John Hughes Oakes Jr., born October 11, 1955, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, tragically passed away in the early evening of August 1, 2024. He leaves a legacy of kindness and devotion to his community. Growing up in Edison, John was a multi-sport athlete known for his athletic prowess, good looks, and overall good character. John attended JP Stevens High School, where he excelled in sports before continuing his basketball career at Montclair State University.

After college, John pursued a career as a professional billiards player, even competing several times at the World Open. During this time, he met Linda, his former wife, with whom he built a beautiful family, including their children John, Christine, and Lisa.

John naturally passed his athleticism to his children and became known as Coach. He coached town teams, travel teams, and AAU basketball, treating each player like his own child.

In later years, John moved to Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, where he spent the next 20 years. He cherished the friendships he made, enjoyed playing in various pool leagues, and enjoyed his walks through his community.

As a devout Christian, he never missed his Saturday 5:30 p.m. mass. He was a parishioner of Precious Blood of Christ in Pawleys Island and Saint Michael’s Catholic Church in Murrells Inlet. 

Many felt John’s generosity and love for others, and his physical presence will be deeply missed. However, he will continue to watch over his loved ones. 

As his high school coach once said, John had a gigantic heart.

John is predeceased by his parents, Effie and John. He is survived by his son John, daughters, Christine and Lisa, son-in-law Ryan and granddaughter Mila Adrianna Also survived by his former wife, Linda.

He played a significant role in rebuilding Every Child Counts – a nonprofit school for children with learning, development, or physical disabilities after Hurricane Dorian devastated Abaco, Bahamas. ECC was near and dear to John’s heart. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to this worthy cause at

www.everychildcountsabaco.org

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 10 AM at St. Helena RC Church, 950 Grove Ave, Edison, NJ. Burial will follow at St. Gertrude Cemetery, Colonia in, NJ.

The mass will be livestreamed through the St. Helena website.

A Memorial Service in South Carolina to celebrate John’s life is planned for a later date.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com      

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Christopher Edward Tietjen at the age of 62 after a ten-year battle with cancer.  He is survived by his loving wife Gina (new Gianfrancesco), his beloved daughter Vanessa Lynne, his two devoted brothers Brian Tietjen and wife Joanne and Michael Tietjen and wife Mary and cherished sister Kathleen Fry and husband Kevin and all his dear nieces and nephews, Michael Jr., Elysia, Jessica, Brian Jr., Owen, Teagan, Declan, and Eamon as well as his great nieces and nephews, Marilyn, Gerard, Evelyn, John, and Juliette. He is also survived by his loving in-laws and many cherished relatives and friends.

Chris was a passionate fan of The Beatles, finding joy and solace in their music throughout his life. He will always be remembered for his compassionate and caring nature, his infectious laugh, BIG hugs, and genuine smile that filled your heart. He was a true warrior who inspired all of those around him and knew the meaning of unconditional love and friendship.

He will be dearly missed by his family, friends, and all who had the pleasure of knowing him. Visiting hours to celebrate his life will be at Pizzi Funeral Home in Northvale, NJ on Wednesday, August 7 from 4-8pm. A funeral mass will be held Thursday, August 8 at St. Anthony’s Church in Northvale, NJ at 11:00am.

The funeral mass can be viewed through the livestream link below:

https://boxcast.tv/view/christopher-edward-tietjen-funeral-mass-xgngsbtuzkymqledihcy

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made in his memory to: the John Theurer Cancer Center, Hackensack Meridian Hospital via

http://give.hackensackmeridianhealth.org

May his soul rest in peace and his memory live on in the hearts of those who loved him and in Chris’ own words, “All you need is love”.

Gloria Trotta (nee Baldini), 92, of Tappan, NY, passed away on Sunday, July 28, 2024. Beloved wife of the late George Trotta. Cherished mother of Laurinda Stanton, Robert Trotta and wife Suzanne, Barbara Burge and husband Mike and Bernadette Trotta-Anderson and husband Chappell. Adored grandmother of Brooke, Tonia (Michael), Arthur, Elizabeth (Drew), Robert, Jr. and Joseph. Proud great-grandmother of Jeffrey, Nathan, Cole and Oliver. Dearest sister of the late Bernard L. Baldini and Carmela Montano.

Gloria was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She loved to cook and provide for her family and will be missed by all who knew her. She was a loyal parishioner of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart RC Church, Tappan.

Gloria’s family would like to thank all of the caregivers, especially Maka, Carmen, Corina and Gina for the loving care they provided to her in final years.

Visiting hours are Friday 3-6 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Ave, Northvale, NJ. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, August 3, 2024 at 10 AM at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart RC Church, Tappan with interment to follow at Rockland Cemetery, Sparkill, NY.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com

Charles Warren Adams, 77, of Closter, NJ, died on Monday, July 22, 2024. He was born in Framingham, MA on April 23, 1947. He was the son of Charles Henry Adams and Jean Norma Adams.

Charles attended Framingham South High School and graduated in 1965. He attended Northeastern University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering in 1970. Charles worked for the Town of Framingham Engineer, the Town of Lancaster, NH as Town Engineer and several engineering companies including CDM, Roy F. Weston, Environmental Engineers and Anderson-Nichols before starting with the US Army in 1984. He was a Licensed Professional Engineer and Licensed Land Surveyor in New Hampshire as well as a warranted Administrative Contracting Officer with the Army. Charles worked as a Project Engineer, Resident Engineer, DPW, Cost Engineer and Program Manager during his thirty plus years with the Federal Government. He was a world traveler who did not like traveling. He worked in NH, RI, CT, NJ, NY, VT, MA, HI, Afghanistan, Korea, Spain, Egypt and Guam. He retired from the US Army Corps of Engineers at West Point, NY.

Charles is survived by his wife Sunja K. Adams, and his daughter, Stephanie H. Adams; a brother, Gregory Adams, and a sister, Terrie Sullivan.

Funeral services will be private.

Burial will be at the family plot in Framingham, MA.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com

Dolores Fazio O’Dowd of Norwood, NJ, peacefully passed on Friday July 19, 2024. Beloved wife of Brian O’Dowd, loving mother of Anthony, Jeffrey and his wife Cindy, brother of Anthony Mazzatto and his wife Susan, grandmother of Nicholas, Cassidy, Sophie, Casey, Morgan, Kassandra and Kailey, and great grandmother of Cecilia, Logan, Luca and Matteo. Cherished as a mother by Cheryl Convery and Michele Lee. She is also survived by numerous cousins.

Dolores was born in the Bronx, NY and spent a substantial portion of her life in New Jersey. She worked for MONY in Teaneck, Best Foods and Unilever in Englewood Cliffs and was a secretary to the zoning and planning boards and the Board of Health in Haworth, NJ. Dolores was a member of the Woman’s Club of Haworth and The Columbiettes of St. John’s Council in Dumont.

She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and Gigi as well as friend to many and will be dearly missed.

Visiting hours will be Wednesday July 24, 2024 from 4-8PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Avenue, Northvale NJ. The funeral will be on Thursday July 25, 2024 at 11AM in St. Mary’s Church, 280 Washington Ave, Dumont, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Columbiettes of St. John’s Council #1345, 61 Armour Place, Dumont, NJ 07628 is suggested.

Jane Thomaier (nee O’Donnell), 79, of Northvale, NJ, peacefully passed away on Saturday, June 29, 2024 while surrounded by the love of her family.   She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Robert Thomaier.  Cherished mother of Gregory and partner Karis and Robin Fisette and husband Noah.  Proud grandmother of Lanie, Agnes, Ellie and Graham.  Dear sister of Susan Dickman and the late Patricia Zima.

Jane grew up in Cliffside Park, lived in Bogota and then spent most of her life in Northvale.   She was very active in Northvale community affairs and the schools where she raised her family.   She worked for Volvo Cars of North America for 15 years.  

Jane was an amazing wife, mother, sister, grandmother and friend and will be dearly missed.  She always had a smile on her face.

Funeral services were private.

Armando Fina, 85, of Spring Lake, NJ, formerly of Fort Lee, NJ and Union City, NJ, passed away on Thursday, July 4, 2024. He was the beloved brother of Claire Meyer and her husband George and was predeceased by his brothers, Arnold and Gino. He was also a loving uncle and a dear friend to many.

Armando worked for the United States Postal Service before retiring. He belonged to the Knights of Columbus and was a former Grand Knight.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, July 13, 2024 at 10 AM at Our Lady of Victories RC Church, Harrington Park, NJ with interment to follow at Fairview Mausoleum, Fairview, NJ.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com

Dorothy DaCosta (nee Ference), 95, of Dushore, PA, formerly of Northvale, passed away on Monday, July 8, 2024. Beloved wife of 64 years to Donald G. DaCosta, Sr. Devoted mother of Donald, Stephen, and Michael and his wife Claudia.  Dearest grandmother of six grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren. She is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews. 

Dorothy was an amazing wife, mother, sister, grandmother and friend.

Visiting hours are Friday, July 12, 2024 from 10 AM to 12 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Avenue, Northvale, NJ. A Funeral Service will be held at 12 PM with interment to follow at Rockland Cemetery, Sparkill, NY.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to https://rbari.org/donate/rbari-senior-animal-fund.htmli in Dorothy’s memory.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com

Joyce Gorant (nee Plaster), 65, of Norwood, NJ, passed away on Monday, July 8, 2024. She was predeceased by her loving husband George Gorant, father Hubert Plaster, mother Olga Hwalko, brother Gary Plaster and sister Joanne Rieselman. Joyce is survived by her step-mother Antonia Plaster, sister Debra LaPoma and her husband Victor and her niece, Savannah Dolianitis, husband Constantine and their children Mick and Mila. She is also survived by her step-brother Dominick Matteo and his wife Jean, and their children, Michael, Danielle, and Joseph. Joyce had worked at Englewood Hospital for many years before retiring. Her final days were spent with friends at Brady’s, family at home and as a crossing guard in Norwood, the town where she grew up. 

Funeral services will be private.

Katherine Ann Sormani (nee Friedman), 57, of Palisades, NY, passed away on Friday, July 5, 2024. Proud and loving mother of Joseph Sormani. Beloved daughter of Robert and the late Ruth Friedman. Cherished cousin and friend to many, especially Kathleen Monks, Linda Stovall and Amy Vistocco. Also survived by her former husband Robert Sormani.

Katherine was a teacher at St. Therese Catholic School in Cresskill, NJ for many years. She was a devoted parishioner of St. Anthony’s Church, Northvale and was loved animals. She will be missed by all who knew her.

A service will be held at Maryrest Cemetery, 770 Darlington Ave, Mahwah, NJ, on Wednesday, July 10, 2024 at 12 PM.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to your local SPCA.

www.pizzifuneralhome.com