Obituaries

The Rev. Samuel C. LaPenta Sr.

The Rev. LaPenta, 84, of Old Bridge, formerly of Colts Neck, died Aug. 21 in the Reformed Church Home, Old Bridge. Ordained in 1961, he served the Colts Neck Reformed Church until his retirement in 1985. A son, Samuel Chris LaPenta Jr., died in 1984. Surviving are his wife, Jean Crouthamel LaPenta; a son, David of Philadelphia; two daughters, Jean LaPenta of Jackson and Beth Cavanaugh of Connecticut; a brother, Virgil of Galloway; a sister, Toni Hoffman of Philadelphia; and six grandchildren. Services were held at Colts Neck Reformed Church. Interment was in the church cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Colts Neck Reformed Church, P.O. Box 57, Colts Neck, NJ 07722, or to the Reformed Church Home, 1990 Route 18, Old Bridge, NJ 08857.

Alexander L. Olender

Mr. Olender, 89, of South River, died Aug. 27 at home. Prior to his retirement in 1978, he was employed as a chemical operator with Hercules Inc., Parlin section of Sayreville, where he worked for 42 years. Surviving are his wife, Mary Katherine Pacewicz Olender; a son, Ronald Olender of Howell; two daughters, Ann Marie Puchala of Old Bridge and Claire Olender of South River; two sisters, Veronica Nelson and Lottie Slover, both of Sayreville; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. A Mass was offered at St. Mary of Ostrabrama Church, South River. Interment was in St. Mary’s Cemetery, East Brunswick.

Charles Maher

Mr. Maher, 73, of East Brunswick, formerly of Manalapan, died Aug. 20 at home. Surviving are his wife, Rosemary; three sons, Charles “Bill” of Poway, Calif., Edward of Logan and James of Howell; two daughters, Kathleen Maher of West Orange and Patricia Natalicchio of East Brunswick; and eight grandchildren. A funeral liturgy was offered at St. Gabriel’s Church, Marlboro. Interment was private. Arrangements were under the direction of Freeman Manalapan-Marlboro Funeral Home, Manalapan.

Thomas P. Sandle

Mr. Sandle, 81, of Louisville, Ky., formerly of Old Bridge and Jackson, died Aug. 31 at home. Prior to his retirement in 1995, he was a golf course superintendent for Tamarack Golf Course, East Brunswick, where he worked for 25 years. His wife, Elizabeth Henry Sandle, died in 1998. Surviving are a son, Thomas M. of Howell; five daughters, Janice Ricotta of the Parlin section of Sayreville, Sharon Egan of East Stroudsburg, Pa., Linda McGuinness of the Port Reading section of Woodbridge, Suzanne Aqulino of Monroe and Jill Rozar of Old Bridge; two sisters, Mary Roher of Pleasantville and Jenny Pearson of Lakewood; a brother, Henry Sandle of Keansburg; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Services were held at John F. Pfleger Funeral Home, Middletown. Entombment was in Fair View Mausoleum, Middletown.

Carol Ann Lahovich

Mrs. Lahovich, 63, of Jackson, S.C., died Sept. 1 at Bayshore Community Hospital, Holmdel. Born in Jersey City, she had lived there and in Old Bridge, as well as in Missouri, before moving to South Carolina five months ago. She was a nurse’s aide for Community Medical Center in Calico Rock, Ark., for the past 15 years. Mrs. Lahovich was predeceased by two sons, Michael in 1986 and Richard in 1993. Surviving are her husband, Michael; a son, James of Jackson (N.J.); three daughters, Lori Robertson, also of Jackson, Gail Sabol of Waterbury Center, Vt., and Andrea Egan of Keyport; two brothers, Dennis Borowski of Rockaway and Donald Borowski of Florida; and five grandchildren. Funeral services were held at the Michael Hegarty Funeral Home, Old Bridge, followed by a funeral Mass at St. Ambrose Roman Catholic Church, also Old Bridge. Interment took place at Chestnut Hill Cemetery, East Brunswick.

Jean Tobia

Mrs. Tobia, 91, of Monroe, died Sept. 2 at Pine Brook Care Center, Manalapan. Born in Italy, she had lived in Belleville for 52 years before moving to Monroe 2 1/2 years ago. Prior to retiring, she worked in New York City as a pattern maker for the garment industry. She was predeceased by her husband, Daniel S. Tobia, in 1996, as well as eight brothers and sisters. Surviving are a son, Gary R. Tobia of Baltimore; a daughter and son-in-law, Constance and William Mills Sr. of Howell; four grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. A funeral liturgy was offered at St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church, Freehold, followed by interment at Holy Cross Mausoleum, North Arlington. Freeman Funeral Home, Freehold, was in charge of arrangements.

Pearl Servetah

Mrs. Servetah, of Freehold, died Sept. 8 at CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township. Born in Poland, she had lived in Freehold for the past 17 years but had previously lived in Brooklyn, N.Y. Surviving are a daughter, Janet Temner of New City, N.Y.; two sons, Charles Servetah of Melville, N.Y., and Neil Servetah of Jackson; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Bloomfield-Cooper Jewish Chapels, Manalapan, was in charge of arrangements.

Herbert E. Schuster

Mr. Schuster, 79, of Old Bridge, died Sept. 9 at home. A son, Joseph, died in 1952. Surviving are his wife, Dorothy; two sons, Stephen of Old Bridge and Peter of Jackson; two daughters, Virginia Twardowski of Howell and Diane Allen of Old Bridge; a sister, Theresa Schuster of Old Bridge; and eight grandchildren. A funeral liturgy was offered at St. Ambrose Church, Old Bridge. Interment was in Holy Cross Burial Park, South Brunswick. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Ambrose Church, 96 Throckmorton Lane, Old Bridge 08857; Visiting Nurse Association of Central Jersey, 141 Bodman Place, Red Bank, NJ 07701-9978; or to the Alzheimer’s Association, 400 Morris Ave., Suite 251, Denville, NJ 07734-1365.

Diane J. Vota

Ms. Vota, 39, of Union Beach, died Sept. 11 at Bayshore Community Hospital, Holmdel. Born in Red Bank, she had resided in Marlboro and Howell before her recent move to Union Beach. Ms. Vota was office manager at HOE Trucking, Howell. She was a member of the PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) National Diving Club, and a former emergency medical technician in the Morganville section of Marlboro. Ms. Vota is survived by her mother, Joan Farrelly-Vota of Union Beach; her father and his wife, Joseph and Christina Vota of Marlboro; two brothers and sisters-in-law, Michael and Carrie Vota of Laurence Harbor, and Joseph and Vivi Vota of South Plainfield; one niece; two nephews; and several aunts, uncles and cousins. A funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Lawrence Roman Catholic Church, Laurence Harbor, followed by interment at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Keyport. The Day Funeral Home, Keyport, was in charge of arrangements. Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-1942.

Rose Russo D’Amore

Mrs. D’Amore, 85, of Sayreville, died Aug. 30 in Kimball Medical Center, Lakewood. Her husband, Ben D’Amore, died in 1992, and a son, Louis D’Amore, died in 1989. Surviving are a daughter, Marie Cardone and her husband Leonard of Jackson; a daughter-in-law, Marianne D’Amore of Carlstadt; a sister, Virginia Carchio of Sayreville; and four grandchildren. Services were held at Maliszewski Memorial Home, Sayreville. Interment was in Chestnut Hill Cemetery, East Brunswick.