Obituaries

Lesley Burke, 31, passed away peacefully in her home in Rumson New Jersey on August 5^th. She was attended by family and loved ones. Her memorial service will be held this Sunday at 4 pm at Rumson Presbyterian Church followed by a reception at her home.

Lesley was born in London England in 1987 to Diane and John Burke. Although severely quadriplegic due to complications at birth, she lived a long and beautiful life and taught countless people the true meaning of strength, courage, and compassion.

Michael F. Raimondi, 70, of Middletown, passed away Friday, August 3rd, 2018. He was a resident of Middletown for the past 36 years. Michael was a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University and worked as a controller for Cruz Contractors of Holmdel before his retirement. 

Michael was a bright light in his community, well-known for his easy generosity and kindness. He had a strong entrepreneurial spirit and an extremely creative mind.

His greatest enjoyment was to spend mornings with his beloved granddaughter, Skylar, relaxing at his home.  He lived his life in the service of others, often opening his home to friends and family in need. He will be sorely missed by everyone who came in contact with this bright light.

David Dudley Smith Sr. peacefully passed away at home in Monmouth Beach, NJ on July 31 at the age of 94.  He was born on September 28, 1923 in Brooklyn, NY.  David attended Lehigh University, during which time he enlisted in the Navy.  He served on a Destroyer Escort during WWII in the North Atlantic.  After the war David returned to Lehigh, earning a degree in Industrial Engineering.  Upon graduating, he worked as a Sales Engineer for Westinghouse.

In 1949, David married Betty Loomis.  They moved to Staten Island and had their three children, David Jr., Kathryn and Gwendolyn.  David worked in the steel industry at the same company for 50 years.  He served on the boards of the YMCA, Salvation Army, Staten Island Zoo, Emmanuel Union Church, and was a member at Richmond County Country Club.

Mark J. Azzolina, 59, a lifelong resident of Middletown, passed away peacefully on August 1, 2018, at Raritan Bay Medical Center, Perth Amboy, after suffering from a long illness. Mark was born in 1959 to Joseph and Roselyn Azzolina in Middletown, NJ and was one of seven children. He was a graduate of Middletown South High School and attended Brookdale Community College and Arizona State University.

Mark was a co-owner of Food Circus Super Markets, Inc. (Foodtown) where he served on the Board of Directors as well as a partner is several other family businesses.  Mark started working for his family’s supermarket business at the age of fourteen as a clerk working his way up to the Meat and Grocery Supervisor. He moved to Florida for several years where he worked as a realtor. In 2010 Mark returned to Middletown where he transitioned to his family’s liquor business to his most recent position as a Liquor Supervisor and Regulatory Compliance Director. He oversaw five liquor operations and was responsible for the development of the Circus Wines, Beer and Spirits brand.

Joseph G. Gallagher, 54, passed away on July 29^th, from injuries sustained in a car accident.  Born in Boston, MA, he grew up in Binghamton NY.  A 1982 graduate of Seton Catholic Central HS, Joe was proud to be named class president all four years.  He went on to graduate from Marquette University in 1986 with a degree in Criminal Justice.

Joe and his family were lucky to be able to call Nantucket, MA their second home.  Spending every summer there, he became a member of the Nantucket Police, first as a summer “special” and then full time in 1987.

After moving to Washington DC, where he met his future wife, Patty Mitchell, Joe started his long career in Advertising.  First in radio Ad sales and then later, after a move to New York, his reign as digital Ad Guru. He worked at a number of companies including The Tribune Company, Wall Street Journal, and most recently Digital Remedy.  What set Joe apart, was his ability to connect with and entertain everyone he encountered.

Red Bank – On July 30, 2018, Helen Wehman, 92, left this earth peacefully to join our Lord in Heaven with her family by her side.   Helen was born and raised in Jersey City, moved briefly to Bayonne and spent her last four years with her daughter Patty and her family in Red Bank.  

Helen was predeceased by her beloved husband John; her brothers Edward, Chester and James.  Surviving are her four daughters Marguerite Brennan and her husband Thomas, Elizabeth Frieri and her husband Frank, Kathleen Mulrenan and her husband Robert and Patricia Munro and her husband John; and her nine grandchildren JordanLynn, Luke, Stephen, Jack, Claire, Matthew, Samantha, Michael and Elsbeth. Also surviving is her sister Florence LaMendola.

It is with great sadness that the family of Josephine Scalzo announces that she passed away peacefully on July 28, 2018.

Josephine was born on in West New York, NJ. She had one brother and 3 sisters and was a life-long resident of Monmouth County. While working at Eisner's Uniform Factory in Red Bank, Josephine Leone met her future husband, Joseph P. Scalzo. Josie and Joe were married on June 1, 1953 and were married until his passing in April of 1993. Together they raised two children, Linda A. and Joseph L. Scalzo. Josie demonstrated unconditional love for her extended family and thanked God daily for her blessings. She will be remembered by her family and friends for her kind heart, extreme pride and devotion to family, and a sharp sense of humor.

Alexandrianna Lowe, age 28, went home to her heavenly Father on July 22, 2018, at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, New Jersey.  She was born on Friday, October 13, 1989 (which she hated), in Portsmouth, Virginia.  Lexi was fierce, wicked smart, and loyal to a fault.  Not one to back down from a challenge, she was a force to be reckoned with.  Lexi was a 1999 World Champion Pop Warner cheerleader but was more proud of the fact that she caught a catfish with her bare hands.  She loved crabbing, royal history, and Netflix.  She loved country music, the Broadway play Chicago, and the movies Dirty Dancing and Titanic.  When she was younger, you might have found her trying to pull snakes from rock walls, or making mud pies for dinner.  Lexi was a beautiful girl with sparkling green eyes, and had the perfect amount of freckles sprinkled across her nose.  Her heart was as large as her smile.  If she loved you, she loved you.  She was the best co-pilot and personal assistant a mom could ever want.  She had a knack for thinking outside the box.  Recently, she single handedly saved a family vacation after several last minute flight cancellations, rerouting everyone on the fly, all the while juggling a toddler.  Lexi loved rice pudding, chili, and pigeons.  (The stuffed cabbage kind, especially with creamed corn and mashed potatoes, Baba style.)  Her only fear was riding the Flyers at Knoebels.  

Marco J. Bonomi, age 84, of Fair Haven, passed away Wednesday, July 25^th unexpectedly from complications from heart bypass surgery.  Marco was born in Cares, Italy.  He was the only child of Guiseppe (Joseph) and Raggiunta, who raised their son in Corona, New York.  After graduating high school in 1952, Marco went to work at Con Ed until 1955 when he joined the Navy.  He was honorably discharged in 1957 and took advantage of the GI Bill and enrolled at the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute, where he graduated summa cum laude with a BS in electrical engineering.  The following year he received his Masters degree from New York University.

Doris Jean Giblin, 90, passed away peacefully in her home the morning of July 23, 2018 after a prolonged illness. Born in Red Bank to the late Lester E. Shibla and Olive P. Fary, she lived locally for majority of her life, returning to the area in 2000 to spend more time with her family after residing in the Sarasota-Bradenton, FL area for nearly 20 years.

Doris was a talented artist who graduated from the Red Bank High School a year early, and then turned down an appointment to the Pratt Institute. Instead, she entered the workforce, and was a nearly 40-year employee of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. She was a longtime communicant of the Reformed Church of Tinton Falls; and, a lifetime member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Little Silver Volunteer Fire Department who continued to march in the borough’s Memorial Day parade well into her eighties. Doris and several friends also maintained a six-decade-long monthly lunch club tradition affectionately known as the Squirt Club.