Obituaries

Lorraine Mary George, 95, passed away on Sunday, November 20^th after a long illness. She was born in Newark to Almaza and Louis Scaff. She graduated from East Orange High School. She married for 62 years to Ferris George of Danbury Ct.

Lorraine was the mother of Donna of Albuquerque , New Mexico, grandchildren Chiara and Jessie; Gary of Williamsburg, Virginia, grandchildren, Darrell, Audrean and Courtney; and Brian of Little Silver, grandchildren: Patrick, Mary and Christian.

Kathy was born on February 25, 1948 in Joliet, Illinois. She graduated as the Salutatorian from Lockport Central High School in 1966, and went on to Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, IL, graduating in 1970 with a B.A. degree in Music History and minor in Education. From 1970-1973 she taught fourth grade at the Milne Grove School in Lockport, receiving tenure. In June 1973 she married David Bennett, who she met at Lake Forest College. The couple then moved to Evanston, IL for Dave to pursue his MS at Northwestern. Between 1973 and 1975 she served as assistant to the Chair of the Program in Hospital and Health Services Administration at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business. The couple moved to Rome, NY in 1975 where her two daughters Carol and Diane were born. In 1981, the family moved to Lincroft, NJ. Kathy was a member of Tower Hill, The First Presbyterian Church of Red Bank, NJ.

Kathy used her experience in education to support her daughters’ educations. While the girls were preschool age, she served as President of the Tower Hill Nursery School Board. As the girls grew older, she was an active volunteer in the Lincroft School PTA, becoming Treasurer both of the Lincroft School and the Thompson Middle School PTAs. During the “empty nest” years, she worked part time as an administrator at Meridian At Home, a provider of home health aides.

Kathleen (Murphy) Brounley passed peacefully in her sleep on October 14, 2022. She was 81 years old. She was the daughter of the late Dr. Matthew Murphy and Dorothy Gehlhaus Murphy. Kathy was a graduate of Red Bank Regional High School and a lifelong member of the United Methodist Church of Red Bank. As a teenager, Kathy attended the United Methodist Youth Fellowship where she formed lifelong friendships. It was also at the church where she met her husband, Thomas N. Brounley.

After their marriage, Kathy and Tom lived in Red Bank and then Fair Haven where they raised their two daughters, Laurie and Amy. Kathy was devoted to her family and friends and loved her 52 years in Fair Haven. She worked at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional for more than 10 years as an aide and ran the school store. Kathy looked forward to spending two weeks on Lake Winnipesaukee every summer for 49 years. She considered herself blessed to share this special place with her husband, daughters, grandchildren and the other families that became long standing friends. In their later years, Kathy and Tom remained devoted to one another until Tom's passing in 2021.

Fred Mazzucca passed away peacefully on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 at the age of 91. Born in Red Bank, Fred graduated from Red Bank Regional High School, where he was an outstanding baseball and basketball player and ultimately chose the Jersey shore to be his lifetime home.

Fred graduated from Muhlenberg College in 1952 earning three varsity letters in baseball. After his service in the Army, he played against Whitey Ford and singled off him in his first at bat. When asked how he did on his second at bat, he laughed that Whitey struck him out on three pitches!

While stationed in Chicago during his service, Fred met Donna who would become his wife. They married and settled in Little Silver where Fred pursued his career in accounting and enjoyed being a CPA for over fifty years.

Phyllis Mae Feiring (née Green) passed away peacefully at home on November 12, 2022, at the age of 94.  Born on February 5, 1928, in Point Pleasant, she was the only child to parents Jane and Leighton Green.

Thanks to her father's encouragement, who wanted her to live life passionately and thoroughly, Phyllis married the love of her life, Bruce Clifford Feiring, on January 31, 1948.  Once having reined in her husband, a Naval Air Corps veteran in World War II, she was thereby affectionately known as “The Lion Tamer.”  At only nineteen years of age, her strength and wisdom were well beyond her years.

Together, Phyllis and Bruce lived in Plainfield, summered in Bay Head, and raised their children in Fair Haven. She was one of the last surviving “River Oaks Moms.” Following their time in Fair Haven, Phyllis and Bruce lived in Monmouth Beach, Long Branch, and, most recently, Phyllis lived in Middletown.

Tracy Bruce Thompson, age 64, of Oakhurst, NJ peacefully passed away on Sunday, November 13, 2022 after a brave battle with cancer surrounded by his family and friends. Tracy was raised in Spring Lake, NJ. He graduated from Manasquan High School and the Audio Institute of Technology in New York City. He enjoyed his career as an audio and recording engineer working with many well-known artists. Later, he became the owner/operator of Allaire Argent where he designed and built speaker cases/cabinets for many musicians. 

Tracy always enjoyed a good meal, surrounded by good company. He loved to relax at home watching his favorite TV shows with his wife Robin and their fur babies. Tracy and Robin loved to go to the Poconos to spend time in the cabin with their dogs. He was always supportive and proud of all his nieces and nephews accomplishments. 

John O’Hearn left us on November 5, 2022. He was born and raised in Grant City, Staten Island and resided in Colts Neck, NJ for the past 30 years.  John was a graduate of New Dorp High School class of 1955. He was a NYC retired firefighter last stationed at Tottenville Ladder 76. John was the owner of South Shore Construction and Advance Concrete. He married his wife Virginia in 1987. They moved to a farm in 1992. He loved raising cattle and riding his tractor and was famous for his hay rides for family birthdays. 

John lost his daughter Cheryle in 1983 to Cystic Fibrosis. John was a very devoted husband , father, and grandfather. John is survived by his wife Virginia, his daughters Erin (Stephen) and Rachel (Adam). He is also survived by his grandchildren John, Brad, Cheryle, Jake, Dakota and Hudson. 

A Memorial Gathering will be held on Monday, November 14th from 5-8 at Thompson Memorial Home, 310 Broad St, Red Bank, NJ.  In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at https://www.cff.org/donate. 

Maureen O’Neill Bryce left us on November 2, 2022. She was born in Glen Ridge, NJ and raised in Nutley, NJ as well as Bloomfield, NJ. She then resided in Ocean Twp. with Charles, her husband of 57 years. Maureen was a graduate of Mt. Saint Dominic Academy and Seton Hall University Nursing School. She started her nursing career at Mountainside Hospital where she was born, and continued as a pediatric nurse and Nursing Supervisor at Monmouth Medical Center, Long Branch, NJ until 1984.

She then began a successful career as a Medical Case Manager after which she started her own Medical Case Management business, retiring at the age of 74. Maureen’s passions were family, friends, travel, and entertaining.

Frances D. Schmitt, 88, of Red Bank peacefully passed away on November 1, 2022, surrounded by her family. She has joined her husband William T. Schmitt Sr in eternal happiness.

Frances is predeceased by her parents, Ernest and Anna Trunzo, brother Ernest, and son Baby Boy Schmitt. She is survived by her children Mary Frances and Russell Giovine, William T. Schmitt Jr and Cheryl Schmitt, Cynthia Schmitt, and Joseph and Christine Schmitt, as well as 8 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Harlan Thomas Haller passed away on October 27, 2022 at the age of 98. 

He was born in Los Angeles to Thomas Oliver Haller and Marguerite Naomi (Adkins) Haller and grew up in Riverside, California alongside his late sister Aileen Ruth (Haller) Parkes who was four years his junior. His family knew him as Harlan but he preferred to go by his middle name of Thomas and was known professionally as Tom.

Tom attended the Polytechnic High School in Riverside,California followed by the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point class of 1944 where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, he later served in the U.S. Navy as a Lieutenant before heading off to college at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering class of 1951.

He met the love of his life, Jean Alma (Mac Farlane), at Christmastime in New York City while on leave from the Navy. They married in September of 1947 and were married for 66 years until she passed away in 2013. They have three daughters, ten grandchildren and six great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews who survive them both. Tom and Jean lived in many different places throughout their marriage Maryland, Long Island, Massachusetts, New Jersey, California, Washington D.C. and Florida. The native Californian in Tom was happy to land back on the west coast albeit in the San Francisco area the second time around.