Obituaries

Steven Wilhelm Ruzicka, age 90, recently of Middletown, New Jersey, formerly of Little Silver, New Jersey, passed away peacefully on November 5, 2024.

Steven was born (1933) in Long Branch, New Jersey. Having lived in Red Bank, New Jersey most of his life and graduating from Red Bank High School in 1952, Steven was proud of his Red Bank roots as his family settled in Red Bank in the early 1900’s. Steven then married the love of his life, Barbara Brooks-Ruzicka, also of Red Bank in 1957. Their love story lasted 66 years until Barbara’s passing in 2023.  Steven spent two years in the US Army, was a member of the Little Silver Volunteer Fire Department for many years, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Red Bank and the Year Round Sportsman’s Club. His love for the outdoors and passion for hunting and fishing were his great joys.

Diane C. McVitty, age 73 of Oceanport, passed away on November 4th, 2024.

Born Diane Davis in Vineland, NJ, on May 20th, 1951, she was a graduate of Vineland High School, and went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Diane enjoyed classical music and played the piano from a young age. Her favorite band was the Beatles. Diane also enjoyed gardening, and was an expert at crossword puzzles.

“In all my life, I never heard him utter an unkind word.” This is what people say when they learn that Donald Louis Warren went to his heavenly home on October 28, 2024. Often described as kind, witty, hard working, sweet, handy, photogenic, faithful and always a gentleman, he was a shining light to all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Donald, or Don as he was affectionately known, was fiercely devoted to his family. He spent countless hours investing in his children and grandchildren’s passions. He was their biggest fan, always cheering them on at swim meets, baseball and basketball games, musicals, and so much more. He enjoyed coaching his son’s baseball teams and volunteering at summer swim meets. Don was an avid sports fan, and could always be found listening or watching his beloved Yankees, Giants and Duke’s basketball team.

Gloria Ann Doughty (Hoffman) passed away peacefully at Christiana Hospital, Delaware on October 26, 2024. She was 93. She died quickly and peacefully after a very brief illness. She was born and raised in Rahway, NJ on August 19, 1931. She graduated from Rahway High School and worked as an executive secretary for Merck for many years. She met her husband Richard “Dick” Doughty on the beaches of Seabright NJ where he was a lifeguard. They were married for 64 years at the time of his passing in 2020 at the age of 93.

Connor Richard Smith, 29, of St. Paul, Minnesota, formerly of Red Bank, New Jersey, passed away peacefully from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident on October 18th, 2024 surrounded by his loving family and closest friends. Connor was born on October 18th, 1995 in Red Bank, New Jersey to Sean and Elaine Smith.

Edward Joseph Harrington passed away peacefully on Tuesday, October 22, 2024 at Monmouth Medical Center. He was surrounded by his loving wife and two daughters after a brief illness.  Ed was born on May 13, 1941 in Throggs Neck, NY to Edward R. and Margaret (Woulfe) Harringtion. He was the youngest of three children and he always spoke fondly of growing up in the Bronx. His father worked for the developing NY Railroad as an engineer while his mother, who came to the US from County Kerry, Ireland at the age of 17 was a nurse. His mother was a pioneer as one of the few “working moms” at the time.  

William "Billy" R. Ryan of Red Bank, 77, passed away on October 19, 2024, at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, surrounded by his family.  He is survived by his beloved wife of 53 years, Susan Ryan, his son and daughter-in-law Christopher and Erica Ryan of Little Silver, his daughter and son-in-law Abbie and Michael Loughran of Shrewsbury, his grandson Ryan and granddaughters Jordan and Samantha. 

Louis Bernard Hughes, Jr., age 86, passed away peacefully on October 14, 2024 in Little Silver, NJ. Born on August 29, 1938 to Louis and Sara Hughes in Elmira, NY, Lou was a devoted husband to his beloved wife, Carol, with whom he shared nearly seventy years of marriage. Together, Lou and Carol defied the odds and overcame all obstacles to build their lasting legacy: a family of five children, eighteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Lou faced tragedy early in life when his father passed away, leaving him as the 14-year-old eldest of his three siblings. This loss set Lou on a path of resiliency and grit that would define him until his last days. With Carol by his side, Lou grew into a man of strength, both in body and spirit, never shying away from life's toughest challenges.

Mary Elisabeth Dean, Ph.D., 90, passed away peacefully on June 11, 2024, in Red Bank, NJ.

She was born in Englewood, NJ in 1933, to Jesse P. and Marguerite A. (Jossier) Dean. She attended the Academy of the Holy Angels and The College of Saint Elizabeth (AB 1955). She was awarded a fellowship to attend Purdue University (MS 1957), where she met her first husband, Earle W. Orr, Jr., Ph.D. Their first daughter, Mary Siobhan Orr, died in infancy. They later had two more children together. Earle, a professor of economics and a transportation specialist, took a job in Dacca, East Pakistan (now Dhaka, Bangladesh). The family lived in Bangladesh for two years, during which time Mary Elisabeth worked as the Director of Counseling at the Dacca American Society School.

Mary Elisabeth returned to Middletown, NJ with her children in 1964. She got a job as a teacher and then a guidance counselor at Lloyd Road Middle School in Matawan, NJ. She was promoted to Guidance Counselor, Director of Guidance, and finally Director of Career Development for the Matawan-Aberdeen School District (1968-1980). She was also an instructor in the Graduate School of Education at Seton Hall University in West Orange, NJ from 1968-1970.