Robert A. DiBrino, 81, of Little Ferry, New Jersey, passed away on Monday, September 9, 2024 surrounded by his loving family. He was born August 22, 1943 in The Bronx.

Bob was an avid fan of the New York Yankees and the Las Vegas “Oakland” Raiders. On game days, he could be found with his radio to his ear, listening intently to the score. He enjoyed playing the drums, paddleball and a good debate. Bob was a true patriot, with much love and allegiance for the United States.

He retired after 35 years with the New York Telephone Company as a Telephone Installer. He was proud to be part of the team that installed the telecommunications when President Reagan would come to New York.

Bob is predeceased by his wife Mary, parents Antonio and Louise and brother Ralph. He is survived by his three children, Tina Braca (Greg Braca), Susan DiBrino (Kelly Ryan), and Robert DiBrino, Jr. (Margie Gamble); as well six grandchildren, Kayla (Denis Herlihy), Marisa, Jenna, Anthony, Darien and Mason and three great-grandchildren, Emmy, Audrey and Gregory, as well as his former wife, Jenny Chiapparino.

The family will gather at St. Francis of Assisi RC Church, 128 Parrott Rd, West Nyack, NY on Friday, Septmeber 13, 2024 at 9:30 AM. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 AM. Interment will follow at Maple Grove Park Cemetery, Hackensack, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Bob’s memory to Tunnel to Towers Foundation, www.t2t.org, would be greatly appreciated.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com

Birgit Marjorie Ibanez Rojas, 41, passed away Friday, August 30^th, 2024.  Beloved wife of Brian Galperin.  Loving mother of Shayna Galperin.  Adored daughter of Eloy Ibanez and Maria Rosario Rojas.  Dear sister of Javier and Sebastian Ibanez.  Cherished niece of Jose Luis, Victor, Silvia, Richard, and Jenny.  She is also survived by many cousins and other relatives.  She enjoyed sports, singing and dancing.  Her favorite place was the beach and loved the ocean.

Visiting hours are Tuesday, September 10, 2024 from 5-8 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Ave, Northvale, NJ. 

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“May the wind always be at your back and the sun upon your face. And may the wings of destiny carry you aloft to dance with the stars.”

Alexander Samuel Galperin – age 29, Ramsey, NJ passed away Saturday, August 31^st, 2024. Beloved and cherished son of Andrea Luberto-Galperin and the Late. Bruce Galperin. Loving brother of Max, fiancé Elaura, Ryan and partner Jaylin. Alex is also survived by loving aunts, Susan Galperin, Amy Christiana, Joann Luberto – Geisel, Jacole Galperin, Brenda Luberto, Debbie Galperin, Aunt Joan Luberto, loving uncles, Robert Luberto, Marc Galperin, Russ Christiana, Fred Luberto, and Allan Geisel and grandmother Debbie Galperin, many loving cousins, relatives and dearest friends. Alex worked as an administrative assistant at Hy’s Appliance in Suffern, NY. He will forever be remembered for his smart wit, great sense of humor and infectious laughter. He loved the outdoors, cultivation, hiking, especially his 63 Nova and his beloved dog Zeke.

ARRANGEMENTS

Wake:

Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Ave, Northvale, NJ.

Wednesday, September 4th, 2024 from 6-8 pm

Funeral Service: 

Gathering at 10 am Thursday at Pizzi Funeral home, followed by a graveside service at 11 am at Cedar Park Cemetery, Paramus, NJ.

Michael P. Martino, 84, of Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, passed away peacefully on Friday, August 30, 2024. He was the beloved husband of Adriana (née Pesce) and a loving father to Michael John Martino, Victoria Alessandra Martino, Maria Sandford, and her husband Scott, Anthony Martino, and his wife Marcy. He was a devoted brother to Mary Adamo and Lucy Calabrese. He was also a proud grandfather to Joseph, John, Christopher, and Nicholas and a cherished uncle to Maria and Dina. Michael was a cherished cousin to his family in Toronto, Canada. Michael is deeply missed by his beloved dogs, Prince and Niccolò.

Born in Guardiaregia, Italy, Michael emigrated to America with his loving parents, Liberantonio and Mariasunta (née Sampogna), in 1945. Once in America, Michael pursued his lifelong passion for entrepreneurship in various fields within the food industry. He established his career at Paul Sayres Co. and eventually founded Amici Consultants LLC, where he worked for nearly twenty years before retiring. Michael will be dearly missed by his family and all who had the pleasure of knowing him.
Visiting hours are Friday, September 6, 2024, from 7:00 – 9:00 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Avenue, Northvale, New Jersey.

A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, September 7, 2024, at 10:00 AM at The Church of the Presentation, 271 West Saddle River Road, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
Interment will follow at Maryrest Cemetery, 770 Darlington Avenue, Mahwah, New Jersey.

William G. Hanford, 77, of Hillsdale, NJ, formerly of Cliffside Park, NJ, passed away on Monday, August 26, 2024. Beloved husband of Diane (nee Cavanagh). Loving father of Alicia Hanford and Andrea Costanza and her husband Christopher. Proud grandfather of Stefanee, Hunter, Michelle, Christopher, Mason, Tristan, Caiden and Gavin. Adored great-grandfather of Ethen, Xavier, Srini, Cole, KJ and Luke. Dearest brother of Marbeth Auletto and Dorene Migulelez and husband Michael.

Bill was a US Marine Corps Veteran of the Vietnam War and was a recipient of the Purple Heart Award. A technical engineer, he worked for Lucent Technologies which became Avaya before starting his own business before retirement. Bill was a member of the VFW Post 8842 in Cliffside Park where he was a two-time Past Commander. He was also a Special Police Officer for the Cliffside Park PD. Bill loved his family, especially his grandchildren, enjoyed the outdoors and golfing as well as supporting his favorite teams, the NY Yankees and the NY Giants. He will be missed by all who knew him.

Visiting hours are Saturday, August 31, 2024 from 3-7 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Ave, Northvale, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Bill’s memory may be made to Memorial Sloan Kettering, www.msk.org.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com

Irma Ursula Schmuck, nee Dreger, passed away on Monday, August 19th, after a lengthy illness, at age 96.

Beloved wife, mother of two, friend of many, Irma’s life spanned continents, and nearly a century. Born on June 22, 1928, in the free state of Danzig, now Gdansk, Poland, Irma lived a happy life with her family. Under the threats of war they fled their home to relative safety in western Germany and then, resolved to seek a new life in New York following the end of the war.

She met her husband Edward Schmuck at work on Wall Street. They married in 1954 and moved to Northvale, New Jersey in 1957.

Irma, a homemaker, with her beautiful bright blue eyes, created a warm, loving and supportive environment for her family, extended family, neighbors and friends. She maintained a beautiful home and filled it with love.  One of her biggest joys was having the whole extended family for meals, especially for holidays.  She found happiness in making others happy and no place did that show more than around her table. No one walked away hungry; rather, after having seconds, thirds plus her homemade desserts, they walked away too full! The family holiday photos show Irma with a big smile, reflecting the joy she received from serving her family.  

Perhaps her biggest joy came when she became an Omi.  She considered it a blessing to be able to help care for her grandchildren whenever she could.

After the busy years of raising her family, her service extended to her friends and community. She was an active member of the women’s group, the quilting group and the soup kitchen staff of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, where she was appreciated in fellowship for her good cheer, kindness, and, of course, her delicious baking. She also became the friend who “could still drive”, helping many to run errands, get to church and various appointments.

She is survived by her sons, Ed (Alexandra) Curtis of Harrington Park, NJ, and Ron (Lisa) Curtis of Dunwoody, Georgia; her five grandchildren, Peter (Catherine), Jessica, Misty, Emma, and Max; and one greatgrandchild, Cora. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Ed, her parents, Emma and Reinhold Dreger, and treasured siblings Kurt, Christel and Ida.

Funeral arrangements are through the Pizzi Funeral Home in Northvale. A funeral service will be held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Closter, NJ on Thursday, August 29^th at 11 am with a graveside service immediately following at Rockland Cemetery in Sparkhill, NY. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either the American Red Cross or Emory Integrated Memory Care in Atlanta, GA.

Gail D. Kovacs-Felici, 72, of Emerson, NJ, passed away on Monday, August 19, 2024. Beloved wife of Kevin A. Felici. Cherished sister of Michael Kovacs and Barbara Phillips and her husband Kenneth. Loving step-mother of Kevin Felici, Jr. and his wife Brandy and John Felici and his wife Kim and step-grandmother of Joshua, Katlynn, Harli and Jordyn. She is also survived by many other loving relatives and friends.

Gail graduated with a Master’s Degree in Accounting Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She most recently had been working at Lakota Summer Camp in Wurtsboro, NY. 

Gail loved to give back to her community and was an active member of the NJ State Federation of Women’s Clubs, where she was past treasurer. She was a Registered Parliamentarian, a 4-time descendent of the Daughters of the American Revolution, treasurer of the Emerson Senior Center, past president of the Emerson Women’s Club and was part of the Lead East Car Show for over 20 years. She will be missed by all who knew her.

Visiting hours are Thursday, August 22, 2024 from 4-8 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Ave, Northvale. 

In lieu of flowers, donations in Gail’s memory to the NJ State Federation of Women’s Clubs, www.njsfwc.org, would be greatly appreciated.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com

James P. Barry, a Washington Township, NJ resident, was peacefully called home to Heaven on August 7, 2024. Born the eldest child of Rita (nee Corcoran) and James J. Barry in the Bronx, NY in 1954, and later moved to Bergen County N.J.

A dedicated educator, James earned his B.S. from William Paterson College and his M.S.Ed. along with multiple advanced degrees and certifications in psychology and counseling, from Fordham University. Answering God’s call to the religious vocation he felt as a young man, James pledged his life as a Tertiary to become a lay member of a Catholic Third Order.

All who knew James will remember him for his unwavering devotion to his family, his church, his students, and elderly patients in his spiritual care. He was cherished for his quick-witted humor, impeccable memory, and his delightful enthusiasm for traveling the world.

James began his teaching career at The Epiphany Catholic School in Cliffside Park, NJ, and later returned as the school principal until its closure in 2004. As a trained psychologist, he served as a guidance counselor to the students at Immaculate Heart Academy High School in Washington Township, NJ. For the past 20 years, he served as an Educator and Spiritual Counselor at PeaceCare St. Ann’s and St. Joseph’s in Jersey City, where he was often the last person to hold their hands and pray with the young and elderly patients he loved.

James was predeceased by his parents, Rita and James, and his beloved little sister, Eileen Frances. He is survived by his sister, Rita Barry-Corke, her husband Mark Corke, and nephew Sam; his brother, Wayne Barry, his wife Regina Barry, and niece Danielle Eileen. He is also survived by many cherished cousins.

Funeral services have been arranged at Pizzi Funeral Home in Northvale, NJ.  Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church, 688 Ridgewood Road in Washington Township, Bergen County on Tuesday, August 27 at 11:00 am. In remembrance of James, the family requests any memorial contributions be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

Catherine Marie Adams (nee Sparta), 65, of Elkton, MD, formerly of Cliifside Park, NJ and Norwood, NJ, passed away on Friday, August 9, 2024. Beloved wife of the late Brian R. Adams. Loving sister of Peter Sparta and wife Rose, Scott Stern, Donna Lanza and husband Thomas and Mildred Boles and husband Brian. Dear sister-in-law of John Adams and wife Janet and Jennifer Crawford and husband Derrick. Cherished aunt of Chris, Kerri, Nathan, Hailey, Austin, Justine, Jillian, Kevin, Deryk, Amiya and “her girls”, Gianna, Dylan and Gabby. Catherine is also survived by her beloved dog, Oliver.

Family and frineds will be received on Saturday, August 24, 2024 from 3-5 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Ave, Northvale, NJ.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com

Catherine (Cathy) Comer passed away peacefully on August 14, 2024 in Yardley, PA at the age of 80. 

Cathy’s radiant smile and beautiful personality were contagious, and she embodied the best of qualities: unconditional love, unwavering loyalty to her family and friends, and an unending generosity to everyone around her.  She treated everyone like family and always put everyone else’s well-being before her own. 

Cathy was the beloved wife of the late Wayne Comer and dear sister of the late Vincent Forcina.  She is also predeceased by her parents, John and Julia Forcina.  Cathy is survived by her loving daughter, Lauren and son-in-law, Derek.  She is also survived by her grandsons, Christopher and Jack, her two favorite little buddies of whom she was very proud.    

Cathy left behind a legacy of love, laughter, and countless happy memories that will live on in each of us, and she will be missed by all who were lucky enough to know her. 

A special thank you to all of the staff and care partners at Artis Senior Living of Yardley for the endless love, respect, and tender care they provided Cathy over the last two years. 

Visiting hours are Tuesday, August 20, 2024 from 10 – 11:30 AM. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 12 Noon at St. Anthony’s Church, Northvale with entombment to follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, NY.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to research a cure for Dementia and Alzheimer’s. 

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