HK Project Seeks Donations for Family of Deceased CHS Grad

Family of Cassandra Duke '11 need help to afford her burial.

  HK Project is coordinating a fundraising drive to help the family of a recently deceased Columbia High School alumna to bury their granddaughter. Cassandra Duke, 20 years old, passed away on January 23 from complications of the flu and pneumonia. After her parents died (her mother passed away just six weeks after she was born), Cassandra was raised by her grandmother, Carolyn. Raised in Maplewood, Cassandra went to Seth Boyden Elementary School and Maplewood Middle School. As a child, she studied dance at the Burgdorff Center and was a pee-wee cheerleader. She graduated from CHS in 2011. Her family has held a small family service at the Chapels of Eden Funeral Home in East Orange, but are unable to complete the funeral arrangements. HK …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

William "Chip" Madsen Will Be Memorialized Saturday

Service will be held at Morrow Church on Saturday for this longtime South Orange - Maplewood resident

William “Chip” Madsen of Maplewood passed away on Saturday, January 19, 2013 after a relentless fight with metastasized melanoma cancer.  Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Memorial Service at Morrow Memorial United Methodist Church, 600 Ridgewood Rd., Maplewood, on Sat, January 26th at 11:00 AM.   Chip never did anything without energy, commitment and passion.  He married his college sweetheart and remained passionately in love with her until the end.  He was a classically trained musician who was a professional opera singer in Germany and the United States for several years.  In recent years, his passion was his fierce belief in social justice for all, advocating for the betterment of children’s lives and mentoring young …

•  3 Comments
• Photos (1)

Former South Orange Detective, Resident Remembered

Saverio “Sal” T. Bollaro, 88, passed away on Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Saverio “Sal” T. Bollaro, 88, of Jackson passed away on Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township. Sal was born and raised in Newark and had lived and raised his family in South Orange before moving to Jackson in 2003. He was a US Army veteran serving in the Signal Corp (Jasco) in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Sal retired in 1987 as a Detective Lieutenant for South Orange Police Department after 30 years of service. He was a life member of the P.B.A. Local 12. Sal was predeceased by his daughter-in-law, Joanne Bollaro.  He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Mary A. Bollaro of Jackson; two sons, Thomas Bollaro and his wife, Diana of Jackson and Mark Bollaro of Point Pleasant; five grandchildren…

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Maplewood - South Orange to Remember Ann Thompson

Mother of three, beloved wife, Ann Thompson will be memorialized this Friday at St. George's.

  The following is from the family of Ann Thompson: We are sad to convey that Ann Thompson of Maplewood died suddenly on Thursday, November 29, 2012.  Ann was the wife of Steven Thompson and devoted mother of Samantha, a sophomore at Loyola University of Maryland; Andrew, a first-year student at Columbia High School; and Connor Thompson, a 6th-grader at Maplewood Middle School.  Ann was the daughter of Diane Kischell and the late Richard Kischell, and the sister of Robert Kischell, both of Connecticut.  Ann graduated from Drew University, Madison, NJ in 1982 with majors in German and Mathematics.  She began her 24-year career with Deutsche Bank as a clerk in the Trade Finance Department and moved up the ranks to her position as a well-…

• Photos (2)

CHS Alum Benjamin Greenfield Dies at 29

A security engineer for Google, Inc., extreme rock climber and snowboarder, Greenfield grew up in South Orange.

Kohl Angelo's Services Are Scheduled

The 12-year-old Maplewood resident will be memorialized on August 4

Kohl Douglas Angelo will be remembered on Saturday, August 4 with a funeral and a private burial ceremony. The 12-year-old Maplewood boy died on July 24 after a long battle with cancer. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, August 4, 2012 at 11 a.m. at Christ Church, 561 Springfield Avenue, Summit, NJ. According to his obituary, Kohl was a Maplewood Middle School student, a striker for the Cougar Soccer Club travel team, an accomplished viola and piano player, and an avid Xbox player. Kohl loved classical music, especially Mozart, the band Coldplay, the color yellow, and his naughty dog, Haley. Kohl dazzled everyone with his winning smile, quick wit and dry sense of humor, all of which he inherited from his grandfather, Doug. Kohl …

•  13 Comments
• Photos (1)

Kohl Angelo Passes Away

The 12-year-old Maplewood boy fought a brave battle against a rare cancer.

On Tuesday morning, 12-year-old Kohl Angelo -- Maplewood Middle School student, soccer player, brother to Austin and Branden, son to Kelly and Peter -- passed away after a long battle with cancer, according to a representative from the HK Community Fund. Kohl was diagnosed last winter with a rare brain tumor, D.I.P.G. or Diffuse Intrinsic Pons Glioma. He had been receiving treatment at St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis, TN and more recently, at NYU Cancer Institute. The Maplewood and South Orange communities rallied around the Angelo family, hosting Kick it Kohl fundraisers, art auctions, bakesales and other events. The HK Community Fund coordinated a donation initiative and matched contributions.   Tom Kerns of the HK Community …

•  11 Comments
• Photos (2)

Jersey Newspaper Pioneer Dead At 99

.

Reita Greenstone, Former Essex County Freeholder

Lived in Livingston, two-time board member who lobbied for women's and senior's rights, mental health issues.

Obituary: Allan "Rich" McAllister

A blogger for Patch and local volunteer passed away on Sunday.

[UPDATED: April 10 at 9:05 a.m. to include viewing, funeral arrangements] Allan "Rich" McAllister, 51, passed away on Sunday, April 8.  Rich wrote an inspirational blog for the Verona/Cedar Grove Patch, in which he described his life and the struggles he has faced. He was a quadriplegic, who lost his legs below his knees, the use of his hands, wrists and lower arms, as well as 60 percent of this throat but persevered. In one post, "Four Years Later, Here I Am", he details "496 straight days in three hospitals, two rehabilitation facilities, 22 operations and approximately $15 million dollars." But being a disabled person was far from all of who he was. McAllister was also a well-known local volunteer, including his work with the Cedar …

•  4 Comments
• Photos (1)

Fran Hopkins

4:58 pm on Monday, April 9, 2012

I am shocked and so sad to hear of Rich's death. His blog on the Verona-Cedar Grove Patch lifted my spirits many times when I felt down. In fact, I was ashamed of myself when I'd get discouraged by relatively trivial things (I'm unemployed and write a blog about it on Patch) because of Rich's courage and determination in the face of far greater difficulties. He generously shared these gifts with …   more ›