Long Branch Recreation Upcoming Programs!
May 29, 2022
Power of Pink Luncheon & Boutique to be held at Mary & John Kiely’s
June 1, 2022
Raquel Maria Morales, age 52 of Long Branch, died on Monday, May 23rd, 2022 at Monmouth Medical Center. Raquel was born in Manati, Puerto Rico, until her family decided to come to New Jersey at age 8. She graduated from Asbury Park High School in 1986, and then shortly after joined the army. She remained for 2 years until she became pregnant with her first born daughter. She made Long Branch her home over the course of the years and within that time had 3 more children.
Raquel was a cashier for most of her life and left her mark in quite a few places. She worked at the Windmill in Long Branch for many years, worked at Quick Chek as a manager for some time, and eventually settled into the Monmouth Beach & Sea Bright supermarkets in 2012, where she remained. If she wasn’t working, you could catch her listening to soft rock, at home crocheting a new blanket. She had an eye for fashion and loved buying costume jewelry. She was an animal lover, especially elephants, and her 2 ferrets Momo and Nunu. Her heart was made of gold, always spreading kind words to people who needed it most, and she knew how to make anyone smile. Her energy was so infectious. But above all, Raquel loved her family. She loved spending time with her children and her grandchildren. Whether it be going for dinner dates at Bella’s Pizzeria, taking a stroll in the mall, or their yearly Mother’s Day tradition of hibachi, she was always finding ways to let her children know that she cherished every moment with them.
She was predeceased by her father, Jose Luis “Chegui” Morales in 2005. Surviving are her mother and stepfather, Celestina Maldonado Rodriguez and William Rodriguez, her sisters Mayra Batista and Brenda Morales, her brother Julio Batista, her daughters Jennifer Allport, Marisol Soto, and Tiffany Morales, her son Gilberto Soto Jr., her niece Thalia Carmona, her nephew Trueborn Pace, and her 3 grandchildren Ava Pitts, Darryl Laing Jr., and Ren Morales, among many cousins and family members, and lots of friends and loved ones.
A memorial service for Raquel with her cremains will be held on June 7th 2022 from 6-8pm at Damiano Funeral Home, 191 Franklin Ave in Long Branch. The family invites you to leave a letter of condolence by selecting the Tribute/Guestbook link above.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Raquel Maria Morales, please visit our floral store.
Mark Angelo Valenzano age 57 of Ocean Township died on Wednesday, May 25, 2022 at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Born in Neptune, he had lived in West Long Branch before moving to Ocean Township. Mark, with his parents, owned the Valenzano’s Office Supply for many years before working at Best Buy. He is an expert at installing beer systems with JDS Mechanical. Mark was an Ordained Minister, loved the NY GIANTS, music and the beach.
Every day was an adventure with him. He touched many lives with his warmth and wonderful personality. He always put a smile on our faces with his great sense of humor. Those who love him may feel that we did not have nearly enough time with him, but we know he packed a lot of living into his life. He loved his family and his many friends and never missed an opportunity to spend time with them. He loved to dine out, sightsee and travel; always making new friends along the way. He was up for any adventure and leaves many wonderful memories for his loved ones to cherish. He knew how to live life to the fullest.
His light will continue to shine in the many lives he has changed through his organ donation. What an amazing soul! He has definitely made his own indelible MARK on this world, as a man who does what’s right, without hesitation.
Mark was predeceased by his parents, Angelo and Immaculate Ann Valenzano. Surviving are his sisters, Linda Valenzano and Laura Valenzano; his fiancée, Kristin Kerr; his uncle and aunt Rudy and Barbara Menditto and many cousins.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, June 1 from 4-8 pm at the Damiano Funeral Home, 191 Franklin Avenue in Long Branch. Funeral Thursday 10 am at the funeral home followed by a 11 am Mass at St. Jerome Church in West Long Branch. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Light of Day Foundation, Inc., Attn: Donations, P.O. Box 105, Allenhurst, NJ 07711 or Lightofday.Org. “LOD utilizes the awesome power of music to raise money and awareness in its 22 year battle to defeat Parkinson’s disease, ALS and PSP in our lifetime.” The family invites you to leave a letter of condolence by selecting the Tribute/Guestbook link above.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mark Angelo Valenzano, please visit our floral store.
Ronald (Ronny) Traversa, age 85 of West Long Branch, passed away on Monday, May 23, 2022 peacefully at home with his loving wife by his side. Ronny was born in Long Branch, NJ and grew up in Astoria, Queens NY. He moved to Long Branch around 1955 at the age of 18.
Ronny was a Long Branch business owner/operator of Ronny’s Garage since 1962, Freedom Cycles Motorcycle Dealership and Ryder Truck Rentals. He also owned Ronny’s Getty Gas Station on Broadway.
Everything Ronny was involved with was about servicing and helping his customers whether it was during the day or night. He always said that the most important thing when you are in business is to be there.
Ronny loved to ride motorcycles especially BMW’s and took several cross-country trips with his friends. His favorite rides though were back and forth to Virginia. He was a huge fan of Elvis Presley and had quite a collection of his music and replicas. He could listen to Elvis Presley music and Doo-wop for hours.
Ronny never needed, wanted, or asked for anything. As long as his family had what they needed he was happy. He loved his wife and his family, and they were everything to him, and he to them.
Ronny was predeceased by his parents Augusto and Mary Traversa; his brother and sister-in-law Richard and Ceil Traversa. He is survived by his beloved wife Lucille; his loving daughter and son-in-law Melissa and Gerard Ercolino; and his grandchildren Morgan, Lauren, Charlie and Gerard. He is also survived by his son Ronald Traversa and daughter Debbi Todaro and their children as well as his devoted caregiver Anzor Nazurdinov. Ronny also leaves behind a nephew, nieces and cousins, one of whom is Alan Angerio who was like a brother to him. He leaves behind many lifelong loving friends who he valued dearly.
The family invites you to leave a letter of condolence by selecting the Tribute/Guestbook link above.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Ronald Traversa, please visit our floral store.
Lawrence J. Towers, age 78, of West Long Branch, died on Wednesday, May 25, 2022 surrounded by family at home. Larry was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, moving to West Long Branch 6 years ago. He was a utility consultant for Padilla Construction Services in Westbury, NY, retiring in 2013.
Larry’s hobbies included rooting for the New York Islanders and the New York Mets. He loved spending time with his family, and especially his granddaughter, Maddie, who he affectionately called Pudding Head. He also enjoyed taking rides in his car, even if only a simple trip to Shop Rite or the local diner. Larry often visited Monmouth Racetrack to place a bet on his favorite team or the occasional horse race. When he was home, Larry could be found relaxing in his recliner, scratching or feeding Bowzer, the family dog, who was rescued 5 years ago.
He was predeceased by his wife, Christine, in 2006. Surviving are his daughter, Jennifer Sousa, and her husband, Clezio; his son, Brian Towers, and his wife, Jenni; his sister Catherine Jensen, and his granddaughter Madelyn.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Home Free Animal Rescue, 32 White Street, Red Bank, NJ 07701 or www.homefreeanimalrescue.com/donate. The family invites you to leave a letter of condolence by selecting the Tribute/Guestbook link above.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Lawrence Towers, please visit our floral store.
Diane Marie Steets passed away peacefully in her home in Oceanport on May 25, 2022 at the age of 77, in the loving care of her husband and the VNA Hospice.
The daughter of late George and Philomena Rodrigs, she was born in New York City. She received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Monmouth University. She was a guidance counselor at Keansburg High School, where she retired after more than 30 years of service.
Her volunteer work included the Reading Buddy program, and the Appalachian Mountain Club trail crew at the Mohican Outdoor Center, where she worked for over 20 years. She was an avid skier and hiker, climbing many of the high peaks in the northern Appalachians, as well as in the Dolomites in the Alps. Known for her grit and determination, she never backed down from a challenge.
She is survived by her husband Christopher Brunkhorst; sister, Loraine Day; former husband Joseph Steets; son Brandon Steets and his wife Amy; son Garrett Steets, and 3 grandchildren, Jaden, Cooper and Luke.
A private family service will be held at a later date. The family invites you to leave a letter of condolence by selecting the Tribute/Guestbook link above.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Diane Marie Steets, please visit our floral store.
Andrew Garofalo was born on March 3, 1931 in Long Branch where he grew up as one of seven siblings. He passed away on Sunday, May 22, 2022 peacefully at home in Neptune with his family beside him.
Andy was predeceased by his wife of 67 years, Patsy Bush. He was a veteran of the Korean War and while waiting to be discharged and stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, he met and fell in love with Patsy. After only three months of dating and six months of military distance, he returned to Colorado Springs to marry his bride. Andy and Patsy had three children- Cheryl, Andy and Bill.
He was employed by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1959, where he worked in freight and passenger service until 1990, when he retired. Throughout his life Andy was kind, generous, and loving. He enjoyed the beach, was a consummate swimmer, diver and dancer. In his later years he loved to take walks on the boardwalk with his brother Mike, spend time with his grandchildren, tell many “war stories”, work on crossword puzzles, and watch the Yankees and old Western movies.
He is survived by his daughter Cheryl Martin, his son and daughter-in-law, Andy and Tina Garofalo (Oregon) and his son and daughter-in-law, Bill and Karen Garofalo (Neptune) with whom he lived. He is also survived by eight grandchildren – Rachel Garofalo, Heather Tower (Chris), Aaron Garofalo, Shawn Garofalo, Bryan Garofalo (Rany), Kyle Garofalo (Julie Clappsy), Chelsea Garofalo (Tyler Hetzel) and Tyler Garofalo, four great grandchildren and his siblings, Claire Romano and Michael Garofalo as well as many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, May 26 from 10 am until the time of the service at 12 noon at the Damiano Funeral Home, 191 Franklin Avenue in Long Branch. Interment will follow at Mt. Carmel Cemetery in West Long Branch. The family invites you to leave a letter of condolence by selecting the Tribute/Guestbook link above.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Andrew Garofalo, please visit our floral store.
Arlene DiFedele (nee Ciaglia), age 70 of Toms River, died on Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at home. Arlene was born and raised in Long Branch and was a graduate of Long Branch High School and the Monmouth County Vocational School of Cosmetology. She had moved to Howell in 1988 and in 2019 she settled in Toms River with her husband of nearly 35 years, Tullio James DiFedele.
Arlene was a manicurist for over 50 years and was adored by her many clients and co-workers at Milagro Spa at the Atlantic Club in Red Bank. She was an animal lover but especially loved cats and enjoyed eating and trying new foods. Above all Arlene loved her family and friends and would do anything for those she loved.
She was predeceased by her parents, John A. Ciaglia in 2004 and her mother Rosemarie Ciaglia in 2011 and her niece Stephanie Silverman also in 2011. Surviving are her husband Tullio James DiFedele; her step-daughter, Guenevere Shields and her husband Jonathan of Cold Springs, NY; her grandchildren, Audrey and Tucker; her sister Jeanne Ciaglia of Keansburg; brother, John C. Ciaglia of Long Branch; brother-in-law, Richard DiFedele and his wife Marie of Sarasota, Fla.; sister-in-law, Marcella DiFedele of Colts Neck; her special niece and her husband, Gina and Ryan Quilty of Keansburg; many other nieces, nephews, godchildren and good friends and her beloved cats, Lily, Cali and Daisy.
A memorial service will be planned for a future date. Donations in her memory may be made to S.A.V.E. Rescue Center, P.O. Box 503, Island Heights, NJ 08732 (https://save.rescuegroups.org/info/donate). The family invites you to leave a letter of condolence by selecting the Tribute/Guestbook link above.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Arlene DiFedele, please visit our floral store.
Karin J. Wainright, 75, of West Long Branch entered into her eternal life on Saturday, May 21st.
Born in Neptune, NJ, the only child of Grace (Nolan) and Reginald Wainright, Karin resided most of her life in Long Branch before moving to West Long Branch in 2013.
She graduated from Star of the Sea Academy in 1964, received her Associate’s Degree from Monmouth College and was employed at the U.S. Army Dental Clinic, Fort Monmouth as a Dental Therapist for 35 years, retiring in 2001.
As an active member of her church community, Karin was a member of the Rosary Altar Society and served in various ministries for over 30 years.
After ending her dental career, Karin became a member of the 2004 inaugural ground of Commissioned Lay Ecclesial Ministers of the Institute for Lay Ecclesial Ministry of the Diocese of Trenton. She was awarded a Baccalaureate certificate in Pastoral Ministry from the Religious Studies and Theology Department of Georgian Court University.
Karin was predeceased by her parents Reginald Wainright and Grace Wainright Henton, and her stepfather Commodore L. Henton. She is survived by several cousins and many caring and loving friends.
Visitation Tuesday May 24th 8:30 am to 9:30 am at the Woolley-Boglioli Funeral Home, 10 Morrell Street, Long Branch followed by a Mass of Christian burial at 10:00 am at Star of the Sea RC Church, 101 Chelsea Avenue, Long Branch. Interment to follow at Monmouth Memorial Park Cemetery, Tinton Falls. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Karin’s memory to Operation Smile; www.operationsmile.org. To share a favorite memory, please visit Karin’s page of tributes at www.woolleyboglioli.com.
Richard M. Keil, 73, of Ocean Township, died on Saturday, May 28, 2022. Mr. Keil had a successful career as a father.
Mr. Keil was born in Newark and lived in Linden before moving to Ocean Township in 1975.
Mr. Keil earned his Juris Doctor from Rutgers University School of Law, his Master of Law degree from New York University School of Law and his PhD in Business Ethics from University of Minnesota. After law school, he was awarded a Reginald Heber Smith Community Lawyer Fellowship. He was an Editor of The Rutgers Law Review. He began his career as a judicial law clerk to the Presiding Judge of the Appellate Division of the Superior Court and was a career criminal defense trial attorney.
Mr. Keil was a member of the New Jersey and District of Columbia Bar, Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and Monmouth Bar Association. He was a Trustee of the Monmouth Bar Association for twenty years and Chair of the Board of Trustees of Ocean-Monmouth Legal Services, Inc. and Chair of the Monmouth Legal Aid Society. Early in his career he was a volunteer writer for the ACLU Journal. He received an award from the Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court for his legal representation of indigents. He was a decade’s long Board Member of Monmouth Cares, the County’s largest wraparound social services agency for children and young adults. He will be remembered for his personal legal wisdom, mentoring and generosity, as well as his independence and dedication to his clients and his unwavering integrity. His legal advice was a beacon of light to other attorneys and his clients.
He had a generous heart, calm demeanor and a subtle wit. He believed that injustice and bigotry were wrong. He represented the strong and the weak, but he never represented the strong against the weak. He was a devoted supporter of the LGBTQ Community and Black Lives Matter.
He most enjoyed being a volunteer cook at the St. James and St. Luke’s Food Kitchens in Long Branch.
Richard loved his family.
He was predeceased by his parents, Sigmund S. Keil, MD and Anne F. Keil and his beloved bride, Kathleen R. Keil.
Surviving are his two daughters, Stephanie S. and Samantha R., his grandson, Damian A. Keil and a brother and sister-in-law, Allan R. Keil and Leslie Keil.
Services will be private by the Fiore Funeral Home, Oakhurst. The Monmouth Bar Association will hold a memorial service at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Bradley Food Pantry, 605 4th Avenue, Bradley Beach, NJ 07720 or St. Luke’s United Methodist Church Food Kitchen, 535 Broadway, Long Branch. For condolences, please visit www.fiorefuneralhomes.com.
To plant a memorial tree in honor of Richard M. Keil, please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.
Jose M. Toro, age 77 who lived in Oceanport, passed away on Saturday, May 28th 2022, peacefully surrounded by his loving family. Jose was born in Utuado, Puerto Rico on June 1st 1944. He met his wife of 56 years, Carmen Rivera, and moved to Long Branch where they raised their three wonderful sons. Jose was an extremely hard worker as he owned his own lawn service and worked as a truck driver until he was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago. He was predeceased by his son, Edwin in 1969. He is survived by his wife, Carmen, his three sons, Jose Jr, Luis, and Miguel, his five granddaughters, Natalie and Natasha who he adopted and raised as his daughters, Kimberly, Elizabeth, and Ashley, his great grandson, Gabriel, and his dog, Prince.
Jose was a calm, kind, and warmhearted spirit as he never turned away family. You could find him watching TV and drinking beer in the garage after work. Jose loved to make jokes and talk to everyone he met. Jose’s warmth, patience, and laugh will never be forgotten as it lives in his amazing legacy. Rest in Peace to an extraordinary husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather.
Relatives and friends are invited to visit from 4-7 pm Wednesday at the Fiore Funeral Home, 882 Broadway, West Long Branch. There will be a prayer service at 10:30 am Thursday at the funeral home followed by burial at Woodbine Cemetery in Oceanport. For condolences, please visit www.fiorefuneralhomes.com.
To send flowers to the family of Jose Toro, please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.
Gregory M. Sienkiewicz, 69, of Tinton Falls, passed away on Sunday, May 15, 2022.
Born in Newark he lived in Monmouth County his whole life.
He was a cab driver in the Red Bank area for many years and was a US Navy veteran serving on the USS MacDonough during the Vietnam War.
He is predeceased by his parents, George and Jean Sienkiewicz and 2 brothers, Douglas and Mark Sienkiewicz.
Surviving are a sister, Jean and her husband Ralph Deavitt; a brother, Matthew Sienkiewicz and 4 nephews, Joshua and Brian Sienkiewicz and Michael and Raymond Deavitt.
Arrangements are private by the Fiore Funeral Home, Oakhurst. For condolences, please visit www.fiorefuneralhomes.com.
Moses Woods Jr. 70 of Long Branch, NJ passed away on Monday May 30, 2022. He was a loving father, grandfather and brother.
He is survived by his wife Susan Woods; daughters Susan Wood Jr., Toni Woods and son Christopher Woods; sisters Edna Moore and Sara Hartsgrove and brother John Sexton; grandkids Miguel Ramos, Brianna Burgess, Faith Burgess, Aiden Woods, Jaylan Fitzgerald, Gerard Woods and Carter Fitzgerald.
Stanley R. Mooney, Sr., 91, passed away peacefully on Sunday May 22, 2022, surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Baltimore, MD to the late William and Marie G. Mooney. Stanley was a graduate of Long Branch High School where he gained the lifelong nickname of Monk. He was a standout three sport athlete (football, basketball and track) holding the record in hurdles for many years. He was inducted into the Long Branch High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame. After graduating high school, he served in the US Army during the Korean War from 1950-1953 receiving 4 bronze medal stars. After being honorably discharged he worked various jobs including Thomas Proctor, Chandler and Maps, Monmouth Park and Brookdale College. He was also a volunteer firefighter for the Atlantics Firehouse, later serving as Captain from 1979 through 1992 remaining active many years after.
Stanley’s favorite past time was fighting fires and the Penn Relays. As a high school student, Stanley ran the relays and as an adult it became an annual family tradition to attend. Stanley was known for fighting fires with a cigar! He would always greet you with a smile and a laugh. All that knew him- knew him to be a great man. He was a devoted father, husband and grandfather. He loved all of his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
He was predeceased by his parents William Sr. and Marie G. Mooney, his loving wife of 61 years, Jacqueline Mooney, his brothers William Mooney Jr. and Norman Cecil Mooney, his sister Joan Scott, his son Albert Robinson, his daughters Hansen Robinson and La Trelle Jacqueline Mooney.
Stanley leaves to cherish his memory, his son and daughter-in-law, Stanley R. Mooney Jr. and Tamara Mooney; step-children Stanley Downs, Carolyn Dennis, Nadine Davenport; his sister-in-law, Betty Pearson of South Carolina; his grandchildren, Michael Monahan, Jerome Stevenson Sr., Cydney Mooney, Myles Mooney, Isaiah Mooney, Alanah Gaines and Akeel Gaines; great-grandchildren, Janna Stevenson, Kiara Stevenson, Jerome Stevenson Jr., Mason Mooney and Messiah Mooney; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and people he loved.
