Obituaries

David Charles Gray was a Navy Vietnam Veteran and a Registered Nurse.  He passed away on July 13, 2021.

David was President of the Class of 1985 of the Charles E. Gregory School of Nursing at Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy.  He was Board Certified in General Nursing Practice by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in Washington, DC and was a graduate of the Monmouth County Vocational School as a C.N.A. in 1973 and as an L.P.N. in 1980 through a full State Scholarship.   He dedicated his entire life to the care and wellbeing of others. As a child it was said if he didn’t straighten out, he would end up in Marlboro or in Prison.  As it turned out, he was head nurse at both facilities.

He worked at Marlboro from 1977 until 1988.  He worked in corrections at the Monmouth County Correctional Jail from 1990 until his retirement in 2013.  He was night Charge Nurse on 3 East at Bayshore Community Hospital from 2005 to 2009.

Rita Anne Ulan (nee Pribula), 94, of Middletown, formerly from Little Silver, NJ, passed away peacefully Sunday July 11^th. Born and raised in Perth Amboy, NJ, she graduated from Perth Amboy High School and Ohio University. She formerly worked as a medical technician at St. Mary’s Hospital, Orange, NJ and the Perth Amboy Medical Center.   She served as president of the Little Silver PTA, Junior Women’s Club and Evening Membership Department. She was an active member of the Church of the Nativity Rosary Altar Society, Nifty Fifties and Folk Choir. She was also instrumental in raising money for several Monmouth County charities. She had a love for reading, gardening, travel and most importantly, spending time with close friends and family.

Theodore J. Reiss, 87, of Rumson, died on July 7, 2021, from pneumonia. Born and raised in New York City, he graduated from Loyola School, NYC (’51) and Georgetown University (AB ‘54). After college, he joined Reiss Corporation and never once considered retiring. The third generation to lead the family firm, he worked there tirelessly for 67 years, while also actively serving on numerous professional and charitable boards. In 1960, Ted settled in Rumson, where he helped to raise his four children.

Ted was predeceased by his son, Theodore Kransz Reiss (‘72), and daughter, Ruth Margaret Reiss (‘97); his parents, Raymond and Ruth; his brother Raymond, Jr. and sisters, Rita Gorman and Ruth Barrett. Surviving are his wife, Cornelia Riker Chehab Reiss and her children and grandsons Randa, Carina, Eric (Lynn), Christina (deceased), Kyle, JJ and Will Chehab; sister, Lucy Mullen; mother of his children, Beverly Blanchet, daughter, Heidi M. Reiss, son, Carl A. (Anne) and grandsons Carl and Jack.

James Flagg Ingle (“Jim”) passed away on July 5, 2021 after a protracted struggle with a bone marrow disorder.  Jim was an engineer who devoted himself to making his family, community, and country a better place.  He was born in Rochester, NY, on June 22, 1933 to Dorothy Flagg Ingle and Mark James Ingle, and he graduated from West High School (now Wilson Magnet School) in Rochester, NY, in 1951. Jim entered Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in the fall of 1951 and joined the Air Force ROTC.

He graduated from RPI in 1955 with a BS in electrical engineering and joined Bell Telephone Laboratories in Murray Hill, NJ.  He was called to Air Force duty in 1956 in Washington, DC, with the 6970th Support Group that provided engineers to work on cryptography.  While serving in the Air Force, he  “volunteered” for one week of detached duty during the 1957 Cherry Blossom Festival as the designated escort for the Cherry Blossom Princess from Mississippi and was honorably discharged later that year.

Francesco Costa left us on June 27, 2021. He was born in Eritrea, Africa and raised in Messina, Sicily before immigrating to the US as a young teen.

Frank was proud of his service in the US Army where he was a Military Policeman.

After gaining citizenship, and starting a family, Frank, a/k/a “Bari” was the proud owner of Bari Pizzeria for 34 years. The customers from the neighborhood became his extended family and it brought great pleasure to him to tell stories and serve multi-generations. He was often giving advice even when not asked.

Juila W. “Bud” Bedle, age 94, of Holmdel, NJ peacefully passed away on Saturday, June 26, 2021.

Gertrude Read Massey Murphy Stratton – “Gigi”, of Red Bank, NJ and Tequesta, FL passed away peacefully in her home on June 27^th with her loving family at hand.

Gert was born in June 1925, in Brooklyn, NY, the only child of Harry Bostwick Massey and Mignon Read Massey. She was predeceased by her first husband of 25 years George W. Murphy, her second husband of 41 years Donald W. Stratton and her best friend in life: Magdalene Senise Beetlestone – “Maggie”.

She attended St. Angela Hall and Adelphi Academy in Brooklyn and graduated from Finch College in Manhattan.  

Eileen H. Garvin (nee Poling) left us on 6/23/21. She was born in Red Bank and resided in Eatontown for 38 Years. Eileen was a ’60 Freehold Regional High School graduate. She enjoyed horseback riding, gymnastics, sewing and ice skating. Eileen went on to receive her L.P.N from Princeton Hospital School of Practical Nursing. She Married Gerry Nevad in 1963 and had two sons.

She worked at Riverview Medical Center for 5 years before joining Dr. John B. Movelle’s office; Fair Haven for 27 years and private duty jobs on the side. In 1975 she re-married and had a daughter. Eileen enjoyed traveling to visit family in Northwood N.H., Florida and Virginia. She was her mother’s caregiver for 20 years while always helping out a friend or neighbor in need. She enjoyed social gatherings with her friends and loved weekly trips to the diner for lunch.

Ann C. Fitzgerald (nee Caruso), daughter of the late Louis and Blanche Rossi Caruso, died peacefully on June 21, 2021 at her daughter Maryanne’s home in Red Bank surrounded by her loving family. Ann was born on July 13, 1937 in Red Bank and resided there her entire life. She was a proud graduate of Red Bank (NJ) High School and Glassboro State Teachers College (NJ), where she met her husband, Martin J. Fitzgerald. They were married in 1959.

Ann knew early on that she wanted to devote her life to teaching children. She was a gifted teacher of math, algebra and technology for over forty years, most recently at St. James Grammar School in Red Bank where she taught multi-generations of families for 38 years before retiring in 2012. She proudly received the honor of Distinguished Alumni of Red Bank Regional High School.

Anna Ritacco Fitzpatrick, age 79, of Matawan, NJ, passed peacefully into God’s arms on Sunday, June 13, 2021 at Springhill Nursing Home, Matawan, NJ.

Anna was born at home in Nutley, NJ. Anna was the fourth of seven children born to the late Joseph and Mary Aiello Ritacco. Anna attended elementary school at Holy Family Catholic School in Nutley, NJ and graduated from Nutley High School in 1959.

Anna began her professional career in banking at People’s Bank in Belleville, NJ as a teller. She worked her way through the ranks eventually being promoted to Vice President of Commercial Lending at Broad National Bank in Newark, NJ, where she worked until 1991. In 1992, Anna switched career paths and became a real estate agent with Caldwell Banker Real Estate in Holmdel, NJ, making the Million Dollar Club in multiple years during her agency career.