Obituaries

Peter Pawlikowski, age 72, passed away on December 8, 2018, at Raritan Bay Medical Center with his wife and daughter Kristi by his side.  Peter was born in Bloomfield, NJ to George and Helen Pawlikowski.  Peter graduated from CBA and then served in the US Navy before graduating from Monmouth University with a degree in Business.  Peter has been the proud owner of the Oceanic Marina in Rumson, NJ, since 1992 working there since 1981.  Peter had a love of boats, the water, his Harley, telling stories and for enjoying life.  He was also a member of the Red Bank Elks and the Shrewsbury River Yacht Club.  

Loren D. Rabon, age 79, of Little Silver, NJ, passed away on December 4, 2018 at Allaire Rehab and Nursing, Freehold, NJ, after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease.  Loren was born in 1939 and raised in Kansas City, Kansas.  He competed in numerous sports during high school and at Dodge City Jr. College before joining the U.S. Marine Corps in 1958.  His service in USMC included his duty in special services playing on the Marine Corps Football Team, and a highlight of his life was being chosen to play for the Marine Corps All-Stars at the Keystone Bowl in Okinawa, which they won.  

After returning from service, Loren met and married Linda Cox, then returned to college and graduated from his beloved University of Kansas with a BFA degree in Industrial Design.  When he was transferred by Butler Mfg. Co. to be the International Sales Rep. in NYC, his family moved to Little Silver in 1967.  In 1970 he established his own design/build pre-engineered construction company, Pre-Structured Building Systems in Fair Haven, NJ, which he and Linda owned until their retirement in 2011. 

Dr. Joseph M. Kyrillos, of Red Bank, NJ, passed away peacefully in his sleep on December 3, 2018 at The Atrium at Navesink Harbor.

Devoted to his wife and children, he was a widely respected pediatrician, beloved by his family, friends, patients and all who knew him.  During his lifetime he was a global traveler, remaining close with his family in Lebanon, an avid gardener, a skilled bridge player and most recently, an accomplished painter.

Born in Byblos, Lebanon on December 11, 1929, he was graduated from College de la Sagesse in Beirut.  He went on to obtain his medical degree at Saint Joseph’s University, French Faculty of Medicine, and came to the United States to complete his residency in pediatrics at St. Michael’s Medical Center in Newark, NJ.

Dr. Kyrillos was married to Marguerite Kyrillos (nee Shlala) for more than 60 years.  They were married May 11, 1958.

A practicing pediatrician in Middletown for more than 50 years—first in private practice and later with the Medical Health Center of Middletown—he saw his last patients at age 85.

Juliet Procaccini Obsteins, 62, died peacefully at home on Monday, December 3^rd, overcome by her long battle with FTD (Frontaltemporal Degeneration).

Juliet leaves her husband of 32 years, Egils ‘Ed’ Obsteins, and her cherished son, Erik; her brother Charles Procaccini, sister-in law Elizabeth and niece, Christina; her mother-in-law Alida Obsteins.  Her loving caregiver of 3 years, Patti Travis; her devoted friend Kathy Alter, and the caring and kind staff of Meridian at Home Hospice Care who will all miss her; and her loving dog, Rosie, always at her side.   Juliet was preceded in death by her parents, Ralph and Rose Guilino Procaccini of West New York, NJ.

She and her brother, Charles, grew up in a very Italian neighborhood, in a 2-family house that her family shared with her paternal grandparents living upstairs. There was the traditional family dinner gathering of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins every Sunday at 2:00.

Lee A. Heinsius, age 62, passed away on Friday, November 30, 2018 at Riverview Medical Center after a long, courageous battle with lung disease. Lee was born in Neptune, New Jersey in 1956 and was the daughter of Howard A. Heinsius and the late Marilyn S. Heinsius.

Lee grew up in Rumson New Jersey and was a graduate of Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School. She received her bachelor's degree in Hotel Administration from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University. Lee then went on to have a very successful career as an Advertising Marketing Director for many world class hotels and travel destinations including RockResorts, Marriott International, Cunard Cruise Line, and the New York Palace Hotel. Her greatest joy though was working with her father at his advertising agency, Needham and Grohmann, in New York City.

Richard Sorrell, age 74, passed away on November 24, 2018 at Riverview Medical Center. Richard was born in Massena, NY in 1944 to the late Sherman Sorrell and Mary Margaret Ladd. He was predeceased by his cousin, Susan Andrew Sweet who grew up in the same house and was like a sister to him, and her parents, Russell Andrew and Elisabeth Andrew Schoeffel.

Richard was a wonderfully loving husband, father, and friend. Everyone who encountered Richard was touched by his kind and gentle manner; he would go out of his way to do anything and everything for both family and friends. Richard often remarked on how lucky he was.

Richard was the devoted husband of Sally Sorrell since 1968. He is survived by two sons and daughters-in-law, Peter Sorrell and Melanie Holm, and John Sorrell and Elaine Driscoll. Richard is also survived by his two adoring grandchildren, Willow and Heath.

Lynn M. Gonnello, born in 1945 in Staten Island, NY, passed away at home in Rumson, NJ, on Monday, November 19, 2018, after a long illness.  Lynn graduated from St. Peter’s Girl’s High School in Staten Island, received her Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Nursing and earned her Master’s Degree of Nursing from Monmouth University.  She was the Clinical Director of the Cardiac Cath Lab at Monmouth Medical Center until her retirement in 2010.  She made many friends while working at MMC and was appreciated for her many years of dedicated service and contributions to the success of the Cardiac Cath Lab.

Lynn is survived by her beloved husband of 49 years, Lawrence Gonnello, her devoted son, Lawrence Gonnello and his wife, Cara, of Jupiter, FL, along with her loving grandchildren, Julia, Matthew & Owen Gonnello.  Also surviving is her loving sister, Gail Hollywood, her adoring niece, Dana Lynn Hollywood, six caring nephews, Stephen, Joseph, William & Kevin Harding and Billy and Robert Hollywood, as well as her four-month old grandnephew, Jordan Thomas Hollywood, grandnephew Liam Harding and grandniece Elizabeth Harding.  Lynn was predeceased by her parents, William and Helen Harding, and her brother, Joseph Harding, of Staten Island.

Dr. J. Putnam “Put” Brodsky - Doctor, Sailor, Husband, Father, Friend

Dr. J. Putnam “Put” Brodsky, 88, recently of Shrewsbury passed away peacefully on November 20th following a short bout with lung cancer.  Born in Brooklyn, NY, Put was raised in Summit, NJ and attended the New York Military Academy. His family summered at the Jersey shore and ultimately moved to Rumson in 1952, the year he graduated from Princeton University. In 1953, he married the love of his life, Margaret “Peggy” Morse, with whom he raised three children.  Dr. Brodsky attended medical school at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York, and completed his training at NYC’s Bellevue Hospital and at Yale-New Haven Hospital. 

Li-Chieh “Li” Szema, 88 years, died on November 16^th at Millennium Memory Care in Holmdel, NJ.

Born on January 3, 1930, in Hunan, China, to the late Hsiang‐Shin Szema and C.Y. Lee, he was the youngest of five children and was predeceased by his 3 brothers Li-Wan “Yung Pien”, Li-Wu, Li-Gin, and sister, Li-Chen.

Li fled to Taiwan in 1948 on a ship with his oldest brother’s family during the Communist Revolution and served in the Taiwanese Air Force before graduating from Taiwan Provincial Cheng Kung University. He came to the United States and earned master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering from New Mexico State University and Applied Mechanics from Drexel University and attended Columbia University.  In NYC, he met and married his wife of 54 years, Alice Hsiu-Yun Liu, a doctoral student at NYU, on June 6, 1964.

Milton Badt, Jr., 90, passed away peacefully on November 2, with his beloved wife Lucia by his side.

Milton was born in Elko, Nevada, where he excelled in science, languages and music as a young student, passions that stayed with him throughout his life.  He won the prestigious Westinghouse Science Award, achieved the rank of Eagle Scout and spent memorable summers working as a cowhand at his beloved Uncle Selby’s ranch. He attended Harvard University and Stanford University, where he studied engineering and languages and then went on to serve in the United States Navy during the Korean War as an officer aboard the USS Helena. His knowledge of radar, electrical systems, gift for teaching and ability to speak fluent French, German, Spanish and Italian led him to a 32-year career with AT&T Bell Labs, Western Electric and Lucent Technology, including a stint at the 1980 Summer Olympics where he was a technical translator for the international press corps.   It was his fluency in Italian that brought him to Udine, Italy as part of the NATO Alliance, where - while on a lunch break from teaching NIKE radar systems at the Aviano Air Force Base -  he met the love of his life, Lucia Margarita Giacomini.