Susanne Eustis Bogart, a former resident of Verona, passed away last week in Maine. She was 82. Mrs. Bogart had been an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Verona, serving as a trustee and on its Stewardship Committee, and a member of both its vocal and bell choirs.

She is survived by her children Beth Bogart Ayer, Bruce Bogart and Matthew Bogart, and their spouses and children.

A service of thanksgiving will be held on Saturday, June 15, at 11 a.m. at the Boothbay Harbor Congregational Church. You can read the full obituary here.

Gary W. Karpinski of Bayonne passed away at the age of 46 on Friday May 31, 2013 at his father’s residence in Somerset. Born in Bayonne, Gary had lived in Edison and Verona before returning to Bayonne five years ago. He was a self-employed commodities trader. Gary, an avid Yankees fan, played drums for the Saints Drum and Bugle Corps. of Fords/Edison, the Bayonne Bridgeman Drum and Bugle Corps, and the New York Skyliners Drum and Bugle Corps. of New York City. He was one of the founders of the Bayonne Bridgeman Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps.

Gary is predeceased by his mother Arlene (nee Sorrentino) Karpinski. He is survived by his four children, Alex, Jessica, Rebecca and David Karpinski; his former spouse Robin; his father Walter J. Karpinski and his wife Sally; his sister Joanne Sotirhos and her husband Andy. Also survived by several nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be at the Dzikowski, Pierce & Levis Funeral Home, 24 East 19th Street, Bayonne on Sunday from 7 – 9 pm and Monday from 2 – 4 and 7 – 9 pm. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated in Saint Matthias RC Church, 168 John F. Kennedy Blvd, Somerset. Entombment Resurrection Cemetery, 899 Lincoln Ave, Piscataway. In lieu of flowers please make memorial donations to the Karpinski Children Scholarship Fund (address to follow) Please leave condolence messages here.

Former Verona resident and Verona Board of Education member Edward P. Wizda passed away on Friday. He was 89.

Funeral services are on Tuesday at 9:15 a.m. from Shook’s Cedar Grove Funeral Home, 486 Pompton Ave., Cedar Grove. A funeral mass will be offered at 10 a.m. from Our Lady of the Lake Church, Verona. Entombment will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, East Hanover. Visitation is on Monday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Memories and condolences may be shared through Shook’s Web site.

Born in Jeddo, Pa., Mr. Wizda had resided in Verona since 1954. He proudly served our country as a corporal in the U.S. Army during World War II. He then attended Penn State University, earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Mr. Wizda taught Spanish and French for over 40 years at Clifford J. Scott High School, East Orange, N.J., and Newark Academy, Livingston, N.J.

After his retirement in 1994, he was a tour director with Thomas Cook Tours and Parker Tours. Edward also served as a member of the Verona Board of Education and as a lector at Our Lady of the Lake.

Predeceased by his parents and siblings, he is survived by his beloved wife, June (Nelson); loving children, Amy Gelfano (Mark), David (Anne), and Marianne James (Kent), and five cherished grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Theatre Development Fund, 520 Eighth Ave. (Suite 801), New York, N.Y. 10018-6507, or the Democratic liberal political group Act Blue.

Candles lit at 14 Aspen Drive in North Caldwell, which served as Tony Soprano’s home.

As Tony Soprano, he filmed key scenes of The Sopranos in Verona Park and at the field at HBW. He visited with “Bobby Bacala” at 56 E. Reid Place and dealt with his scheming mother Livia in her house at 55 Gould Street. Gandolfini and The Sopranos crew camped out in the basement of Holy Spirit Church while many of the Verona episodes were filmed. He might not have spent any time in Verona at all had The Sopranos creator, David Chase, gotten to know the town while his father managed a hardware store here.

Tony Soprano survived all the murder and mayhem around him, but James Gandolfini died in Rome on June 19.

MyVeronaNJ.com readers took these photos of Gandolfini when he was filming in and around Verona.

Hanging at “Livia’s house” with Tony Fabrizio.

At the finale at Holsten’s (courtesy Meghan Elizabeth)

With the iconic white SUV at “Livia’s house” on Gould (courtesy Jeff Shilling)

Filming on East Reid (courtesy Jeff Shilling)

Mobster walk on Gould Street (courtesy Jeff Shilling)

More filming on East Reid (courtesy Kristen Zanders)

Mrs. Patricia Ann McIntyre, 75, died on Saturday, June 29, 2013 at her home in Verona.

A funeral mass will be offered in Our Lady of the Lake Church, Verona on Tuesday, July 2 at 10 a.m. Visiting in the Prout Funeral Home, 370 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona on Monday 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m.

Born in Newark, NJ, Mrs. McIntyre moved to Verona in 1962.

She was a credit supervisor with the Atlantic Health Care System / Mountainside Hospital, Montclair for 39 years prior to retiring in 2010.

Mrs. McIntyre is the beloved wife of the late Joseph G. McIntyre, the loving mother of Joseph P. and his wife Sally and Michael J. and his wife Gabriele, the dear sister of Michael Dolan and Kathleen McElroy and devoted grandmother of Bridgett, Claire, Lorien, and Michael.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Verona Rescue Squad, 12 Church Street, Verona, NJ 07044 would be appreciated.

Mrs. Katherine Maureen Flynn, 72, died on Monday, July 15, 2013 at her home in Roseland.

A funeral mass will be offered in Our Lady of the Lake Church, Verona on Thursday, July 18 at 10:30 a.m. Visiting in the Prout Funeral Home, 370 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona on Wednesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m.

Born in Orange, Mrs. Flynn lived in Verona for 45 years prior to moving to Roseland in 2010. Mrs. Flynn was a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Real Estate in Caldwell. She was a volunteer with Hospice for the past 15 years, a member of the Women’s Club of Verona, the Rosary Support Group of Roseland and very active in the Women of Irish Heritage, Christian Family Movement (CFM group) and a devout parishioner of Our Lady of the Lake Parish.

Mrs. Flynn is the wife of B. Noel Brennan and the late James J. Flynn, the mother of Amy Patricia Fischer (and her husband, Keith) and Megan Rita Flynn, the grandmother of Matthew James, Daniel Keith and Juliette Katherine. She is also the sister of Neil O’Hare, Peter O’Hare (and his wife, Karen), Patricia Lewis, Robert O’Hare, Denise Sarinelli (and her husband, Raymond), the step-mother of Kevin Brennan (and his fiancée, Debbie Bierals) and Kelly Brennan and the step-grandmother of Kyle Brennan.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Endowment Trust of Our Lady of the Lake Church, 32 Lakeside Avenue, Verona 07044 would be appreciated.

David Merwin, 50, of Verona, formerly of West Orange, passed away on Saturday, July 13.

Funeral services will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday July 17 at the Dangler Funeral Home of West Orange, 340 Main Street, West Orange. Visiting will be Wednesday from 4 to 7 p.m. with the service at 6:30 p.m.

Dave was born in Orange and raised in West Orange before moving to Verona 16 years ago. He was the owner and operator of Rugs and Suds LLC in Verona.

Dave was the beloved husband of 25 years of Patricia “Trish” Merwin (nee O’Neill). Devoted father of Alyssa Merwin, cherished son of Barbara Merwin, son-in-law of Richard and Irene O’Neill. Loving brother of Michael and his wife Debra, Allison Wilfong, and the late Eugene “Gene” Merwin. He is also survived by several brother and sister-in-laws, many nieces and nephews, his loving friends Kevin and Mary Renzulli and his faithful dog Ceasar.

Patrick M. Dearborn, 68, a Verona resident who taught art and drama at Montclair High School for 36 years, died on July 16. According to Baristanet, he had retired from the district last year .

The obituary posted on the Powell-Marrocco Funeral Home ’s Web site, there was a private cremation. A memorial service will be held in August.

You can read the full obituary and sign the guest book here.

Ronald Andrew de Bodor Fox, formerly of Verona, N.J., died in early July 2013, at the age of 69. Visiting will be in the Prout Funeral Home, 370 Bloomfield Ave., Verona, on Tuesday, July 23, from 7 to 9 p.m. with a prayer service to be held at 8:30 p.m.

Born in Glen Ridge, N.J., Mr. Fox graduated from Glen Ridge High School in 1961 and from C. W. Post College in 1965 with a bachelor of science degree in accounting. Ronald began his business career as an accountant with Price Waterhouse in Newark, N.J., and shortly thereafter became a principal in his family’s business, Associated Engineering & Manufacturing Corporation, until 2003, when he retired with his adoring wife, Virginia (Gigi), to Orlando, Fla.

Ronald was an avid sportsman and amateur photographer. His many activities included boating, car racing and competitions, camping, trout and fly fishing, tennis, skiing, and golf. During the 1970s, Ronald was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Verona, Forest Avenue School and Community Association, Indian Princesses and the Verona Jaycees. Ronald was awarded the Verona Jaycees’ “Man of the Year Award” in the early 1980s.

Ronald is survived by his wife, Virginia (Gigi) (nee Vidallon); his loving daughter, Adrienne (Andi) Fox of Verona, and his loving daughter, Deborah Aldiero and her husband, Stephen, of Verona; grandsons, Christopher Aldiero and Matthew Aldiero, and his brother, Dennis Fox. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Verona Rescue Squad would be appreciated.

Merle W. Burdett of Verona passed away in Mountainside Hospital on July 23, 2013 after a brief illness. Born in Newark on November 15, 1921 he grew up in Bloomfield until moving to Verona in 1936. He graduated from Verona High School in 1940 after being a member of Verona High School’s first ever football team and lettering in football and basketball.

He entered the U.S. Navy in 1942 and went to flight training school at Colgate University before being stationed at Willow Run Army Air Station in Michigan. It was there that he met his future wife, Doris Holly. After serving in the Pacific aboard the U.S.S. Pine Island he returned home to Verona in February 1946.

He and Doris were married in Ypsilanti, Michigan on May 19, 1946. They were married over 55 years. She predeceased him in 2002. Merle was employed as an electrician at Champlain Company/Bobst Group from 1946 until he retired in 1986.

He is survived by his son Larry, his “adopted” son Jay and many nephews and nieces in Michigan.

Merle joined the Verona Fire Department in August 1948. He served as Engine Company 1 lieutenant and captain in the 1950s before being elected the Department assistant chief from 1957 to 1958. He was elected as chief for 1959 to 1960. Merle retired from regular membership and became a Life Member in 2007. He was a Life Member of the New Jersey State Firemens Association and New Jersey Exempt Firemens Association. Merle also was a member of the Verona Rescue Squad for 45 years.

He was an assistant scoutmaster of Troop 5 Verona, member of the Order of The Arrow, a Verona crossing guard and Little League coach.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 10, 2013 at The Church of The Holy Spirit on Gould Street, Verona NJ at 11:00 am.

In lieu of flowers please make all donations to The Church of The Holy Spirit.

We wanted to let you know that there are going to be a lot of fire trucks on Bloomfield Avenue on Saturday morning.

Tomorrow is the memorial service for Merle W. Burdett, who served on the Verona Fire Department from 1948 through 2007. As part of that, a parade of fire trucks and emergency equipment–new and old–will travel through Verona from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The trucks will start from Prout Funeral Home and process past both Verona fire houses, the Rescue Squad building on Church Street (Burdett also served on that squad for 45 years) and along Elmwood Road, where Burdett lived.

Burdett died on July 23 after a brief illness. He was 91. You can read his full obituary here.

When a fireman dies, there are a series of traditions–a “last call”– to mark his passing.

Mr. Jeffery (Jeff) Toscano, 47, died on Sunday, August 11, 2013 in Cedar Grove.

A funeral mass will be offered in Our Lady of the Lake Church, Verona on Saturday, August 17 at 10 a.m. Visiting in the Prout Funeral Home, 370 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona on Friday from 7-9 pm. Interment in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, East Hanover.

Born in Queens, NY, Mr. Toscano moved to Verona in 1967. He was a chef for the past 28 years, most recently working at O’Neil’s Restaurant & Pub in Verona and at The Harrison in Asbury Park and the Lazy Dog Saloon in Asbury Park.

He is the son of Jeannine Pond of Caldwell, Joseph Toscano (and his wife, Mary Lou) of Trinity, Fla., and the brother of Kevin Toscano of Verona, Genevieve Toscano Tahaney (and her husband, Kelly) of Belleville and the late Simone Toscano. He is also survived by his nieces, Rachel Toscano of Daytona Beach and Allyssa Thompson of Manchester, N.J., and his great nephew, Artemis A. Toscano of Daytona Beach.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Verona Park Conservancy would be appreciated.

Mrs. Mary Venditti, 99, died on Monday, August 14, 2013 in Glen Ridge.

A funeral mass will be offered in Our Lady of the Lake Church, Verona on Wednesday, August 14 at 12:30 p.m. Visiting in the Prout Funeral Home, 370 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona, on Wednesday morning from 10 a.m. to 12:15 p,m.

Born in Newark, Mrs. Venditti moved to Verona 31 years ago.

She was the beloved wife of the late Dominick Venditti, the loving mother of Alberta Scocozza, Donald Venditti and Dolores Kiriacon (and her husband, Arthur).

Mrs. Venditti was the devoted grandmother of Donna Scocozza, Valerie Busch (and her husband, Douglas), Gina Esposito (and her husband, Neal), Donald Venditti (and his wife, Victoria); the adoring great grandmother of Ariana Esposito, Madison Venditti, Dominique Venditti, Frank Esposito and Derek Busch; and the dear sister of Edith Ditri.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Verona Rescue Squad would be appreciated.

Pearle Lillian Healy, most recently of Sherman Oaks, Calif., and previously a long-time resident of Verona, passed away peacefully on August 13, 2013, at the age of 92.

Pearle was born in New York, N.Y. on July 18, 1921, and was preceded in death by her loving husband William P. (“Bill”) Healy, her parents Henry and Lillian Schwend, her brothers Henry, Frederick, George and Renato (“Tim”) Schwend and her sisters Elena Tucci and Rita Schurter. Pearle leaves behind many nieces, nephews and other family members who loved her deeply and whom she cherished.

Pearle and Bill were married in Woodridge, N.J. on September 30, 1945, following his distinguished military service in World War II, and settled in Verona, where they lived together until Bill’s passing in 2004. Pearle stayed in their Verona family home through 2008 and then moved to Sherman Oaks, where she lived to the time of her passing.

During her long life, Pearle held a number of administrative positions with several hospitals and banks in the Essex County area and was also an active and enthusiastic volunteer at Our Lady of the Lake Church in Verona where she and Bill were parishioners for many years.

A visitation will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, August 21, 2013, at the Prout Funeral Home, 370 Bloomfield Ave., Verona. Funeral services will begin at 10 a.m. on Thursday, August 22, 2013, at Our Lady of the Lake Church, 32 Lakeside Ave., Verona, followed by a procession to and interment at Restland Memorial Park, 77 Deforest Ave., East Hanover.

Mrs. Evelyn Boccia LoCicero, 90, died on Thursday, August 15, 2013. Services and entombment were private.

Emma Wozny

Emma’s death was sudden and the cause is still unclear. We will not know the cause of death until the Essex County Medical Examiner’s autopsy and toxicology reports are completed. Unfortunately, we have been informed that these results will not be available for 3-4 months. At our request, the local police are working with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the matter. In the meantime, this is what we do know. There was no evidence of drug use at Emma’s home, in her car, or in her apartment at school. The medications she had been taking were all in order and none were missing. However, diet pills were found in her drawer.

During her Spring semester at Syracuse, Emma told us, via Skype, that she had been blacking out. We told her it was probably from not eating enough, and encouraged her to seek help which she did, by going to the SU Health Services and Counseling Center on campus. She started seeing a nutritionist for her eating disorder, a therapist, and a psychiatrist. She also received a full physical, and was prescribed medications to address her evolving issues with anxiety, panic attacks, an eating disorder and a sleep disorder.

Emma returned home from Spring semester at Syracuse University (SU) this year, extremely thin. We immediately enrolled her in an intensive outpatient treatment program that would address all her issues. She attended faithfully all summer, three days a week from 10:00am to 3:30pm and continued taking her medications. Along with the therapy, Emma was spending a fair amount of time helping her aging grandparents. She had wanted to go to California to visit relatives and friends, but we insisted she attend this program first.
Emma returned to school a week early, during August, because she was very excited about joining her new roommates in their first real apartment off campus. Her car had broken down during the summer and we had replaced it with a newer one that she loved. During her second week at school she got a new job, and was very excited about it. She liked her classes, her teachers, and she loved her roommates.

Emma had returned home to attend her grandfather’s funeral. She spent the evening and night before her death at home. In the early evening we had a long conversation with her covering various topics. At 12:30 a.m. her mother had a conversation with her in her room about the funeral plans, and what she should wear for the following days. She seemed fine. She planned to return to school on Tuesday after the burial. From her Facebook page we know that she was awake until almost 5:00 a.m. communicating with friends in other time zones. We found Emma at 9:00 a.m. in her bed. We called 911 and gave her CPR. She was unresponsive, and could not be revived by EMS or the ER at Mountainside Hospital.

Emma was loved by many people. Her kind spirit, passion for life, and sense of humor were infectious. She was a bright star in many people’s lives. Those who knew her best remember her for her beautiful smile and quirky personality. “She would make me laugh on a daily basis” said Aimee Mercure, a friend since freshman year. “Emma showed love for so many people. **** My life has been made so much better because of her and I know I will carry her memory with me for the rest of my life.” Liza Posner, her freshman year roommate, said Emma was quiet at first, but they bonded when Emma started leaving Post-It notes around their room with funny comments ascribed to “Sharky” the stuffed animal she kept on her bed. Current roommate, Sarah Reichheimer, described their recent trip to the New York State Fair. Emma rode a mechanical bull while Sarah took video footage and pictures. Apparently, Sarah thought the video footage was embarrassing but Emma didn’t care and just laughed about it.

She loved music, the warmth of the sun, anything soft, and animals. She enjoyed nothing more than a day at the beach. She loved the gentle rocking of the sea as she floated out past the waves, and playing catch with her Dad in the water.

Emma had many talents and accomplishments. She was a staff writer at the Daily Orange newspaper at Syracuse University where she was majoring in Psychology/Neuroscience and was considering a minor in International Relations. She loved to write, and had written screenplays, short stories and poetry for which she received recognition. She also kept a journal. She was fascinated with the music and entertainment industry, and acted in a student film during her Spring semester.

Emma loved music and was a good musician. As a young child she played piano. While at school in Verona she played many different instruments in the band. By high school she was focusing on her flute, which included performing solos and being chosen for the Honors Band. She also played guitar, sang and wrote songs.

Emma was a very creative person. She was always sketching and making things out of random, found objects. Mostly, she liked to do things like draw faces on the pistachio nuts and fruit in our kitchen. As a child, she took some classes at the Yard School of Art at Montclair Art Museum. While there she had offers from people to buy her artwork, but she chose to just give it away to friends. She only took one art class while in high school. During that time, one of her paintings was chosen to be hung in the VHS lobby.

She loved to travel, and spent a semester abroad in Spain with the SU Abroad Madrid Program. Through the SU Abroad Program she travelled throughout Spain, to Portugal and Morocco. While in Madrid she was an assistant English teacher for a local elementary school. She also travelled to Germany, France and England. With her family she travelled to Mexico, Canada, Belize and Italy. Emma also volunteered with the MedLife Mobile Medical Unit in Ecuador, to provide medical, dental care and housing to people in rural towns near Riobamba. She said her best memories of that trip were teaching the kids how to brush their teeth, and pushing MedLife’s broken down bus up a hill. She was brimming with stories and wonderful photographs of her trips abroad.

Emma’s passion for experiencing different cultures inspired many other students to travel. She was a Global Ambassador for the Syracuse Study Abroad Program, as well as a Morocco Exchange Student Ambassador.

Emma had been dealing with an array of biologically based mental health issues her entire life. When she was a child in preschool, and then again in middle school, she was diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Her doctors said that she had a “constellation of symptoms” including ADD and “Tactile or Sensory Integration Disorder”. She was enrolled in the Preschool Intervention Program at F.N. Brown School in Verona, to address some of these issues but she was never given an Individualized Educational Program (IEP). We were told that because she was considered high functioning, and performed well in school, she would be mainstreamed into kindergarten. She was in the gifted and talented program, and then honors classes throughout her time in the Verona schools.

Emma was never an accomplished athlete. However, she started out with non-contact or individual sports such as swimming and running, and later played softball, lacrosse and soccer. She absolutely loved being in the Color Guard with the Verona Marching Band during the Fall. The fact that she was able to play sports that included physical contact, with such a sensory integration disorder, was a great accomplishment.

Emma did not want to die. She loved life and had a long “To Do List” in her room. Yes, she did sometimes make bad decisions like other kids her age. She may have wanted some things to change, but she was looking forward to having a full and happy life.

A Memorial and Remembrance Ceremony will be held Saturday, September 21, 2013 at Prout Funeral Home, 370 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona, NJ 07044, (973) 239-2060.

Written by Emma’s parents, Linda DeWolfe Wozny and Michael Wozny.

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