Frances A. Slavik (nee Greenbaum), 96, of Bergenfield, NJ, passed away on Thursday, April 6, 2023. Beloved wife of the late Milan.  Loving mother of Richard Slavik of California, MD and David Slavik and his wife Margaret of Dumont, NJ. Proud grandmother of Michael and his wife Janelle and Christopher. Dear sister of the late Doris Ilovichny. Also survived by her niece, Susan Farley and brother-in-law, Daniel Slavik

Frances was a devoted and loving grandmother and cherished her time with her grandsons. She belonged to Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in New Milford for many years.

Visitation will be Tuesday, April 11, 2023 from 10-11 AM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Avenue, Northvale, NJ.  A Funeral Service will be celebrated by Rev. Lisa Holliday at 11 AM with interment to follow at George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to support Metastatic Breast Cancer Research and Awareness, www.metavivor.org.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com

Joseph (Joe) A. Mancini, 73, of Northvale, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, April 3, 2023. Beloved husband of Debbie (nee Minutoli), devoted father of Joseph, dear brother of Louis Mancini and his wife Sharon. He is also survived by many loving relatives and friends as well as his loyal sidekick, Kenji. 

Joe studied the martial arts from the time he was a young boy.  In 1973 he traveled to Japan to study Karate with Sensei Obata of Keio University and upon his return enlisted in the Army during the Vietnam War.  He graduated jump school at Ft. Benning Georgia, becoming a Paratrooper assigned to the 509th Airborne Combat Team in Verona, Italy.  There he joined the elite recon platoon and served with Nato until he was honorably discharged in 1976.

His mastery of the art of Karate led him to open and operate the Academy of Self-Defense in Teaneck, NJ, where he met his wife.  He eventually passed down the ownership of the school and began to work for the USPS in Teaneck as well as serving as the Court Officer for the Borough of Northvale.  His and his son’s long involvement in the Boy Scouts of America led Joe to eventually become Scout Master for Troop 124, encouraging his son and other members to earn their Eagle.  Because of his knowledge in dealing with the DAV, he began to dedicate his time to assist other disabled veterans with their benefits.  He also became an active member of the Sons of the American Revolution, as well as the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. 

Visiting hours are Friday, April 7, 2023 from 5-8 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Ave, Northvale. A graveside service will be held at Garden of Memories, Building 4, Washington Township at 11:30 AM on Saturday, April 8, 2023.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Joe’s memory may be made to the Disabled American Veterans, www.dav.org.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com 

Russell J. Chiandusse, 74, of Mahwah, NJ, passed away on Wednesday, March, 29, 2023. He is survived by his children, Jillane and Brian (Liz); sister, Jeanne Greco; grandchildren, Alexi, Nixon, Jovie, Pippa and Maddox; and nephews and niece, Kevin, Darren (Danielle) and Kim. He was predeceased by his parents
Joseph and Lillian and his brother Joseph “Butch”.

Russell had owned and operated the IHOP Restaurant in Ramsey for 23 years. Prior to that he owned Carvel in Ramsey and was an executive at Volvo in Rockleigh. He was a loyal Yankees fan and loved animals, especially his cherished pets Sandy, Puppy and Kitty.

Visitation will be Sunday, April 2, 2023 from 2-5 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Ave, Northvale. A
Funeral Service will be held Monday, April 3, 2023 at 11 AM at the funeral home with interment to
follow at Rockland Cemetery, Sparkill, NY.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com

Sylvia M. Donato, a 57 year resident of Tappan, passed away peacefully on March 26, 2023 with her family at her side.   Sylvia was born on December 7, 1935 in the Bronx NY to Sylvio and Angelina (Tirella) Toriello where she attended Evander Childs High School.   She married Mario J. Donato on September 8, 1957 at Our Lady of Grace Church in the Bronx.  

Sylvia was a shipping clerk for a local textile company while her children were in school, and then an account manager at several insurance companies.  She was the center of her large boisterous Italian family, and loved nothing more than being surrounded by her family and friends.    She was manager, historian, and repository of all family information and will be sorely missed.   Sylvia was a member of the Altar Rosary Society and a communicant at Our Lady of Sacred Heart Church in Tappan.

Sylvia was pre-deceased by Mario, her husband of 63 years, in July 2020.   She is also pre-deceased by her brother Peter Toriello.   She is survived by her son Mario J. Donato, Jr. (Melissa) and daughter Stephanie Donato Gaba (Stephen), granddaughters Christine, Juliet and Mia, her sister  Patricia Cipollaro, sister-in-law Judee Toriello, and many nieces and nephews.

Visiting will be held from 4 pm to 8 pm at Pizzi Funeral Home,  120 Paris Avenue, Northvale, NJ 07647 on Thursday March 30, 2023.  A Mass of Christian burial will held at 10 am at Our Lady of Sacred Heart Church, 120 Kings Highway, Tappan, NY 10983 on Friday, March 31, 2023.  

Noel C. O’Malley, 55, of Harrington Park, formerly of Inagh, Ennis, County Clare, Ireland, passed away on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. 

He was the beloved husband of Eileen “Biddy” O’Malley (nee Campbell). Proud and devoted father of Emma. Cherished son of Peter and Peg O’Malley,  brother of Peter, his wife Aoife,  Marie and her fiancé Brendan Boyle. Predeceased by his brother David. 

Also survived by many other loving relatives and friends.  

A beautiful tribute to Noel written by the food editor of NorthJersey.com, Esther Davidowitz, can be viewed through the link below:

https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/2023/03/21/noel-omalley-biddy-omalleys-irish-gastropub-owner-dies/70034013007/

Visiting hours are Friday, March 31, 2023 from 5-8 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Ave, Northvale, NJ. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, April 1, 2023 at 11 AM at St. Anthony’s Church, Northvale.

The Funeral Mass can be viewed through the livestream link below:

https://boxcast.tv/channel/noel-c-omalley-funeral-mass-jiffrcgcpzi6mfkszrt4

In lieu of flowers, donations in Noel’s memory may be made to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com

Gertrude Kersting (nee LeCount), 99, of Dumont, NJ, formerly of the Bronx, passed away on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. Beloved wife of the late Joseph Kersting, Sr. Loving mother of Joseph Kersting, Jr. and his wife Margaret, Irene Delalla and her husband Paul and Kevin Kersting. She was the proud and cherished grandmother of eleven grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren. Dearest sister of the late John, William and Warren.

Gertrude was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She was a secretary for many years in Englewood and was reportedly the first female bank teller in the United States during WWII.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, March 24, 2023 at 10 AM at St. Anthony’s RC Church, Northvale, NJ with interment to follow at Tappan Cemetery, Tappan, NY.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Calvary Hospice, www.calvaryhospice.org, would be greatly appreciated.

Stanley Matthews, 92, of Harrington Park, passed away at home surrounded by the love of his family on Sunday, March 19, 2023. Beloved husband of Niki (nee Papadimitriou). Cherished father of Sam and his wife Anastasia, Katherine DeGruccio and husband Charles and Allison Orecchio and husband Thomas. Proud grandfather of Matthew, Anthony, Niko, Athena, Stella, Niki, Steele, Alex and Phoebe. Loving brother of Petros andwife Maria, Stavros and wife Joanne, Potula Georgoutsos, Evangelia Traintafilakos and the late Efstratios, Elias and Spyros. Dear brother-in-law of Vasiliki, Angeliki, Kiki and the late Panos and Kyriakos. Also survived by many nieces, nephews and other loving relatives and friends.

Stanley was a Greek immigrant from Sparta, Greece who epitomized the American Dream. He was a restaurateur whoowned and operated Matthews Diner and restaurants in Bergen County. He was a member of the Pan Gregorian Restaurant Cooperative and a parishioner of St. John the Theologian G.O. Church in Tenafly. He founded the Greek Children’s Fund in 1983 and was a proud recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor and recognized for his many philanthropic and civic works. Above all, he was a devoted husband, father and grandfather and will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

Visiting hours are Wednesday, March 22, 2023 from 4-8 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Ave, Northvale. A Funeral Service will be held Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 10 AM at St. John the Theologian G.O Church, Tenafly with interment to follow at Brookside Cemetery, Englewood.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Greek Children’s Fund, PO Box 541500, Flushing, NY 11354 or St. John the Theologian, 353 E. Clinton Ave, Tenafly, NJ 07670 would be greatly appreciated.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com

Raúl R. Ruiz, 73, of Waldwick, NJ, formerly of the Bronx, passed away on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. He is survived by his loving daughters; Amanda Ruiz, Heather Wall and her husband Eric, and Kimberlin Ruiz.  Cherished grandfather of Dale and Abby. Loving brother of Carmen Ruiz. He is also survived by many other loving relatives and friends.

Known to many close to him as “Paco”, Raúl was an MRI and X-Ray Technician for over 30 years at Pascack Valley Hospital until it closed, and thereafter worked at Clara Maas Medical Center.  Raúl was born in Puerto Rico, where he spent summers as a child.  Raúl enjoyed watching most (if not all) sports, and always had an opinion as to how the teams played and what they should do next time.  He was a loyal fan to the New York Jets and New York Yankees.  Raúl never missed an opportunity to tell anyone about a new place to eat they should try, and would travel near and far for his favorite restaurants.  

He was a devoted father and grandfather.  He will be missed.

Visiting hours are Sunday, March 26, 2023 from 10 AM – 12 Noon at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Avenue, Northvale, NJ.

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

www.pizzifuneralhome.com

Renee Polce (nee Canton Baccara), 93, of Harrington Park, NJ, passed away on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. Beloved wife of the late Victor T. Polce. Cherished mother of Victor M. Polce and his fiancé Rebecca Baxter. Loving grandmother of Jackie and her husband David, Stephen and Veronica and great-grandmother to Chase and Brooks. Dearest sister of the lateLuccetta and Nini. Also survived by her Godson, Robert Gaulin,wife Patti and many cherished relatives and friends.

Renee was a hairdresser for both A&S and Henri Bendel in New York City for many years before retiring.  She was a devoted parishioner of St. Pius X Church and loved to travel with her husband Victor, especially to her native France.

Visiting hours are Friday, March 17, 2023 from 5-7 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Ave, Northvale, NJ.  A Funeral Mass will be celebrated Saturday, March 18, 2023 at 10 AM at St. Pius X Church, Old Tappan, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, www.globaldownsyndrome.org, would be greatly appreciated.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com

Michael A. Verdicchio, 62, of Maywood, NJ, formerly of Hackensack, NJ, passed away on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. He was predeceased by his loving parents, Dominick and Marie, his brother Carmine and his sister Marie Orsini. Michael is survived by his loving brothers; Anthony and wife Rosemary, Joseph, Gerald and wife Debra and Frank. He was also the long-time boyfriend of Gladys Mosley, the cherished uncle of many nieces and nephews and a dear relative and friend to many others.

Michael was born with many health problems but despite that he was always fun-loving with a great sense of humor. Michael loved to be the life of the party and always had his family and friends laughing with his funny words and comments.  Michael’s famous WAH WAH is something he will forever be remembered for!  He loved his family dearly and will be missed by all who knew him.

Visiting hours are Sunday, March 12, 2023 from 2-6 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Ave, Northvale, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Michael’s memory may be made to The Lake Drive School for the Deaf, 10 Lake Drive, Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046 (973) 299-0166.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com