Obituaries

Mary (Stanley) Santry of Little Silver passed away at age 95 on September 3, 2026.  She was born at home in Rumson the eighth child of Ellen (Hyland) and John Stanley. 

Mary attended the Lafayette Street School in Rumson and graduated from Rumson High School as a member of the National Honor Society.  Always active in sports, Mary’s favorite was field hockey.  Later, tennis, golf, boating and travel were enjoyed by she and her husband. 

Paul Ignatius Byrne, Jr., of Jupiter, FL, beloved husband, father, and grandfather passed away on September 7, 2026 at the age of 83. He previously resided in Old Tappan, NJ and Manasquan, NJ.

Raised in Maplewood, NJ, he attended St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark where he performed in many musical productions and was named to the NJ All-State Chorus. He remained a loyal supporter of The Prep where he served as a Class Ambassador for some 50 years.  Active in scouting, he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.   Paul went on to attend Seton Hall University, receiving his B.A. in History and his MBA from the Stillman School of Business.  He was a member of Phi Kappa Theta.  While an undergraduate, he enrolled in the university’s ROTC program and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army assigned to Military Intelligence and spent 3 years at the Army Security Agency headquarters in Arlington, VA. He retired at the rank of Captain. 

Joseph “Joe” Hrunka, of Manchester, NJ, formerly of Middletown and Jersey City, NJ, peacefully passed away on the morning of Saturday, September 5, 2026, after a courageous battle with lung cancer. Born on October 18, 1954, in Jersey City, NJ, he lived a full and unforgettable life.

Joe met the love of his life, Evelyn “Evy” Garrison, when they were very young in Jersey City. They married in 1974 and spent the next 52 years together, building a life in Middletown, NJ where they raised their five children.

At just 18 years old, Joe joined the United States Army and then continued his career in the Army Reserves retiring as a Sergeant at 60 years old. After his first battle with lung cancer, the Army eventually discovered what Joe had apparently neglected to mention, that he had been doing much of it with only one lung. In civilian life, Joe worked 31 years for the United States Postal Service as mail handler. 

Barry Henry Rizzo, Sr., 94, of Little Silver, New Jersey, joined the Lord on August 30, 2026, surrounded by his loving wife and children during his peaceful passing.

Barry is survived by his wife Linda Lott Rizzo; daughter Donna and son-in-law Erik Whalen of Brick, NJ; son Dr. Barry Rizzo, Jr. and daughter-in-law Meredith of Toms River; grandchildren Ryan and Charles Whalen and Alexandra, Katelyn and Gabrielle Rizzo; sister-in-law Aimee Rizzo of Stuart, FL;  sister- and brother-in law Joanne and Bill Bowman, brother- and sister-in-law Lew and Sherry Lott; nieces Dana Mayer, Andrea Mayer Emrich, Rachel Jane Lott, nephews Eric Mayer, Geoffrey Bowman, Peter Bowman, and  many great-grandnieces and nephews.

Barbara P. Salimbene, 86, (Smith) of Barnegat, NJ passed away on Wednesday, August 26, 2026.

Barbara was born in Newark, New Jersey,and  later relocated to North Brunswick NJ. She worked as a Housekeeping Manager at the Holiday Inn where she was recognized for her superior performance and hard work. Upon retiring she then moved to the Barnegat Area with her husband Roger.  Thereafter, she soon came out of Retirement to work with Starbound National Talent with family and friends.

Henry Dickson Mercer, Jr., 95, passed away peacefully at home in Rumson, New Jersey, on August 24, 2026. The devoted son of Henry D. and Catherine S. Mercer, Henry was born on June 28, 1931, in Passaic, New Jersey; nicknamed, Dick, by his parents. Dick attended Passaic Collegiate School, Montclair Academy, and The Lawrenceville School. He served in the U.S. Merchant Marine prior to enlisting in the Navy during the Korean War, where he served from 1951 to 1955. After honorable discharge, Dick obtained his Third Mate license in the U.S. Merchant Marine. He then joined States Marine Corporation, founded in 1930 by his father. States Marine ultimately became one of the United States’ largest privately owned maritime shipping companies. Dick held the position of Executive Vice President and Director. In addition, he was an active private investor until his final days. A further testament to lifelong learning, Dick was an avid reader of multiple daily newspapers and all genres of literature.

Richard “Rick” Flanagan, age 69, of Freehold Township, New Jersey, passed away on August 22, 2026, at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, New Jersey surrounded by his wife and daughters.

Rick was born on July 18, 1957, in Dayton, Ohio, to William and Lucille Flanagan. He pursued a lifelong interest in technology and business, earning a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Arizona State University and an MBA in finance from Monmouth University.

Rick built a successful career at Nokia Technologies where he served as a Senior Manager of Intellectual Property and Business Development. His work reflected both his technical expertise and his ability to bring together innovation, strategy and business.

Edward Lester Brett (Ed) of Fair Haven, NJ, died July 20, 2026 at the age of 71.

Born Dec 1, 1954, he lived the majority of his life in his hometown of Fair Haven. A graduate of Rumson-Fair Haven HS class of '73, he was an avid and professional photographer, drummer, and drum major. He was involved with the bagpipe world for over 25 years, spending time with both The Atlantic Watch and Allied Forces Foundation. Throughout his life he pursued many interests, from Boyscouts and Seascouts to fishing, to reenacting with the SCA, earning many awards and accolades in his years of participation. 

Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and good friend.  Janet H. DelCiello died peacefully at home on August 17, 2026 after a courageous battle with Parkinson’s Disease .  She was born in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City to the late Ethel and Harry Olson.  She graduated from Grover Cleveland High School and married Robert Del Ciello in 1968.  They moved to New Jersey in 1970 where they raised their two sons, Richard and Michael.  In addition to her full-time role as mother, Janet attended Brookdale Community College, became licensed as a registered nurse and worked at CentraState Medical Center. 

 Janet relocated to Westboro, MA, in 1979 and worked as a registered nurse at UMASS Medical Center and continued her education and earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at Lesley College.  She also began a career in the pharmaceutical industry.  She worked for G. D. Searle, Syntex Laboratories, Bristol Myers Squibb and Forest Laboratories.  She relocated back to NJ in 1992.

Christopher Muka, age 69, of Holmdel, New Jersey, passed away on August 11, 2026.

Christopher was born on December 26, 1956, in Trenton, New Jersey, to the late Leonard Muka and Carolyn Kennedy Muka.

Christopher will be remembered by those who knew him for his wonderful sense of humor and his ability to make people laugh. He was a beloved brother, uncle, and friend, and he leaves behind many memories that his family will continue to cherish.