Obituaries

Benjamin H. Hollander succumbed at home on Monday, March 23, after battling a long illness. He was 64.

Born and raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, Mr. Hollander eventually moved to Livingston where he raised his family and worked in the surrounding area for the past 25 years. Among his many attributes, he excelled in sales, and thrived in particular as a co-owner and operator of five Oreck Vacuum franchises throughout central and northern New Jersey.

He leaves behind his beloved wife, Karen (Belsik), and two loving children, a daughter, Tate, and a son Zev Hollander. He was pre-deceased by his parents, Wilfred W. and Thelma Hollander. He is also survived by his sister, Celia Hollander; his brother, Paul Hollander; and many other devoted family members.

Due to the coronavirus, a private graveside service was held, but the family intends to hold a memorial service in his honor in the future.

Former Livingston resident Kurt Stern died March 15 at the age of 99.

Born in Germany, he had lived in West Orange for 20 years. Earlier, he resided in Livingston and East Hanover.

Mr. Stern was predeceased by his wife, Florence. He was the father of Heidi Sussman and her husband, Mark, of West Orange; and the late Dr. Kenneth Stern. He is also survived by five grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren.

Private graveside services were held March 17. A memorial service celebrating Mr. Stern’s life will be held at a future date.

World War II veteran and former Marine Betty Fingerhut, nee Vener, died Sunday, March 15, at her home at Inglemoor Care Center. She was 97 years old.

Mrs. Fingerhut was born in Albany, New York. Shortly after the United States entered World War II, while working as a legal secretary she “accidentally” joined the Marine Corps after a photo of her standing near a recruitment poster was published in a local newspaper. The photo featured a caption which noted, incorrectly, that “Betty Vener was the first girl from Albany to join the Marines.”

The newspaper piece inspired her to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps, and she worked her way through the ranks as a radio and telephone technician at a time when women in the military had limited opportunity.

Stavroula Grafas, 100, passed away on Sunday, March 22, 2020.

Stavroula was predeceased by her beloved husband, Demetrios, as well as her son, George. She is survived by her loving daughters, Alexandra Kerrigan and Angela Peliotis, and her daughter-in-law, Margaret Grafas. She also leaves behind her dear grandchildren, Maria Southworth, Eleni Karolidis, John Psaradellis (Doris), Elizabeth Kalwinsky (Chris), and Georgia Grafas (Joseph Pacheco, Jr.); her adoring greatgranchildren, Jimmy, Mia, Maggie, Chase, Stephen, Alex, P.J., Justice, Marie, and Nate; and her brother, Anthanios Marmaras. She will also be missed dearly by her close friends, Bernice and Ward Anthony, and Ralph Bace.

Funeral services will be private. A memorial service will be held at a later date.

Mary Virginia Weber was born in 1928 in El Paso, Texas, the daughter of Kathleen (Bernardin) and Edward Habbe. “Ginny” was raised by her mother and stepfather, Harry Bissell, whose career took the family to Riverside, Palm Springs, and Coronado, California; Atlanta, Georgia; Elizabeth, New Jersey; and White Plains, New York.

As a young child, she discovered her passion for reading, which remained with her through the rest of her life.

Ginny attended Good Council High School in White Plains and Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts, graduating in 1948. She was soon hired as a production assistant at Time-Life in New York City.

Michael Pontiakos, 93, of Livingston, died on March 13.

He was the father of George (Jessica) of Genesse, Colorado, Anne Toohey (Jim) of Newtown, Pennsylvania, and Stephen (Licia) of Rock Hill, South Carolina; the grandfather of nine; and the great-grandfather of five. He is also survived by his sister, Jean Krystalla of Roseland.

Mr. Pontiakos was born in Newark. He joined the church choir as a young boy and shared his tenor voice every Sunday for 80 years. He was a World War II Navy veteran, and married his late wife, Helen, in 1956.

Funeral services will be offered on Friday, March 20, at 11 a.m. at Sts. Nicholas, Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church, 80 Laurel Avenue, Roseland. Interment will follow at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield.

Visitation will be held one hour prior to the funeral ceremony in the church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Church.

Anne Warren Albano, 95, of Livingston, formerly of Caldwell and Allamuchy, died on Monday, March 16.

Visitation will take place today, Thursday, March 19, at Paul Ippolito-Dancy Memorial in Caldwell, from 9 to 10 a.m., followed by a Mass at St. Aloysius Church, Caldwell, at 10:30 a.m. Interment will be at Prospect Hill Cemetery, Caldwell.

Born in East Orange, Mrs. Albano was a librarian at Caldwell Public Library, director of the Lyndhurst Public Library, and later the Children’s Room at the West Caldwell Public Library. She also worked at the Trinity Academy Library and Roseland Public Library. She was a docent at Craftsman Farms, and secretary of the Master Gardeners of Essex County.

The wife of the late Nicholas Albano, Jr., she was the mother of Nicholas Albano III and his wife, Maryann; David Warren Albano; Elizabeth Anne Albano; and Frederick Charles Albano. She is also survived by three grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held on Sunday, March 15, for Irwin Sobel, who died on March 13.

Mr. Sobel was born in Brooklyn, New York and married Phyllis Sobel in 1948. They moved to Livingston in 1952 and were together for 72 years.

He was a Navy veteran who fought in World War II. After the war, he owned a mirror manufacturing firm, Silver Troy Corporation, in Belleville, for more than 50 years.

Mr. Sobel was the father of two sons, David and Mark; two daughters-in-law, Andrea and Wendy; the grandfather of four, and the greatgrandfather of four.

He was a founding member of Temple Beth Shalom and was active in Little League, Cub Scouts and local theater.

Arrangements were by Bernheim-Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel. Interment was at Beth Israel Cemetery, Woodbridge.

Memorial donations may be made in his memory to the Disabled American Veterans, www.dav.org.

Services were held for Harry Lauer, 89, of Livingston at King Solomon Memorial Park on February 23.

Mr. Lauer was the father of Scott Lauer and Michelle Waugh; father-in-law to Gregory Waugh and Mary Fran Lauer; grandfather of four and the great-grandfather of three.

Born in Newark, Mr. Lauer was a teacher and administrator in speech and language in the Newark Public Schools for 35 years.

The family suggests that memorial donations made be made to www.freedomservicedogs.org.

Arrangements were by Menorah Chapels of Millburn.

Freya L. Bruckner (née Goldberger) of Livingston died on Sunday, March 15, at home.

Born in 1941 in Newark, Mrs. Bruckner was predeceased by her husband, Alan, and her sister, Joyce. She is survived by her brother, Alan Goldberger and his wife, Carole; her three sons, Robert Bruckner, Dr. Marc Bruckner, and Eddie Bruckner and his wife, Debra; and her two grandchildren.

Freya graduated from Douglass College with a degree in Spanish and French, and worked as an executive secretary. She retired in 2017.

Services were held on March 17 at Beth Israel Cemetery, Woodbridge, with arrangements by Menorah Chapels at Millburn.