Obituaries

ROBERT BRUSCA, 69, of Middletown died Feb. 16 at home. He was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. He was a station foreman at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Jersey City, for 40 years, retiring in 1997. He was a communicant of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, New Monmouth section of Middletown. He served with the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was predeceased by his mother, Anna Fitzgerald Brusca; and a brother, Richard Brusca. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Margaret Driscoll Brusca of Middletown; five daughters and four sons-in-law, Catherine and Keith Carroll, and Patricia and Randy Paulikens, all of Manalapan, Peggy and Kevin McCormack, and Grace Brusca, all of Middletown; and Jennifer Brusca of Lake Hopatcong; a son, Robert Brusca of Middletown; his father, Salvatore Brusca of West Palm Beach, Fla.; two brothers, Raymond Brusca of Somers Point, N.Y., and Vincent Brusca of St. Louis, Mo.; a sister, Dolores Domnisch of Valley Stream, N.Y.; nine grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. A funeral liturgy was offered at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, New Monmouth. Entombment was at Holmdel Cemetery.

BIAGIO PARISI, 86, of Keyport died Feb. 17 at Victoria Health Care, Matawan. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., he resided in Freehold and Matawan prior to moving to Keyport several years ago. He was a maintenance worker for the Garden State Parkway, retiring in 1979. He was a communicant of St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, Keyport. He served with the U.S. Army during World War II. He was a life member of both the Hook and Ladder Fire Company, Matawan, and Matawan First Aid. He was predeceased by his first wife, Assunta Parisi; his second wife, Vera Parisi; and a brother, Emelio Parisi. He is survived by two brothers, Gaetano Parisi and James Parisi, both of Matawan; a sister, Marie Martin of Keyport; and one niece and nephew. A Mass of Christian Burial was offered at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, Keyport. Interment was at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Middletown.

L. PETER STOUT JR., 63, of the Lincroft section of Middletown died Feb. 19 at home after a battle with cancer. Born in Red Bank, he lived in Shrewsbury and Red Bank before moving to Lincroft in 1968. He was a union electrician, and president and co-owner of Electro Maintenance, Inc., Red Bank, the past 16 years. Prior to that, he worked at Little Silver Electric for 23 years. He was a communicant and former usher at Trinity Episcopal Church, Red Bank. He was a member and past master of Navesink Masonic Lodge No. 9, Red Bank. A private pilot, he flew for more than 20 years and was a member of the Jersey Aero Club. He also enjoyed motorcycling and was a ham radio operator. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Judith Osprey Stout of Lincroft; his daughter, Jeanine Stout of Tinton Falls; his brother, Edward Stout of Felton, Del.; and three sisters, Shirley Jenkins and Linda Kemble, both of Shrewsbury Township, and Lorraine Choma of Fair Haven. Memorial donations may be made to the Visiting Nurse Association, Hospice Department, 141 Bodman Place, Red Bank 07701.

CRAIG MATTHEW ABBES, 35, of the Port Monmouth section of Middletown, died March 11 at home. Born in Red Bank, he was a lifelong resident of the Middletown/Port Monmouth area. A telephone technician, he was a communicant of St. Agnes Roman Catholic Church, Atlantic Highlands. He is survived by his wife of 13 years, Laurie L. Copple Abbes of Port Monmouth; his parents, Ronald C. and Sandra Craig Abbes of the Lincroft section of Middletown; two daughters, and sons, Kiley, Aubrey, Craig Jr. and Peter Abbes, all of Port Monmouth; three sisters, S. Carolyn Pelton of Toms River, Cheryl Kunze of Virginia Beach, Va., and Diane Costes of Alamo, Calif.; his brother, Ronald Abbes Jr. of Danville, Calif.; and his grandmothers, Gertrude Abbes of Holmdel and Alice Craig of Martinez, Calif. A funeral liturgy was offered at St. Agnes Roman Catholic Church, Atlantic Highlands.

ANTHONY J. ASTERINO, 93, of the Cliffwood section of Aberdeen died March 13 at Riverview Medical Center, Red Bank. Born in Trenton, he resided in Newark, and Nanicoke, Pa., prior to moving to Cliffwood in 1966. He was a batch maker at Inter Chemical Corp./BASF Corp., Newark, retiring in 1966. He served with the U.S. Army during peacetime, serving at Scofield Barracks, Hawaii, and also traveled through the Panama Canal. He was an avid boxer and was a featherweight boxing champion while in Hawaii. He was predeceased by his wife, Mary E. Asterino in 1991. He is survived by three daughters, Marion Stegner of Florida, Evelyn Smith of Massachusetts, and Margaret Laschi of Cliffwood; eight grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandson. A Mass of Christian Burial was offered at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, Keyport. Interment was at St. Catharine’s Cemetery, Sea Girt.

MILDRED T. LACH GARELICK, 81, of Keyport died March 13 at home. Born in Philadelphia, she resided in Bayonne prior to moving to Keyport 15 years ago. She was a homemaker. Prior to that, she and her husband were proprietors of a Bayonne candy store until retirement in 1965. She was predeceased by her husband, Harry M. Garelick in 1951. She is survived by her daughter, Diane Tracy of the Morganville section of Marlboro; her sister, Freida Walinski of Bayonne; two brothers, Chester Lach of Old Bridge, and Henry Lach of Brick; four grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. Day Funeral Home, Keyport, was in charge of funeral arrangements.

LAUREN PATRICIA KILBRIDE BREWER, 39, of Middletown died March 9 in Aberdeen. Born in Hazlet, she resided in the Middletown area for the past three years. She was a salesperson at Barnes & Noble Bookstore, Holmdel. She is survived by two sons and one daughter, Evan McCauley, Ryan McCauley, and Korey McCauley, all of Carey, N.C.; her mother, Barbara Van Riper of Barnegat; her father, Richard Kilbride of Lincoln Park; her sister and brother-in-law, Tracy Kilbride-Hamilton and James Hamilton of Manahawkin; her stepfather, Kenneth Van Riper of Barnegat; her stepmother, Patti Kilbride of Lincoln Park; and her grandmother, Frieda Sheets of Middletown. Memorial donations may be made to American Diabetes Association, 200A Cottontail Lane, Somerset 08873.

WILLIAM A. MEEHAN SR., 63, of the West Keansburg section of Hazlet died March 9 at home. Born in Newark, he resided there before moving to West Keansburg 36 years ago. Mr. Meehan was an auto mechanic and transmission specialist at Sullivan Auto Center, Manasquan, and Village Automotive, Point Pleasant, for the past 10 years. Prior to that, he managed and worked at various transmission specialty shops in Monmouth County over the past 40 years. He was a communicant of St. Ann’s Roman Catholic Church, Keansburg. He enjoyed spending time with his family and grandchildren. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Patricia Hosey-Meehan of West Keansburg; his daughter and son-in-law, Tamira and David Meehan-Daub of Holmdel; two sons and one daughter-in-law, William A. Meehan Jr., and Craig and Claudia Meehan, all of Hazlet; two brothers, Patrick Meehan and John Meehan; and six sisters, Joan DeLuca, Margaret Evaristo, Ceil Herman, Joyce Blank, Evelyn Majewski and Jeanette Meehan. Interment was at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Keyport.

RITA N. VanHART SCULLY, 83, of South Amboy died Feb. 28 in Regency Park Nursing Center, Hazlet. Her husband, William A. Scully, died in 1993. Surviving are three stepsons, William Scully and James Scully, both of South Amboy, and Richard Scully of Monroe; and three cousins, Leo Kelly and William Kelly, both of Sterling, Va., and Ed Kelly of Maitland, Fla. A Mass was offered at St. Mary’s Church, South Amboy, Entombment was in St. Mary’s Mausoleum, also South Amboy.

HELEN BUTZKO ADAMIEC, 76, of Old Bridge died Feb. 28 at home. Her husband, Thomas Joseph Adamiec, died in 1994. Surviving are a son, Mark Adamiec of Old Bridge; a daughter, Ann Marie Wroblewski of Old Bridge; a brother, Joseph Butzko of Perth Amboy; a sister-in-law, Ethel Butzko of Matawan; three grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. A Mass was offered at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Old Bridge. Interment was in Holy Cross Burial Park, South Brunswick.

JEAN O. BAECHTLE, 83, of Union Beach died March 5 at home following a long illness. Born in Newark, she resided in Union, Hillside and Red Bank before moving to Union Beach to live with her daughter’s family. Mrs. Baechtle was employed at Bristol-Myers Squibb for more than 40 years prior to retirement. Her activities included spending time with her family, and serving as an advocate for animal and environmental rights. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Karen J. and James P. McGuinness of Union Beach; three grandchildren; and one great-grandson. Memorial donations may be made to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, 501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510.

VICTOR DAVID COSKEY JR., 65, of Colts Neck, died March 1 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Pa. Born in New Brunswick, he lived in North Brunswick before moving to Colts Neck 30 years ago. He graduated from New Brunswick High School and the RCA Institute in New York City. He served in the military at Fort Dix and Fort Monmouth where he taught electronics. He worked at Westinghouse Co., where he was instrumental in the development of color television, before starting his own business, Coskey’s Radio & Television Sales and Services, now known as Coskey Electronic Systems, in North Brunswick. He was a choir director for several area churches, including East Brunswick Assembly of God and Freehold Assembly of God. He was a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Surviving are his wife of 44 years, Judy Mae Watson Coskey; one son and daughter-in-law, Victor David III and Tanya Coskey of Tinton Falls; two daughters, Amy Coskey of Freehold and Stephanie Coskey of Red Bank; a brother and sister-in-law, Richard and Diane Coskey of St. Louis; and three grandchildren. Funeral services were held at Full Gospel Church in Wall Township, followed by interment in Van Liew Cemetery, North Brunswick.