Obituaries

Tina Marie (née Concialdi) Valentine of West Orange passed away with dignity and grace on May 16, 2018. She was 94. Tina was born in Alia, Italy and came to America as a young teenager. After attending high school in New York City, she worked as a personal secretary and later became a wife, mother and an absolutely brilliant homemaker. In 1957 she moved to Livingston where she raised her children with their father, John J. Valentine, who passed in 2016. She was an outstanding cook and seamstress. Tina worked at A&S, which later became Macy’s at the Short Hills Mall. Because of her tasteful flair for style, she became the first Personal Shopper at A&S, and won many awards for her outstanding performance during 25 years. Tina was an extremely devoted mother and grandmother, as her family always came first. She was a woman with an upbeat attitude and always found the good in everyone. Tina will be missed by her family.

Patrick Iannone, known as Buddy Yannon, died on May 16. The 94-year-old Livingston resident was a longtime musician who played trumpet with the Charlie Spivak Orchestra and other bands. Predeceased by his son, Jimmy, Mr. Iannone is survived by his wife of 65 years, Helen Maffei; his daughter, Stephanie Marucci (Nick); his three grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren; and his sister, Kitty Demarco. A funeral Mass was offered at St. Joseph’s Church in West Orange. Donations may be made to the Buddy Yannon Fund, through the Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org.

Teri Steinberg, 79, of Livingston died Wednesday, May 16, 2018, in a car accident. Born on February 7, 1939 in Queens, New York, Teri lived most of her adult life in Livingston, where she was a beloved member of the community. She is survived by her husband, Dr. Burton Steinberg; her daughters, Gail Belsik and her wife, Nicole Richardson; Karen Hollander and her husband, Ben; and Joan Spiegel and her husband Danny; her daughter-in-law, Rani Steinberg; and her grandchildren, Matt Steinberg, Tate Hollander, Zev Hollander, Mark Steinberg and Evan Spiegel. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ruth and Milton Korn, and by two sons, Jeffrey Belsik and Robert Steinberg. Services were held on Friday, May 18, at the Bernheim-Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel, 68 Old Short Hills Road in Livingston. The family sat Shiva on Saturday and Sunday at The Enclave, 345 South Orange Avenue in Livingston.

Arthur “Pop” Bergman, 90, died at home on May 7. Raised in the Bronx, New York, he lived in Livingston for 36 years and then in Roseland for 20 years. Mr. Bergman served in the US Army National Guard, achieving the rank of First Lieutenant. He was president of BC Enterprises Demolition Company and a charter member of the National Association of Demolition Contractors. After retiring, he worked as a crossing guard in Livingston for 12 years. Mr. Bergman was pre-deceased by his brother, Martin Bergman, and his son, Rusty Bergman. He is survived by Lee, his wife of almost 65 years; his brother, Kenneth Bergman; his daughter Allyson (John) Fryhoff; his three sons, Mark (Betsy), Joe (Lisa), and Scott (Rachael); his eight grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Donations in Mr. Bergman’s memory may be made to JCC MetroWest Margulies Senior Center; JCC MetroWest Special Needs Services; the ARC of Essex County, or a charity of the donor’s choice.

Eileen (neé Flarity) Loftus died on May 7 at Sunnyside Manor Nursing Home in Wall after a lengthy illness. Born in Newark and raised in Livingston, Mrs. Loftus resided in Manasquan for the past 21 years. She worked as an environmental scientist for AECOM Corporation of Piscataway. Predeceased by her parents, Frank and Veronica Flarity, Mrs. Loftus is survived by Scott Loftus, her husband of 20 years; and her brother, Thomas, and his wife Angela. The funeral Mass was held on May 12 at St. Denis Church in Manasquan. Condolences may be sent to the family at renderfamilyhome.net.

Nancy S. Q. Chang of Livingston, a management consultant, died on Monday, May 7. Mrs. Chang was seven when she came to the United States from China. She lived in Chinatown and attended Baruch College, earning an MBA in operations research and a BBA in statistics. She worked as a management consultant for over 40 years. She is survived by her husband of 44 years, Yao-Chon Chang; her daughter, Chien-Mei Chang; and two sisters, Ruth Prosser and Joann Lee. The funeral service was held on Saturday, May 12, at the Livingston United Methodist Church.

Jane G. Nemecek of Livingston peacefully passed away on February 20. She was seaside in her assisted living community, at her beloved Atlantic Ocean in Ocean Grove, and would have been 95 years old this June. Jane was born in East Orange and, while working for the U.S. Department of State, traveled extensively. Her assignments had her stationed in Lima, Peru; Rome, Italy; and Berlin, Germany, where she met her husband, Karl Heinz Nemecek. After the war they married and returned to Jane’s home state of New Jersey. Jane is survived by her two children, James G. Nemecek of Springfield and Judi Nemecek Hull of Asbury Park. Jane loved her life, her friends and her church in Livingston. In addition to raising a family she spent many years working at Burrelle’s Clipping Service on Northfield Road. Jane graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She was a passionate volunteer and supported many charities. A service for Jane will be held on Saturday, May 19, at 10:30 a.m.

Thomas Crawford of West Palm Beach, Florida, formerly of Livingston, died on April 15 at the Gerstenberg Hopice Center. Born in the Bronx, New York, in 1954, Mr. Crawford was adopted and spent his early years in Livingston and North Caldwell. He moved to Florida with his parents in 1976. Mr. Crawford had a learning disability and held a variety of jobs in manufacturing, retail and restaurant service. He was predeceased by his parents, Wilmer “Bill” Crawford and Marjorie “Marge” Crawford (neé Bromley). He is survived by his brother, Peter and his wife, Trish Keryley, and a nephew and nieces. A Funeral Mass will be held for Mr. Crawford on Friday, June 1, at 10 a.m., at Notre Dame of Mount Carmel Church, 75 Ridgedale Avenue, Cedar Knolls. A memorial will be held in West Palm Beach at a later date. The family suggests that contributions may be made to a local chapter of the Special Olympics or the Arc; or for colon cancer awareness and research; or a local animal shelter.

Raymond Watson, 82, a longtime resident of Livingston, died on Saturday, May 5. He was born in Elizabeth and raised in Roselle and East Orange. Mr. Watson was a retired steamfitter for Local 475 and served as a job site foreman for many years. Mr. Watson was predeceased by his wife, Joan M. Watson; his sister, Nola Murray, and a grandson. He is survived by his three children, Kathleen Vincent and her husband, Domonick, of Little Falls; Lauren Damurjian and her husband, Kenneth, of Brick; and Raymond Watson, Jr. and partner Lori Montanye of Livingston. He also leaves three siblings, Claire Honeker of Mendham, Robert Watson of Union, and William Watson of Branchburg; and three grandchildren. Visitation will be held Friday, May 11, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Quinn-Hopping Funeral Home in Livingston. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Sandy Hook Foundation (sandyhookfoundation.com), 84 Mercer Road, Lighthouse Keeper’s Quarters, Fort Hancock, NJ 07732.

Eric Whiteman passed away on April 8, 2018; his final resting place will be in Montana where he loved hiking and photographing. A memorial service will be held today, May 10, in the chapel at The Masonic Home, at 10:30 a.m.. Eric was the son of Edythe and Walter Whiteman and brother to Ralph of West Palm Beach, Florida, and the late Malcolm of Warrington, Pennsylvania. He also leaves two nieces and two nephews and his beloved sister-law, Viola. He had a closely knit extended family who were all very special to him as he was to them. Eric’s parents moved to Livingston in 1939 where Eric lived until moving to The Masonic Home in Burlington, New Jersey in 2004. He graduated from Livingston High School in 1961 and was a member of Trinity Covenant Church and the Camera Club. He also served on the local board of the Partnership for People with Disabilities. Many in Livingston regarded Eric as “The Walker” as he was often seen walking in preparation to traveling and hiking.