Robert Kowal, 76, of Barnegat, NJ, formerly of Mahwah, NJ, passed away on Wednesday, June 12, 2024.

He was predeceased by his parents, Stanislaw and Zofia Kowal, brother’s in-law, Paul Krukowski and Wally Scheffel. He was the beloved brother of Anna Zavro and her husband Dr. Michael Zavro, Maria Scheffel, and Henry Kowal and his wife Dr. Kathleen McNulty.  Proud uncle of Annette Catalano and her spouse Gerald,  Mona Gore and her spouse Wes, Maskenka Fiscella and her spouse Joseph, Eryn McNulty-Kowal, Kelsey McNulty-Kowal and Shawn McNulty-Kowal.  Also, survived by many cherished great-nieces and nephews, relatives, and friends, especially those at The Mirage at Barnegat who provided him with cheer and companionship.

Bob was a US Army Veteran of the Vietnam War. He was a proud Manager for Shop- Rite, Inserra Supermarkets for many years before retiring.

Visiting hours are Thursday, June 20, 2024 from 4-7 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Avenue, Northvale, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the NJ Veterans Memorial Home at Paramus, 1 Veterans Drive, Paramus, NJ. 07652.

Anne Marie Hawkes (nee Masters), 76, of River Vale, NJ, passed away on Friday, June 14, 2024. She was born in New York, NY, and grew up in nearby Bergenfield. Beloved wife of Roger P. Hawkes. Loving mother of Brian Hawkes and wife Lindsay and Tara Costa and husband David. Proud grandmother of Aidan, James, Zoe, Olivia and Riley. Dearest sister of Margaret Masters, Kathleen Sheppard, Maureen DiDonato and husband Joseph), Alice McTigue and the late Joan Masters.

Anne was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother and adored her family. She loved spending time with cousins, nieces, nephews and their families as well. She retired from Mercedes-Benz in Montvale where she worked for 15 years. She also was an avid reader and enjoyed being in numerous Book Clubs.

Visiting hours are Tuesday, June 18, 2024 from 4-7 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Ave, Northvale, NJ. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Pius X RC Church on Thursday, June 20, 2024 at 11 AM.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Anne’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association, www.alz.org.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com

Joseph R. Pallatta “Joey”, 58, a resident of Spectrum for Living in Closter, formerly of Old Tappan, NJ and Bergenfield, NJ, passed away on Thursday, June 13, 2024. He was the cherished son of Joseph P. and Maureen Pallatta. Beloved brother of Michael and his wife Theresa and dear uncle of Shannon and Brendan. He is also survived by many loving relatives and his dear family at Spectrum for Living.

Joey loved everyone he met and always enjoyed a warm hug. He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

Visiting hours are Tuesday, June 18, 2024 from 2-4 & 7-9 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Avenue, Northvale, NJ.  A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 at 10 AM at St. Pius X RC Church, Old Tappan with entombment to follow at George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Spectrum for Living in Joey’s memory would be greatly appreciated. www.pizzifuneralhome.com     

Mayor Paul A. Hoelscher, 82, of Harrington Park, NJ since 1971, passed away on Thursday, June 13, 2024. Beloved husband of 58 years to Rosalie (nee Barcadepone). Cherished father of Cheryl Migliaccio and her husband Michael and loving grandfather of Michelle, Paul and Thomas. Dear brother of Mary Ann Coyne and her late husband William.

Paul taught at Passaic Valley High School in Little Falls, NJ for over 30 years. He proudly served the community he loved as Mayor of Harrington Park since 1992. Always active, Paul was a member of the Lions Club of HP, HP Club 60, HP historical Society, the Bergen County Joint Insurance Fund and League of Municipalities, was President of the Bergen County Mayor’s Organization and was inducted into the Mayor Hall of Fame in 2012. He was also active in the Riverside Co-op.

Visiting hours are Monday, June 17, 2024 from 4-8 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Avenue, Northvale, NJ. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, June 18, 2024 at 10 AM at Our Lady of Victories RC Church, Harrington Park.

In lieu of flowers, and in honor of the Mayor, donations to the Harrington Park Ambulance and Fire Department would be greatly appreciated.

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Hans Egon Ritz, 81, of Nanuet, NY, formerly of Northvale, NJ, passed away on Monday, June 10, 2024. Beloved husband of 50 years to Aixa (nee Alfaro). Loving father of Neil Ritz and proud grandfather of Colin and Teagan. Dear brother of Alfred Ritz and the late Friedrich Ritz and nieces Christina Ritz, Petra Haas and Michaela Burbach.

Hans was an engineer for Divirka & Bartilucci in Woodbury, NY for many years before retiring. He cherished his family and very much enjoyed traveling with his wife. He will be missed by all who loved and knew him.

Funeral services will be private.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Hans’ memory be made to the Northvale Volunteer Ambulance Corps, 196 Firenze Street, Northvale, NJ 07647.

Osrox M. Fabella, born September 22, 1933 in the island town of Banton, Romblon, Philippines, passed away on Saturday, June 1, 2024.  Beloved husband of the late Veronica.  Loving father of Richard Fabella and his wife Belinda Downey and Neil Fabella and his wife Ji Seon.  Adored grandfather of Angus, Lachlan, Nathaniel, Veronica and Nicholas.  Dear brother of Cleotilde Cortez, Faustino Fabella II and his wife Patria Ferrera, Nenita Madamba, Sotero Fabella and his wife Cecilia Bautista, and Ma. Paz Fetizanan and her husband Jay.  He was predeceased by his parents, Faustino Faigao and Irenea Festin Fabella, as well as six siblings.

Osrox was the 8^th child among 12 siblings.  He was the first child born in the newly constructed ancestral home in town.  He went to Jones Elementary School for his elementary education and finished high school at the Banton High School.  He pursued his career as an electrical engineer at Mapua Institute of Technology.  He met his wife, a younger sister of a close friend in college, got married and had one child, Richard, before migrating to the United States.  They lived in Brooklyn while his wife was doing her residency training in OB-GYN, moved to Long Island where they had their second child, Neil.  Eventually they settled in Orangeburg, NY.  His wife Annie preceded him several years to be with her Creator, leaving Richard and Neil with him who further pursued their own careers.

Osrox left some significant heritage preservation landmarks in his beloved hometown where he grew up.  He funded the restoration of the side of the altars of the Roman Catholic Church that were destroyed by typhoons.  The church is one of the oldest churches in the Province of Romblon, Philippines.  He also proposed for restoration of the original church façade but it did not happen due to inaction of the local parish priest.  He also managed the repair and some renovation of the ancestral home where he grew up and was the first child born among the younger siblings in that home

Osrox lived his life in retirement with the blessings of the children and grandchildren and close families in New York and Canada.

Visiting hours are Monday, June 10, 2024 from 9:30-10:30 AM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Ave Northvale, NJ.  A funeral mass will be held Monday, June 10, 2024 at St. Catharine’s RC Church in Blauvelt, NY at 11 AM with entombment to follow at Garden of Memories, Washington Township, NJ.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com

Christine D. Ferrara (nee Migliacci), 88, of Fort Lee, NJ, passed away peacefully on Friday, May 31, 2024. Beloved wife of the late Charles “Chas” Ferrara. Loving mother of Diane Zahn, James Ferrara and his wife Julie, and Michele Runza and her husband Christian Sr. Adored grandmother of Christian Jr., Dominic, Mitchell, Danielle, Luc, Sophie, and Marlena. Caring sister of Christina Doherty and the late Concetta Donohue and Joann Sullivan. She is also survived by countless loving friends and relatives. Christine put her personal charm and take charge attitude to use as an executive assistant for many years, most notably with Consolidated Laboratories in New York City (the successor firm to several Silent-era film studios in Fort Lee and New York) and to Teamsters Union Pension Fund presidents. She also served as a constant volunteer and officer for the PTA and Holy Trinity Church and School in Fort Lee. Most of all she was known for her huge heart in a tiny frame, taking care of everyone from grieving neighbors to “old” relatives she would drive to the supermarket each week, and of course her beloved children, her big extended family, and a menagerie of dogs, cats, horses and – to her distaste – various exotic creatures. She was a prodigious hostess, a music lover and an accomplished dancer.

Visiting hours are Monday, June 3, 2024 from 4-8 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris
Ave, Northvale, NJ. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, June 4, 2024 at 10
AM at St. Pius X RC Church, Old Tappan, NJ, with entombment to follow at George
Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Christine’s name to St. Jude’s Children’s
Research Hospital, www.stjude.org or the Alzheimer’s Association, www.alz.org.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com

Amy Elizabeth La Rocca, 57, of Valley Cottage, NY, passed away on Monday, May 27, 2024. She was predeceased by her beloved parents, Robert and Barbara La Rocca. Survived by her loving brother Robert Joseph La Rocca, as well as many dear relatives, friends, neighbors, and colleagues.

Amy was a librarian for the Suffern Free Library for 20 years and her public service extended to other libraries throughout the Rockland County Library System for 21 years before that. She will be remembered always by all who loved her, knew her, worked with her, or who benefited from her years of service as a patient, kind, dedicated, and loving soul.

Visiting hours are Tuesday, June 11, 2024 from 4-7 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Avenue, Northvale. Cremation will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Amy’s memory may be made to the American Stroke Association and the American Heart Association.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com

Lourdes Porta (née Lopes), aged 72, of Naples, FL, formerly of Northvale, NJ, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. She leaves behind a legacy of love and devotion as the beloved wife of Ilario Porta for 50 years and as the mother to their four children.

Lourdes was the cherished mother of Florence Vitale and her husband Thomas, Beatriz Negron and her husband Joel, Elizabeth Porta and James Schoenleber, and Augustino Porta and his wife Mia. She was a proud and doting grandmother to Gianna, Joseph, Angelo, Jace, Ava Maria, and Matteo. She was predeceased by her parents, Maria Pacheco Lopes and Orlando Lopes, and is survived by her four sisters, Aurora, Cristina, Soraia, Monica, and her brother Tadeu, along with their families.

In 1974, during a visit to see her cousin in the United States, Lourdes met her future husband and the love of her life, Larry. They settled in the suburbs of Bergen County, NJ, where they provided their children with a nurturing and joyful upbringing, filled with summers of poolside fun and trips across the East Coast, as well as to Brazil and Italy. Lourdes’ greatest accomplishment was to provide her family with her “American Dream”. She was exceptionally proud of both her American citizenship and Brazilian heritage. Cooking was her love language, and she was renowned for her exceptional culinary skills. She expressed her affection by showering friends and family with her culinary creations at every opportunity.

Lourdes enjoyed a fulfilling career at Valley National Bank in Northvale, where she was highly regarded by colleagues and customers. After retiring, Lourdes and Larry relocated to Naples, Florida. There, she spent her days gardening and cooking, and she enjoyed a vibrant social life that included dining, strolling, beach days, and other social activities. She cherished her time with a group of friends she affectionately called her “Sand Sisters”. 

Lourdes always found the silver lining in even the most challenging situations, spreading her positivity to family and friends both near and far. Her outlook provided perspective to others and inspired many to persevere through their own challenges.

Throughout their 50-year marriage and her 25-year battle with cancer, Lourdes received steadfast support, both physically and emotionally, from her husband, Larry, who many decades ago affectionately nicknamed her, in Portuguese, her native language, his “little angel”. Their love will endure for eternity.

Lourdes’ warmth, kindness, and zest for life will be deeply missed by all who knew her. As she often said, “Enjoy the journey!”

A graveside service will be held on Friday, May 31, 2024, at 11:30 AM at Garden of Memories in Washington Township, NJ. Following the service, the Porta family will receive family and friends to gather and pay their respects at Taverna on the Green, 314 Paramus Rd., Paramus, NJ, from 12:45 PM to 4:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Lourdes may be made to lustgarten.org, a foundation dedicated to advancing research related to the diagnosis, treatment, cure, and prevention of pancreatic cancer.

Mary Ellen Graham (nee Grandolfo), 74, of Harrington Park, NJ, passed away on Friday, May 24, 2024. Beloved wife of George. Cherished mother of George and his wife Kasey, Michele Clancy and her husband Doug and Kevin and his wife Stefanie. Proud and devoted grandmother of Lori, Allie, Peter, Lila, Nolan and Miles. Dearest daughter of the late Rose and Joseph Grandolfo and sister of Joseph Grandolfo and the late Eugene Grandolfo.
Funeral services will be private.
Those who wish may make a donation in Mary Ellen’s memory to Our Lady of Victories Church, Harrington Park, NJ.
www.pizzifuneralhome.com