Obituaries

Mrs. Paula Kraus passed away on November 26 at JFK Hospital in Edison. She was 77 years old. Paula was born in Newark and raised by her parents, Morris and Mildred Rood, in Maplewood. Her infectious joy and love of life were evident from an early age. She graduated from Columbia High School, then trained as a dental assistant, working …

Helen Elizabeth (McNelis) Bell, of Somerset, passed away peacefully on November 24 at the Bristal Assisted Living community in Somerset, surrounded by her family. She was 93 years old. Born in Hazelton, PA, she spent her childhood in Freeland, PA, amidst the love of her siblings, creating memories that would remain in her heart forever. Helen later moved to Middlesex …

Norman L. Halvorsen of Somerset passed away at the Francis E. Parker Memorial Nursing Home in New Brunswick on November 24. He was 79. Born and raised in the Prospect Park and Bay Ridge sections of Brooklyn, he has lived in Somerset since 1987. He worked as a Program Manager for AT&T, first in New York City then later in …

Florence Hart, of Somerset, passed away on November 22 at the Spring Hills Assisted Living in Somerset. She was 97. Born in Jersey City and raised in Lyndhurst, she lived in Newark then the Morgan section of Sayreville for more than 50 years before moving to New Bern, North Carolina. She has lived in Somerset for the past 12 years. …

Margaret Mary Wolf, 89, died on November 18 peacefully at her home in Franklin Township. Known by her family and friends as Margie, she was born on May 25, 1935 in Sugar Notch, Pennsylvania to Catherine Shields Wilverding and John Wilverding. The youngest of six children, Margie grew up in Sugar Notch until the family moved to Plainfield. Margie graduated …

Earl N. Reid, Sr., of Somerset passed away on November 17 at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. He was 75. Born and raised in Concord, North Carolina, he lived in various towns throughout New Jersey before moving to Somerset in 2004. He worked as a Supervisor of Transportation at the VA Hospital in Lyons until his …

William J. Barkley Jr., of Somerset passed away on November 8 at Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank. He was 84 years old. He was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. Shortly after graduating high school, he enlisted in the US Army and valiantly served his country. He retired from AT&T at which time he started his own consulting firm. …

Jean Elguicze of Somerset passed away on November 11 at the McAuley Hall Health Care Center in Watchung. She was 85. Born in Somerville, she grew up in Elizabeth until the age of nine. She moved to Poland in 1948 and lived there until the age of 26. In 1965, she returned to the United States. Jean married her husband …

William Ciampa passed away on November 5 at St. Peter’s Medical Center in New Brunswick at the age of 65.  Bill was born in Raritan and raised in Franklin Township and graduated from Alma Prep School.    He lived in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania for a time where he owned and operated Abe’s Antiques.   He was a knowledgeable man and recognized historian.  …

Richard Perrotta, 83, of Somerset, passed away peacefully at his home on November 4. Richard was born on February 15, 1941, in Brooklyn to the late John and Vera (Guarino) Perrotta. Raised in Brooklyn, he married the love of his life, Patricia, and the couple began their life together in Great Kills, Staten Island. Later, they moved to West Brighton, …