Obituaries

Oscar E. Hille, 96, of Fair Haven, died peacefully at home on September 2, 2016, surrounded by his loving family and friends. Oscar was an amazing man who led an amazing life, who kept his sense of humor, kindness and generosity shining to the end. Born in New York City to Elsa and Oscar Hille, the family moved to New jersey when he was a young child and remained living here his entire life, eventually raising his own family in Hillsdale and Montvale.

A member of the “Greatest Generation”, he helped his family through the struggles of being immigrant parents and the Depression. After graduating from High School, he attended Newark School of Engineering and Paterson Teacher’s College while working to help support his parents and siblings. In December 1941, a day after the attacks on Pearl Harbor, Oscar enlisted in the Army Air Force. He soon started training as a pilot in various flight schools on many different types of planes and eventually graduated as a Co-Pilot on the great Flying Fortress B-17 Bombers. He and a crew flew a new B-17 from the west coast of the U.S. with fueling stops, the last in Nova Scotia. They then flew across the northern Atlantic, at night, to England where all their flying missions would begin.

Dorothy (Dot) Kay, 88 years old, of Red Bank and Palm City, Florida, past away peacefully at home on September 5th 2016.

Born in East Orange, Dot spent her summers at the Jersey Shore where she met the love of her life Jack Kay. They married shortly after she graduated from Keyport High School. They were married almost 65 years and together they raised their two daughters in Lincroft and Rumson.

Dot was a former member of Deal Golf & Country Club, she was a 9 holer, a member of the (Deal Dolls) bowling group and an avid mahjong player which she loved playing with her wonderful group of Deal friends.

Dot loved games and puzzles and started her beloved grandchildren playing at an early age. She was devoted to her loving husband, daughters and grandchildren and was happiest in their company as well as with her pet and companion Pumpkin.

Joan Audrey Gootman Smith was born in 1932, in Richmond Hill Queens.  Her mother Mabel single handedly raised Joan and her sister Nancy instilling in them the importance of family, working hard, living simply, and trusting in God. These values informed Joan’s decision to dedicate her life as a Registered Nurse. She graduated from Norwegian Lutheran Hospital Nursing School in 1954. Throughout her career she nursed patients at Lutheran Medical Center, was a substitute school nurse in Middletown and Highlands school districts, and worked the night shift at the Navesink House. Joan was introduced to Todd A. Smith in early 1955. Todd was quickly enamored by Joan and sold his boat in order to purchase a diamond ring. The two wed on June 11, 1955. They lived in Richmond Hill NY, then Brooklyn, finally moving in 1966 to Red Bank, NJ where together they raised their three children, Alan, Carol and Linda. Joan became well known at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church where she was involved in the quilting ministry, was head of the Dorcas Circle, taught Sunday school and vacation bible school and sang in the choir for 30 years. She spent time at the Shrewsbury River Yacht Club or aboard one of Todd’s boats. Throughout the couple’s 61 years together the pair enjoyed taking boat trips up the Hudson from Red Bank to Kingston, NY, retreating to the family farmhouse in Fayetteville, NY, and simply being at home together.  It was at home where Joan peacefully succumbed to her nine year tumult with Alzheimer’s on August 30, 2016.

On August 25, 2016, John D. Koenig died at Bayshore Community Hospital in Holmdel, New Jersey after suffering a stroke.  He was most recently a resident of Bayside Manor (BM) in Keansburg, NJ.  He loved the staff and his fellow residents at BM and they became a second family to him.  He loved debating and teasing his friends and family about books, politics, sports, religion and anything that was politically incorrect.  He was hoping to make it to the election so he could do his patriotic duty and vote.  A lifelong Catholic, he attended mass and received the eucharist just before falling ill.  He was ready to meet his Maker.  He knew God existed because only a good and merciful God would have created beer.          

A long-time resident of Rumson and Red Bank, he was born at Doctors Hospital, New York City (NYC) -- the only child of George A. Koenig, M.D. and Helen Callaghan Koenig. He attended various NYC schools, graduating from Grammar School on Governors Island, during World War II, where his father served as a Colonel in the United States Army and also as Chief of the Governors Island Hospital.   His time on Governors Island was some of the happiest of his life.  It was on Governors Island that he became a life-long golfing enthusiast.  He then began, what was to be an 11 year educational odyssey with the Jesuits beginning at Xavier High School in NYC and continuing with St. Peter’s College, Jersey City and then Fordham University Law School. Before entering Law School he served a combat tour as an Artillery officer in the United States Marine Corps.  He fought in the Nevada Triangle (Korea) in March 1953.  

Benjamin A. Lappino, 86 of Eatontown, passed away on August 22, 2016, at home.  Benjamin was born in Jersey City to Mario and Margaret Lappino.  He graduated Thomas Jefferson High School in Elizabeth and attended Newark College of Engineering.  Benjamin worked for the former Union Osteopathic Hospital and then as a VP of Corp Facilities at JFK Hospital in Edison from 1968 until his retirement in 1995.  He served in the Air Force from 1950 to 1954.

Benjamin was a Member and Past Commander of the Shrewsbury Power Squadron and a Member of the National Rifle Society.  He was a communicant of St. Dorothea’s RC Church in Eatontown.

He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Elizabeth “Betty” Lappino; his son, Mario Lappino of Elizabeth; his daughter, Judith Lappino Lee and husband John of Edison; sister, Doris Bonavitacola and her husband Frank of Colonia; and granddaughter, Kayla Lappino.  He is also survived by a niece and three nephews.

Jim Clark, 86, of Jackson, NJ, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Friday, August 19, at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. Born in 1929, in Los Angeles, CA to Les and Irene Clark, he lived his life in California, Puerto Rico, and ultimately settled in New Jersey.

Jim is survived by his wife of 66 years, Jeanne, sons Mark (Cindy) and Dana (Bobbi), and 6 grandchildren Heidi (John), Casey, Alaina, Greg (Caymee), Killian, and Devin, nieces Tiffany (Ben) and Shannon (Juan), and 3 great grandchildren.

Craig L. Scanlan, 69, of Rumson, passed away on Wednesday, August 17. He was born in East Orange, New Jersey, to his parents, the late Edwin L. and Jacqueline Bush Scanlan. Craig grew up in Little Silver and was a resident of Rumson for the past 25 years.

He was a graduate of Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts; Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania; and completed his doctoral studies at Rutgers University. Craig was a faculty member at Brookdale Community College and established the respiratory therapy program there. After obtaining his doctorate, he took a faculty position at NJ’s academic health sciences center, now part of Rutgers. During his 31-year tenure at Rutgers (UMDNJ), he participated in education research, grant writing, book authoring, and PhD advisement in addition to teaching. He was an accomplished author and well-respected in his field, having published numerous academic articles and several textbooks. He frequently spoke and presented at both medical and academic institutions. He was the inaugural inductee into the Master Educator’ Guild at UMDNJ and was voted outstanding faculty member several times. He was also the recipient of numerous professional and academic awards. Since retiring in 2011 as Professor Emeritus, he continued to author textbooks and participate in professional activities to advance the field of pulmonary medicine through computer simulations and online education.

Maryann T. Blihar of Highlands, NJ, passed away after a courageous battle with heart disease on Tuesday, August 16, 2016 at Calvary Hospice in Bronx, NY. She retired as a professional sales representative from Commerce Clearing House Inc., a tax and business law corporation. A devoted mother, she leaves behind three children: Helene M. Kenney and Robert J. Blihar, both of Red Bank, and Michael W. Blihar of West Long Branch; three beloved grandchildren: Danika R. Kenney, Christian J. Pritzlaff, and Alec Blihar; three sisters: Helene Candino, Rosemarie Korbelak and Joan Lope, as well as two brothers-in-law, Raymond Candino and Peter Lope; and many nieces and nephews and their families.

Patricia Kenny Wiseman, age 82, of Monmouth Beach, passed away peacefully on Monday, August 15th, 2016 at Monmouth Medical Center in New Jersey. She formerly resided in Middlesex, NJ, and in Massapequa Park, NY.

She was born in 1933 in Brooklyn, N.Y. to Richard and Catharine Leonard Kenny. She graduated from Bishop McDonnell Memorial High School in 1951 and C.F. Young Secretarial School. In 1953, she married the late Brendan Wiseman, and they had three children.

She leaves behind her loving children Jean Pfeffer (Frank), Mary Bakoyiannis (Tom), and Brendan Wiseman, grandchildren Kate and Elizabeth Pfeffer, and Paul and Nina Bakoyiannis, siblings Anita Fishbone and Gerard Kenny, and numerous nieces and nephews. Her husband of thirty-six years, Brendan Wiseman, and her siblings Jean Kenny, Grace Kenny Schwartz, and Richard Kenny precede her in death.

Nancy DeGeorge, Age 55 of Ocean Twp, passed away on August 11, 2016.  Nancy was born in Red Bank to Joseph and Donna Roslyn.  She was a homemaker who loved to cook and garden.

She is survived by her husband of 28 years Louis H. DeGeorge; daughter Nicole; brother Thomas Roslyn of Long Branch; brother-in-law Howard DeGeorge and his wife Susan of Oakhurt; sisters-in-law Mary Sauer and her husband John of Oceanport, Patricia Douglas and her husband Dennis of Toms River and Robyn Reilly of Long Branch; and several nieces and nephews.