Obituaries

Age 82 - Tinton Falls, NJ and previously of Staten Island until 2005

Ciro Licastri, of Tinton Falls, NJ, died peacefully on June 22, 2016.
He came to the United States in 1971. In 1973, he married Lucia Cannizzaro, and together they had 2 children, Salvatore and Rosemarie. Ciro was a member of Excavators Union Local 731 and Mason Tenders Union Local 79. He served as a member of the Italian Army. A unique soul, Ciro was very funny, and enjoyed gardening, painting, dancing and listening to Pavarotti and Bocelli.

He was a loving and dedicated husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and an amazing friend.

Ciro is survived by his wife of 43 years, Lucia Licastri of Tinton Falls, NJ; his son Salvatore Licastri and his wife Nicole of Toms River, NJ; his daughter Rosemarie Lakeman and her husband Robert also of Tinton Falls, NJ; his five grandchildren John, Alexa, Ava, Adriana and Matthew. Also survived by his loving in-laws and beloved nieces and nephews.

Monmouth Beach

Carol G. Novak passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 19, 2016.

Carol was born and raised in Jersey City, NJ. She graduated from Snyder High School and worked for Standard Oil for several years. In 1953, she married Dick Garley and became a full-time homemaker to raise her six children.

Carol and Dick moved to Rumson in 1958. She was very involved with Holy Cross School and served as Holy Cross PTA President and volunteer for many years.

She married Paul J. Novak in 1975 and moved to Red Bank in 1979. She was a secretary in the Red Bank Catholic Library for 32 years, and also a volunteer for the Red Bank Catholic PTA.

Carol was very proud of and devoted to her family, and was happiest when attending gatherings and parties with her family and many friends. Her spirit, caring nature and great sense of humor will be missed by all who had the good fortune to know and love her. God now holds her in the palm of His hand with her beloved Paul, Greg and Jane.

Eleanor Benoist Linley, musician and teacher, died peacefully at home after a long illness, on June 15, 2016, surrounded by her family.

 
Through her lifelong ministry as a church organist and choir director, concert pianist and teacher of music and German, Eleanor enriched countless lives. She commenced her service as a liturgical musician at age 12 and went on to become organist and choir director at the Episcopal Churches of St. James, Long Branch; Christ Church, Shrewsbury; The Church of the Resurrection, Elizabeth; St. Edward the Martyr, NYC; All Saints’ Memorial, Navesink, and St. Mark’s, Keansburg.

Robert E. Sullivan, Age 73 of Oceanport, passed away on June 15, 2016. Bob was born in 1943 in South Amboy, and is predeceased by his parents Edward and Sally (Cichalski) Sullivan. He moved to Oceanport in 1973.  Bob is survived by his wife of 46 years Maureen (Reilly) and his children Robert and Rachel, his sister Margaret MacMillan, as well as many nieces and nephews, friends and colleagues. He graduated from St. Mary's High School in South Amboy and received a BA in Education from Kean University in 1964, a MA in Guidance and Personnel from Seton Hall University in 1967, and a BS in Business Administration from Thomas Edison State University in 1988.  He began his career in education by teaching 6th grade in Hazlet from 1964 to 1967, followed by 2 years as a guidance counselor at Rahway Junior High School. He started as a guidance counselor at East Brunswick High School in 1969 and retired 34 years later in 2003.

Vincent J. Venezia passed away peacefully in his home on Saturday, June 12, comforted and surrounded by his loving family.

Born in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, he was the youngest son of the late James and Angelina Venezia. A talented athlete, he played minor league baseball with the Newark Bears before enlisting in the Army. He proudly served his country for 26 years and was a decorated combat veteran receiving two Bronze Star Medals for his service in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. While stationed in Tokyo, Japan, he met the love of his life, Sachiko. They enjoyed 54 years of marriage before her passing in 2007. Following his military career, he settled in Red Bank and owned and operated the Trade Winds Motel and Marina in Sea Bright. In 2010 he retired from the moving and transportation industry after 30 years.

Affectionately known as Grandpa Gee to many and Baba Gee to his great-grandchildren, he was truly an amazing man who loved his family more than anything and lived to see them happy. Spending time with his granddaughters was his favorite thing, whether it was breakfast at the diner, watching the Mets, or driving around doing errands, as long as he was with “the girls” he was happy. Hard working and strong with a heart of gold, he touched the lives of everyone who knew him.

Kenneth Robert Swain, Jr., of Rumson, died peacefully on June 12, 2016.  

He attended Glen Ridge Public Schools and following graduation he served our Country in the US Army.  He graduated with a Business Degree from Radford University.  For the last 30 years, he had a successful career on Wall Street, making life-long friendships along the way, most recently as a Managing Director at BTIG.

Kenny was a larger than life man with the biggest of hearts, who was often the first to volunteer his time and support to the community.  He was on the Board of AYF and Touchdown Club and coached football and basketball.

He was a loving and dedicated husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and an amazing friend.  He had a special way of making you feel like the most important person in the room, leaving a lasting legacy in his seven beautiful children.

Frank John D'Agostino, DDS, passed away at Riverview Hospital, Red Bank, New Jersey, on Thursday June 9, 2016.

Dr. D'Agostino was born in 1922 in New York City to Salvatore and Rose (Barcelona) D'Agostino. As a child, he moved with his family to Brooklyn where he later graduated from New Utrecht High School. He, like his violinist father, had a love of classical music, studied voice, and considered an operatic career. However, a stronger interest in the biomedical sciences and advice from the family dentist convinced him that a career in dentistry was his calling.

During his college years at New York University he first met his future wife of 71 years, Josephine Gioia. They were married on February 22, 1945.

John Holmes Callen, Jr., 83, passed away peacefully on June 9th in Red Bank, NJ.  John, who was called Lucky by family and friends from his earliest days, was born in East Orange, NJ in 1932.  He grew up in Essex Fells, NJ and graduated from the Lawrenceville School in 1950.  He attended Princeton University and graduated from Trinity College in 1955 and was a devoted alumnus to all of his schools.  Lucky was an outstanding prep school and college athlete in several sports: soccer, hockey and baseball.  After college, Lucky served his country in the United States Marine Corps from 1955 to 1958 and attained the rank of Second Lieutenant.

On July 14, 1956, Lucky wed Carolyn Coleman, of Rumson, NJ and their long and happy marriage was nearing its sixtieth anniversary.  Lucky is survived by his wife - Lyn; his children – Paige Callen James and her husband, Thomas James, of Charlotte, NC; John H. Callen III (Chip) of Newbury, NH; Lindsey Callen Strong and her husband, Peter Strong, of Wenham, MA; and J. Hunter Callen of Newbury, NH; and his grandchildren – Sarah James Barone, Thomas James, Jr., William James, Dorothea Callen, and Parker, Benjamin and Callen Strong.  Lucky is also survived by his brothers – Merrill Callen of Mooresville, NC; Daniel Callen of Ooltewah, TN; Andrew Callen of Concord, MA; and Brock Callen of Chilmark, MA.

Another bright star was shining in the heavens last night. Our mom is once again joined with the love of her life. When her journey home ended on June 8, 2016 Helen Price was 86. It was a beautiful journey filled with love, family and friendship. Mom truly knew how to live in the moment and believed that her family and friends were her greatest gifts. She cherished us all.

Always a devoted Catholic, her great faith in God, humility and compassion were her guides.   Her life began in 1930 on Willow St in Glenn Ridge, N. J. where she grew up as the daughter of the late James and Margaret Gilbert.  Mom graduated from Glenn Ridge High School in 1948 and attended Rutgers University.  She was introduced to a tanned, barefoot art student on the beach in Bay Head one summer named Wally Price who became the love of her life. Helen married Wally April 11, 1953. They honeymooned in Bermuda, steps that the whole family would retrace to celebrate their wedding anniversary 30 years later where they again recited their vows in a beautiful chapel.

Loretta “Kathy” C. Mozeleski, Age 63 of Somerset (Califon), passed away on June 10, 2016, in Scotch Plains.  Loretta was born to Robert and Loretta Blauvelt in Plainfield, NJ.  She graduated from South Plainfield High School in 1970, attended Middlesex County College and worked as an administrative assistant for AT&T in Basking Ridge for 10 years.  She was a former communicant of Sacred Heart RC Church in South Plainfield and was a communicant of St. John Neuman in Califon.

She is survived by her husband of 40 years Edmund J. Mozeleski; her sister Barbara Blauvelt Quenzel of Old Bridge, NJ and many nieces, nephews and cousins.