Obituaries

Constance A. Bastianelli of Livingston, died on Tuesday, December 12. The funeral was held on December 16, at St. Philomena Roman Catholic Church in Livingston; arrangements were made by Quinn-Hopping Funeral Home in Livingston. Born in 1933 in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, to Antonio and Diamonda Antonucci, Mrs. Bastianelli was a parishioner of St. Philomena Church and a volunteer at the Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary. She was predeceased by her husbands, Louis W. Pallone and Elio Bastianelli, and 11 siblings. Mrs. Bastianelli is survived by her three sons: Louis W. Pallone (Leslie), David A. Pallone (Gabriella), and Daniel M. Pallone (Beth); nine grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and her sister, Dolores Hodge. Donations in her name may be made to the St. Philomena Church.

Donald B. Bender, a long-time resident of Livingston, passed away on Monday, December 11. He was 95 years old. Mr. Bender was born to American parents in Sydney, Australia. He graduated from Chatham High School and later from Drew University where his studies were interrupted by service in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. He also graduated from the Parsons School of Design. Mr. Bender had a lengthy career as an Art Director at several agencies in Midtown Manhattan. He had a strong affinity for nature, enjoying hiking, canoeing and vacations on Shelter Island. A supporter of many conservation organizations he was also a member of the Deer Lake Club. He remained healthy, cheerful and active throughout his life. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Ann, son Donald, daughter Carol, two granddaughters and others. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.

Elizabeth A. (nee Wallis) Shmanske, 96, died Sunday, December 10, in Livingston. Visitation will take place today, Thursday, December 14, from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Prout Funeral Home, Verona. A Funeral Mass will be offered in St. Philomena Roman Catholic Church, Livingston, on Friday, December 15, at 10 a.m. Born in Newark, Mrs. Shmanske was raised in Bloomfield and moved to Livingston in 1952. She worked at Chubb Insurance for many years. Mrs. Shmanske was predeceased by her husband, Bernard F. Shmanske Sr., and her son, Clement. She is survived by her sons, Bernard and his companion, Marleny Planterose; Stephen and his wife, Tina Stevens; and Matthew and his wife, Lori. She is also survived by her sister, Lillian Keuhlen; and three grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to St. Philomena Church, 386 South Livingston Avenue, Livingston, NJ 07039, or to the Livingston First Aid Squad, 62 South Livingston Avenue, Livingston, NJ.

Jacob Van Ysseldyk, 79, died Wednesday, December 6, in his Livingston home. Visitation was held at the Quinn- Hopping Funeral Home of Livingston on Sunday, December 10. A funeral Mass was offered on Monday, December 11, at St. Philomena Roman Catholic Church in Livingston, with interment following at Graceland Memorial Park in Kenilworth. Born in the Netherlands, Mr. Van Ysseldyk came to live in the United States 35 years ago, sailing across the Atlantic with his wife, Judith (Dowd) Van Ysseldyk in his 36-foot sailboat. He became a U.S. citizen last year. A master craftsman, he made custom furniture and operated his own business, Professional Floor Refinishing. Predeceased by his wife, Mr. Van Ysseldyk is survived by his son, Bruce Van Ysseldyk, and his daughter, Marlene Hartley.

Long-time Livingston resident Jack J. Abramsky died on November 9. Services were held on November 12 with arrangements by J. L. Apter Memorial Chapels Born in Newark, Mr. Abramsky earned a bachelor of arts degree in accounting from Pace College and was a senior IRS Federal Treasury Agent group leader for 35 years. He enlisted in the Navy during World War II, but was transferred and fought as a Marine in the South Pacific. His family helped to found the Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center in Livingston. Predeceased by his brother, Joseph, Mr. Abramsky is survived by his wife, Ruth (Salamon); sons, Larry and Philip (Kathy); and two grandchildren. Memorial contributions may be made to the North American Conference of Ethiopian Jewry or to the Sato Project.

Funeral services for Jerome Scherzer of Livingston, 95, who died on November 29, were held on December 3 at Shook’s Cedar Grove Funeral Home in Cedar Grove. Mr. Scherzer was born and raised in Newark and lived in Short Hills prior to moving to Livingston. During World War II, he was a pilot in the Army Air Corps. He was an accountant and treasurer of Resistoflex Corp. in Roseland, and Nord Bitumi in Springfield. Mr. Scherzer was predeceased by wife of 70 years, Margaret, and his brothers, Sam, Herman, and Sidney. He is survived by his children, Wayne Scherzer and Dr. Wendy Schillings (Robert); and two grandchildren. Donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater New Jersey, Suite 310, Marlton, NJ 08053 (alz.org). Memories and condolences may be shared at shookscedargrove.com.

Theodosia “Theo” Eskow (Katz) died on November 5, on her 107th birthday. She had been born in Hungary and was raised in New Brunswick. She resided in Perth Amboy from 1940 until 2013, when she went to live with her son and his wife in Livingston. Mrs. Eskow had worked for the Journal of the Medical Society of New Jersey as an editorial assistant, and later as office manager for her husband’s dental practice. Predeceased by her husband of 59 years, Dr. Jack, in 1999, and by seven brothers and a sister, she is survived by two sons, Dr. Robert (Nancy) of Livingston and Dr. Roy (Julie) of Potomac, Maryland; five grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. Memorial donations may be made to Mazon or a charity of the reader’s choice. Funeral services took place on November 7. To send condolences, visit www.flynnfuneral.com.

Barbara (Christie) Ripley, 68, died on November 26. Visitation will be at the Quinn Hopping Funeral Home in Livingston today, Thursday, November 30, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with a brief service at 12:30 p.m. Ms. Ripley was born in Newark to Marie (Paganelli) and the late Edward Christie, and lived in Belleville before moving to Livingston when she was seven years old. She was graduated from Livingston High School in 1967. A licensed practical nurse, Ms. Ripley worked at Overlook Medical Center in Summit for many years, and later for the Summit Medical Group. She is survived by her daughters, Lorry Ripley (David Lintern) of South Orange, Kristen Dean (Ben) of Pleasanton, California, and Kelly Hyde of Chester; ten grandsons; and her former husband, Larry Ripley.

Joseph W. Burke. Jr. died on Monday, November 20. A Mass was celebrated at St. Philomena’s Church on Monday, November 27. Born in Queens, New York, Mr. Burke was raised in Orange and lived in Bloomfield before moving to Livingston 18 years ago. Mr. Burke was a member of the Orange Township Fire Department for 25 years before retiring. Prior to that, he worked for Pucillo Sanitation and Fiori Sanitation. He was married to Suzanne (Restaino) Burke for 44 years and was the father of Joseph W. Burke III; Tracy Padilla and her husband, Ruben; Rocco Burke and his wife, Courtney; and Kelly Burke. He was also the brother of Judith Antonucci and her husband, Anthony; the grandfather of two and the step-grandfather of two. The family suggests that donations be made to the JFK New Jersey Neuroscience Institute, 65 James St., Edison, NJ 08820. or www.jfkmc.org. Arrangements were made by Paul Ippolito Dancy Memorial in Caldwell.

Samuel Brand of Livingston, formerly of Flushing, New York and Fair Lawn, died on November 16. Born and raised in Paterson and Woodbine, Mr. Brand was graduated from East Side High School and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was a quality control coordinator in the garment industry. Mr. Brand was predeceased by his wife, Shirley (neé Levinsky), and by his son, Norman. He is survived by his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Evelyn and Burton Schneck, and three nephews. Services were held on Sunday, November 19 at King Solomon cemetery in Clifton. For more information, visit BernheimApterKreitzman.com.