Obituaries

Tracy Merola tragically died on March 7, 2017. Visitation will be on Saturday, March 11, 2017, at the Thompson Memorial, 310 Broad Street, Red Bank, NJ, between the hours of 3 and 6 PM. Tracy was a well loved employee at Milagro Spa in Red Bank, NJ.

Tracy Merola is survived by her mother Phyllis Evanchik, her father Gerardo Merola, her sister Tina Merola, her step-father Dennis Evanchik, and a large family of many loving Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and her beloved rescue dog Nala.

Doris G. Sergeant passed away peacefully at her home on February 21, 2017 in Oceanport, NJ.   She was born in 1930 to Raymond and Edith Gero in Norwich, CT and grew up in Taftville, CT.  She moved to Red Bank, NJ and attended Red Bank High School where she enjoyed acting and was a majorette.  She graduated from Red Bank High School in 1947 and Katie Gibbs Secretarial School in 1948.  She first worked as a secretary at Camp Coles in Middletown, NJ.     

In 1949, Doris married Raymond E. Sergeant, Jr..  They were happily married for 57 years and had three sons.  She was a wonderful homemaker and took great pride in her family.  Doris was a gourmet cook and known to host numerous and memorable dinner parties for friends and family.  She was an avid skier, tennis player and enjoyed the beach club at Ship Ahoy with her friends dubbed the "Sand Fleas".  Doris was also an accomplished knitter, seamstress, creative flower arranger and a talented gardener.  She was a member and served a term as President of the Women’s Club of Red Bank/Little Silver and was President of the Red Bank Buccaneer Boosters Athletic Club and was co-founder of the Tinker Dorn Trophy. Doris was also a longtime member of Beacon Hill Country Club and enjoyed playing golf with the Woman’s Nine Holers.  A devoted member of St. James Parrish, Doris’s dedication to her faith and love of family and friends will forever leave an indelible mark upon our hearts. 

Marylyn Ann Davis Collins passed away at home, March 1st, 2017, after a battle with cancer.  She was born in Newark, NJ.  The family moved to Oceanport Park on the Shrewsbury River when she was three.  Marylyn graduated from Long Branch High School in 1949 with scholastic and athletic honors.  

She worked as an Executive Assistant to the Fort Monmouth Command and later held the same position at The Charms Candy Company in Newark, NJ.  Her most adventurous position, however, was as one of the first women pursers hired by an American steamship line.  She sailed with Moore McCormack to the British West Indies and South America for several years, igniting her lifelong passion for travel.

In 1955 Marylyn travelled to Hawaii to join her beloved sister and brother-in-law.  Although she fell in love with the islands, after a year she decided she missed the change in seasons and returned to the East Coast.  Marylyn then met her future husband, T Collins, and they married in 1957.  They settled in Rumson where they lived for 46 years and raised their five children.  Marylyn’s most cherished roles were as mother and grandmother.  She lived for her children and grandchildren and shared her love limitlessly and without judgement.  Marylyn took great pride and joy in witnessing their many accomplishments.  She was an almost permanent fixture in the stands and bleachers, as a member of the audience, and as a viewer of webcasts for over 50 years.  

Dorothy H. Gunniss, Age 80 of Shrewsbury, formerly of Little Silver, passed away on February 21, 2017.  Dorothy was very active in local charities and organizations, including the Nifty Fifties at the Church of the Nativity in Fair Haven, the Fair Haven and Little Silver Seniors, the Episcopal Women’s Group at St. John’s Episcopal Church and the Women’s Exchange in Little Silver.  Before retiring she was a legal secretary at the law firm of Shelby, Cullom, Davis & Company in NYC.  

Dorothy is predeceased by her husband Gordon F. Gunniss.  She is survived by her step-children: Gordon “Andy” Gunniss & his wife Wanda of Trumbull, CT; Stephanie Quintal & her husband Carl of Sharon, MA.; Amanda Capossela & her husband Dom of Sharon, MA. Also, her grandchildren: Ian & Hilary Gunniss; Madeline and Samantha Quintal; and Dylan Capossela.

Jack Preston passed away on Feb. 25 at his home in Middletown, N.J.  Born in Red Bank, Jack was fiercely proud of his United States Marine Corps service during the Vietnam War.  He was an usher at Holy Cross Church, Rumson, the owner of J. Preston Realtors, and was past-President of the Monmouth County Board of Realtors.

Jack is loved by those he leaves behind – daughter Sheana Preston and her husband Nicholas Ditri, daughter Brittany Preston, former wife Bonnie Preston, stepchildren Frank Pinto and Carri-Ann Murillo, grandchildren Cody and Brianna, partner Peggy O’Neil and many friends who were family. Jack is predeceased by his parents John and Mae Preston, and is survived by his brother Jim Preston and wife Ann Marie, and his sister Kathleen Preston, husband Dow Walker, Jr. and their six sons.  

Visitation will be Wednesday, March 1st   2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the Thompson Memorial Home, 310 Broad St, Red Bank. 

"...lived a very good life," and passed away peacefully with her family by her side at Meridian Nursing and Rehabilitation in Shrewsbury, NJ on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2017, after suffering a series of strokes beginning in June. After each stroke, Betty was able to recover and resume an active social life with her new friends at Meridian. Two days before her passing she held court in the hallway and said "who would've thought that this late in my life I would make so many new and dear friends that I love. Aren't we lucky to all be able to live together in such a beautiful place."

Betty was born in Elmont, NY, December 4, 1926, the youngest and 13th child of Patrick "Harry" H. Clarke and Catherine "Katie" P. Waters Clarke. At 16 yrs. old, after all but 2 of her siblings had enlisted to serve in WWII, she accompanied a girlfriend downtown to an interview at AT&T who was in dire need of telephone operators to handle overseas calls. She was offered a job in San Francisco, CA to handle calls coming from the Pacific.

Maria (Andzelm) Kershenbaum, 88, entered eternal rest on Friday, February 10, 2017 surrounded by her loving family in Red Bank, New Jersey. She was born in Janowiec, Poland to the late Stefan and Waleria Andzelm.
After immigrating to the United States in the early 1950's, Maria and her husband, Moses, lived in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and in 1968, they relocated to the Red Bank area where they owned and operated the Monmouth Cigar and Stationery Store for fourteen years.

She was a natural homemaker, great cook, talented knitter and an avid sewer who also worked in the Garment District of New York City as a professional seamstress.

She was raised with a humanitarian spirit; believing and demonstrating a connection to others. Maria received the Yad Vashem Medal and Certificate of Honor and was designated as one of the "Righteous Among the Nations" by the Israeli government (the distinction is awarded to a non-Jewish person who risked his or her life, freedom, and safety to save Jews from the threat of deportation or death). The recognition Maria received was for the part she played, as a young teenager, helping two Jewish men escape from the Nazis. Her family built a box (put in the ground like a grave), and hid them in a barn and cared for them for two years. Sadly, her father was killed the day of Liberation. Her family's courage to uphold human values ultimately caused them to leave their home for fear of attacks by their neighbors.

Neil V. DeSena of Rumson, N.J. passed away on Saturday, February 11, 2017. He was 52 years young.  Neil was Managing Partner of SenaHill Partners, the merchant bank he co-founded in 2013, after an impressive career spanning three decades. During these three decades, Neil helped drive the electronification of Wall Street and what is now called fintech. His vision, spirit and larger-than-life persona came with him to work every day where he influenced a whole generation of professionals around him. His kindness and care ignited the successful careers of many others on the path he blazed. Not only did he create a legacy in the businesses he built, but he also left a massive family that is now carrying forward his mantra. Not many people had the magic he did to get work done and build bonds that lasted well after he had left the room.

He started his career in the back-office at Quick & Reilly Clearing in 1985. He later became a partner at the venerable Spear, Leads and Kellogg (SLK) where he pioneered the REDI electronic trading division as its first employee in 1992. After it was acquired by Goldman Sachs, he became a managing director and global head of REDI Products from 2000 to 2006. This business was generating nearly a billion dollars of revenue a year for the firm. He took an archaic business and leveraged technology to bring it into the future. He pushed ideas and people in a way that was unique and built the best franchise on Wall Street that remains unparalleled.

Catherine Ross, beloved sister, aunt and wife, passed away on February 7, 2017 at her home.  “Casey”, as she was known by both family and friends, was born in New Brunswick in 1925, and graduated New Brunswick High School in 1943. She was employed by the U.S. Government at Ft. Monmouth, and retired after 30 years of faithful service.  She was married to Tom, the love of her life, for 36 years. Casey was predeceased by her parents, Vassilios and Kalliope Gitantzides, her brother John, her sister, Stella Dancey and her husband, Thomas Ross.

Her sense of humor and good-natured attitude was enjoyed by all, and her love for family was immeasurable. She doted on her niece and nephews, and her generosity towards them and others will never be forgotten.

She is survived by her nephews, John and Mike Dancey, niece Kathy Boyle, and numerous great nieces and nephews.

Kay Mullaney Girling, age 79 of Middletown, formally of West Long Branch, passed away on February 9, 2017.  Born in Newark, NJ, Kay resided in West Long Branch before moving to Middletown in 1967.  She worked for Kitson Chevrolet in Eatontown and Wall Lincoln Mercury in Shrewsbury.  

Kay was predeceased by her husband Robert S. Girling III in 1992; her father Frank B. Mullaney; her mother and stepfather Thelma and Clifford Brower; her brother Donald H. Mullaney; her sister Joan Lamberson and her beloved grandson Donald J. Cyrta.  She is survived by her loving, caring daughter Sharon Girling; her sisters Roberta Maletto of Eatontown and Burnice Jarosz of Jordan, NY; her grandchildren Nina Deangelo and her husband Brian, Robert Cano and Katherine Cyrta; her great-grandchildren Justin MacDonald, Patricia Cyrta, Sophie Deangelo, Kianna, Kimmy and Christian Rodriquez; and her nieces and nephew, including Morgan Frenk who played a special part in her “Kee’s” life and was loved dearly.