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Robert Kulpa
Robert J. Kulpa, 52, of Rahway died June 17 at home.
Born in Elizabeth, Mr. Kulpa lived in Clark and Scotch Plains before moving to Rahway a year ago. He owned Accent Painting Co., Rahway, for 30 years.
Mr. Kulpa was the former president of the Painters and Builders Association of Scotch Plains. He graduated from the berkeley College of Music, Boston, Mass. Mr. Kulpa was a Little League coach in Scotch Plains.
Surviving are a son, Daniel; his mother, Helen Kulpa, and a brother, Thomas.
Leonora Brzezinski
Leonora D. Brzezinski, 67, of Linden died June 16 in Overlook Hospital, Summit.
Born in Irvington, Mrs. Brzezinski lived in Newark before moving to Linden in 1969. She was a longtime teacher in the Maplewood school system.
Mrs. Brzezinski taught at the Seth Boyden School from 1968 to 1991 and then at the Maplewood Middle School before retiring in 1994. Before that, she taught in Orange from 1962 to 1968 and in West Milford Township from 1960 to 1962.
Mrs. Brzezinski was elected to the third edition of “Who’s Who Among American Teachers” in 1994. She graduated from Montclair State University in 1960 and was certified in business education and elementary education. Mrs. Brzezinski was a member of the National Education Association and the New Jersey and South Orange-Maplewood Education associations.
Surviving is a sister, Marilyn Neals.
John Curlik
John Curlik, 90, of Westfield, formerly of Linden, who formed a diamond recycling company in Linden, died June 16 at home.
Born in Elizabeth, Mr. Curlik lived in Linden before moving to Westfield four years ago. He formed the Martin Alloys Corp., Linden, specializing in recycling diamonds and tunsten, and was actively working with the company until four years ago. Mr. Curlik previously was an engineer for Phelps Dodge Corp., Elizabeth and South Brunswick, for many years until 1973. He was an Army veteran of World War II.
Surviving are his wife of 65 years, Margaret; a daughter, Margaret Biendulf; a son, Martin, and four grandchildren.
Audrey Robinson
Audrey Robinson, 70, of Rahway died June 16 in the Meadowview Care Center, Monroe Township.
Born in Kenilworth, Mrs. Robinson lived in Avenel for 18 years before moving to Rahway a year ago. She was a nurse’s aide at the Delaire Nursing and Convalescent Center in Linden for more than 10 years.
Surviving are two sons, Edward and Steven, and five grandchildren.
Jack Saplenza
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Jack Saplenza, 85, a lifelong resident of Rahway, died June 18 in Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Rahway.
Mr. Saplenza was a buyer for JC Penny in New York City for 15 years before retiring many years ago. He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Rutgers University, New Brunswick.
Mr. Saplenza received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Rutgers University, New Brunswick. He was an Army Air Corps veteran of World War II. He was a captain in the European Theater.
Surviving are a daughter, Anna Gargon; two sons, Louis and James; a sister, Rose Saplenza; a brother, Vito, and four grandchildren.
Rose Marie Thelen
Rose Marie Thelen, 73, of Brick, former long-time resident of Roselle, died June 18 at home.
Born in Elizabeth, Mrs. Thelen lived in Roselle for 40 years before moving to Brick 10 months ago. She was a member of Sweet Adelines from 1980 to 1998 and performed at Carnegie Hall in 1990. Mrs. Thelen was a member of the New Jersey State Chorus many years ago.
Surviving are three sons, Stephen, Jeffrey and Richard; a brother, Robert Rimini; a sister, Jean Ametelli, and four grandchildren.
Frank Wozniak
Frank W. Wozniak, 86, of Roselle died June 17 in Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick.
Born in Olyphant, Pa., Mr. Wozniak lived in Newark before moving to Roselle in 1952. He was a purchasing manager with Emerson Quiet-Kool, Avenel, where he worked for 28 years before retiring in 1986.
Surviving are a son, Ronald, and a sister, Eleanor Livingston.
Barbara Jablonski
Barbara A. Jablonski of Linden died on April 29.
Surviving are a son, James; three daughters, Irene Gustofson, Leona Emerick and Ruthann Heller; a sister, Catherine Nagy; 14 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Robert Walker Sr.
Robert James Walker Sr., 43, of Rahway, formerly of the Vauxhall section of Union, died June 15 at home.
Born in Buffalo, N.Y., Mr. Walker lived in Paterson and Vauxhall before moving to Rahway. He was a truck driver with Exxon Corp., Linden. Mr. Walker served in the Navy from 1985 to 1989.
Surviving are his wife, Sandra; two sons, Robert James Jr. and Tyler; a stepdaughter, Channell Riley; two brothers, Kenny Walker and Milton Bland, and two sisters, Linda Byrd and JoAnn Marks.
Matthew Osada
Matthew P. Osada, 94, of Linden died June 19 in Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick.
Born in Poland, Mr. Osada came to the United States in 1913 and lived in Long Island before moving to Linden 54 years ago. He co-managed with his wife of 54 years, Olga, Fedirko’s Trailer Court, Linden, until it closed in the 1980s. Mr. Osada was a chemical operator at Merck Pharmaceuticals, Rahway, for 25 years before retiring in the 1960s.
He was a baker at Osada Bakery, a family-owned business, in various locations in New Jersey and Long Island. During World War II, Mr. Osada worked at a General Motors defense plant on an assembly line.
Also surviving are two sons, Richard M. and Linden Police Detective Robert Osada; a daughter, Barbara A. Gilbert; a sister, Sophie Mack; nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Caroline Bianco
Caroline Bianco, 84, of Rahway died June 18 in Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Rahway.
Born in DuPont, Pa., Mrs. Bianco lived in Rahway for many years. She was a window decorator in New York City many years ago.
Surviving are four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Angela Jakucs
Angela Jakucs, 83, of Wall Township, formerly of Linden, a retired Linden school teacher, died June 19 in the Sunnyside Manor, Wall.
Born in Elizabeth, Mrs. Jakucs lived in Linden before moving to Wall Township. She was a teacher in the Linden school system for more than 20 years before retiring.
Mrs. Jakucs graduated magna cum laude from the College of Saint Elizabeth in Convent Station and was listed in “Who’s Who Among College Students” in 1943. She was a member of the alumnae association of the college. Mrs. Jakucs also belonged to the Parent-Teachers Association in Linden and the Parents Guild of St. John’s Church in Clark.
Surviving are her husband of 61 years, Al; two sons, Col. Robert A. Jakucs, USMC, and Col. Richard M. Jakucs, USMC; a daughter, Mary Lynn Ray; a brother, Dr. Nicholas Conforti, and six grandchildren.
Raymond Hodge Jr.
Raymond D. Hodge Jr., 89, of Rahway died June 20 in Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Rahway.
Born in Utica Mills, N.Y., Mr. Hodge moved to Rahway in 1960. He was a material clerk at Merck & Co., Rahway, for 37 years before retiring in 1974. Mr. Hodge served in the Army during World War II and was a member of the Quarter Century Club of Merck & Co. and the Retired Men’s Club, Rahway.
Surviving are two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Joan M. Collins
Joan M. Collins, 83, of Rahway died June 21 in the Bayshore Health Care Center, Holmdel.
Born in Brooklyn, Mrs. Collins lived in Cranford before moving to Rahway in 1954. She was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the American Legion Post 5, Rahway.
Surviving are a daughter, Sharon Farrell; two sons, Virgil E. III and John W.; a sister, Peggy Voss, and two grandchildren.
Eleanor Hribar
Eleanor Hribar, 79, of Cranford, formerly of Roselle, active in Roselle parish groups, died June 21 at home.
Born in Hughestown, Pa., Mrs. Hribar lived in Hoboken for 15 years and Roselle from 1959 to 2002, when she moved to Cranford. She was an assistant vice president at the National State Bank in Elizabeth, where he worked for 20 years before retiring in 1989.
Mrs. Hribar was a graduate of the American Institute of Banking. She also was a member of the Westfield Historical Society, treasurer of the Westfield chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons and vice president of the Widowed Persons Activities group of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Mountainside. At St. Joseph the Carpenter Church, Roselle, Mrs. Hribar was president of the Rosary Society and the Mothers Club, a member of the parish finance committee and a Girl Scout leader.
Surviving are a son, James; a daughter, Patricia Martin, and six grandchildren.
William Connallon
William M. Connallon of Middletown, formerly of Roselle, a retired Roselle police captain, died June 23 in Riverview Medical Center, Red Bank.
Born in New York City, Mr. Connallon lived in Roselle before moving to the Shadow Lake Village section of Middletown.
He was a captain with the Roselle Police Department, where he served for 30 years before retiring.
Mr. Connallon then became an instructor of the Union County Bomb Squad and also served as director of security at Union County College, Cranford. He was responsible for organizing the Roselle Color Guard.
Mr. Connallon attended the New York City Police Training Facility to learn how to safely handle live bombs. He also attended fingerprint school and trained officers in the technique. Mr. Connallon was an Army veteran of World War II.
He served in the European Theater and was the recipient of the Air Medal and the European African Middle Eastern Service Medal. Mr. Connallon was a member of the St. Joseph’s Knights of Columbus, the St. Joseph’s Honor Guard, American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and was a past president of the Columbian Club and the Elks Lodge No. 233.
Surviving are his wife, Dorothy Daley; two sons, William R. and Joseph; two daughters, Marycatherine Noble and Dorothyann Connallon; two sisters, Eleanor Zub and Jean Harrington, and seven grandchildren.
Maryann Swierk
Maryann Swierk, 62, a lifelong resident of Rahway, retired Rahway teacher and counselor, died June 24 at home.
Miss Swierk was employed by the Rahway School District. She was a teacher and guidance counselor at Rahway High School and Rahway Middle School before retiring in 2004. Miss Swierk served from 1975 to 1985 as Rahway High School Guidance Department chairperson, and from 1985 to 1992, she was the district-wide guidance supervisor. She was a Sunday Student Enrichment Program instructor in Rahway.
Miss Swierk was the assistant girls’ basketball and girls’ softball coach in Rahway.
She graduated from Rider University, Lawrenceville, in 1965 and received a master’s degree in 1971 from Kean University, Union. Miss Swierk was a volunteer for the American Red Cross and was a Girl Scout leader in Rahway for many years. She was a member of the St. Anne’s Society at St. Mark’s Church, Rahway, where she also was a Eucharistic minister.
