will be held later in the fall. Memorial gifts may be sent to Care Alternatives Hospice, 70 Jackson Drive, Suite 200, Cranford, NJ 07016.
Laura Besecker Jepsen
Mrs. Jepsen, 77, of Oxford Township, formerly of South River, South Amboy and Edison, died July 28 in Warren Hospital, Phillipsburg. Her husband, John N. Jepsen, died in 2000. Surviving are a son, John W. Jepson of Oxford; two brothers, Joseph Besecker and Eli "Red" Besecker; a sister, Ruth Jentor; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. A Mass was offered at Corpus Christi Church, South River. Interment was in Washington Monumental Cemetery, South River.