Obituaries

Sarah Gillick Khatri passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 23, 2024. Sarah was a devoted mother, a passionate professional, and loving wife. Sarah is survived by her son Andrew (Rumson, New Jersey), her daughter-in-law Sheila, and their two children, Smith (8) and Avery (6). 

A proud, working mother, Sarah made her own way to achieve her dream career as an executive recruiter, a career in which she eventually ran her own practice. A native of Liverpool, England, Sarah moved to the United States at a young age, where she found her new home in New York City. She spent her life as a New Yorker, boasting about walking to and from Bloomingdales until the end. In the city she loved, she eventually met her husband Saleem. They married in New York in September 1976 and resided in Manhattan until Saleem’s passing in May 2023. Together, with their son Andrew, they spent weekends in Wildwood Crest, New Jersey, exploring the coastline and delighting in the beach. Sarah spent her final year living just 10 minutes from her two grandchildren, whom she adored.  

Roberta Platz Keenan (Bobby), age 90, of Little Silver, NJ passed away at home on Saturday, June 22, 2024.

Bobby was born and raised in Newark, NJ and was a graduate of St. Vincent Academy. After high school she briefly worked for Hardware Mutual Insurance before taking a job in the drafting department of the Newark headquarters of New Jersey Bell. She became a department supervisor and stayed at the Telephone Company for over fifteen years, working part time after having her first child. After working part time in the local schools when her children were young, Bobby eventually returned to graphic design working for a textbook printing firm.

Richard Arthur Wien of Lincroft, NJ died on June 16, 2024 after a courageous six-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Born November 10, 1942 in Sussex, NJ to Arthur and Natalie (Beemer) Wien, Richard graduated from Sussex High School and then went on to study Electronics Circuitry at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. He received his A.S. degree in 1962.

Richard was recruited by Bell Laboratories in Holmdel, NJ where he worked in the speakerphone circuitry division. One memorable project involved creating a system of multiple speakerphones which allowed President Lyndon Johnson to conduct business from anywhere in the Oval Office.  His division would also install specialized speakerphones for the 1964 World’s Fair.

An only child born in Jersey City on April 13,1934 to Francis and Grayce McMahon (nee Scanlan), John F. “Jack” McMahon relished life. He took on many roles in the 90 years God gifted him on this earth—public defender, law school professor, master gardener, and crabber of the Navesink River. To many, he was “the best boss I ever had,” and he was a role model for the young lawyers who were fortunate enough to dedicate a portion of their careers to the indigent and marginalized.

All those roles, and many more, were made possible by the gift of meeting and marrying Patricia Doherty early in his journey. The life Jack and Pat built and shared with so many was one of love, service, travel, and adventure; altogether, it was extraordinarily amazing. On June 18, 2024, Jack passed away in the arms of Pat and surrounded by his family.

Although raised in Orange, NJ, Jack always spoke of Jersey City and Orange as his two hometowns. Worldly even at a young age, he would take the train into Manhattan alone at only 9 years old to meet his father, who worked at General Cigar, and the two would head up to Yankee Stadium. He loved those games with his father and his lifelong devotion to the Yankees was rooted in those memories. Fishing trips with his father likewise inspired his love of the sea.

John Thomas Jennings, age 59, of Red Bank, New Jersey, passed away peacefully on June 9, 2024. John was born in The Bronx, New York on July 18, 1964, the son of Mary B. Jennings (née O'Connell) and Jackie Jennings. John took great pride in being from NYC and in his Irish heritage. When he was a teenager, the family moved to Red Bank, New Jersey. John graduated from Red Bank Regional High School in 1982. After graduation, he pursued his love of learning at Brookdale Community College and the NY School of Visual Arts.

In 1986, John was involved in a tragic accident that left him paralyzed. Despite this, he continued to embrace life, living independently, traveling, and participating in Breckenridge’s handicap ski program. John was a passionate and devoted fan of the NY Giants, Rangers, and Yankees.

Mrs. Muriel McCann (née Stinson), of Middletown, NJ, passed away on Tuesday, January 12, 2021 at the age of 84.

Muriel was born to parents Lucius and Grace Stinson on July 21, 1936 in Newark, NJ. She grew up as the younger of 2 daughters and graduated from South Side High School, Newark, NJ. In 1953, she married US Army soldier Paul David McCann, and the couple had two children. As an Army family, the McCanns lived in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Missouri, Virginia, Maryland, and in France, where they toured various European countries.

Evelina C. Menna, age 90 of Little Silver, New Jersey died on  May 23^rd at 5:30pm surrounded by her children. She was the devoted wife of Ennio Menna for 70 years and has rejoined him in heaven. Born on October 2, 1933 in Montefalcone nel Sannio in the Molise region of Italy, she was the daughter of the late Giovanni Cordisco and Maria Mascia Cordisco.

Evelina was a strong and courageous woman.  She and Ennio emigrated in 1961 with their young family, moving first to Montreal, Canada and in 1963 moved to Red Bank, NJ. They purchased their dream home on Fox Hill Drive in Little Silver where they lived happily for 52 years. They returned to Red Bank to reside with her son in 2022.

A gifted educator, devoted public servant, and loving matriarch, Elizabeth DeGiulio of Sea Bright, NJ passed away peacefully at her home last week at the age of 82. Born in New York City to John and Elizabeth Parise, Elizabeth and her identical twin sister Joan grew up in the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn with their younger sister, Maryann. Elizabeth’s mother, a no-nonsense nurse, was the only woman in the neighborhood who knew how to drive a car, and her daughter lived her life with that same can-do spirit. 

Following graduation from St. Brendan’s High School, Elizabeth began her studies at Hunter College in New York where she met fellow student Dr. Allan DeGiulio, her beloved partner in life for 61 years until his passing in 2022.  During the nomadic journey necessitated by Allan’s work as a college administrator and later as a community advocate, Elizabeth earned a BA from Hunter College, a Master of Arts in ESL and Linguistics from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of Nevada-Reno. She also completed all the course work toward a PhD.

Barbara K. Bayer, age 85, peacefully passed away on March 9, 2024 after a brave battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Barbara was raised and lived in Maplewood, NJ for most of her life and graduated from Columbia High School in 1957. 

Barbara married Joseph Bayer and lived the Navy life in Hawaii where children Tracy and Paul were born. Following a few years in Honolulu, the family settled back into life in Maplewood adding Robert and Rich to the family.

While raising a family, Barbara worked at Maplewood Bank & Trust and Summit Bank among  others.  Barb enjoyed the Maplewood Junior Women's Club, the community pool, and playing softball (pitcher/outfielder) on the Fire Belles, a Maplewood Women’s League championship team.