Obituaries

Michelle Stani passed away on January 12 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. She was 37. Michelle was born in New Brunswick, raised in Somerset, and graduated from Franklin High School. She earned an associate degree in Early Childhood Education from Raritan Valley Community College and a bachelor’s degree in Education and English from Caldwell University. Michelle …

George A. Patterson, MD, of Somerset, passed away peacefully at home on January 10. He was 79 years old.Born and raised in Cleveland, North Carolina, he graduated from Unity High School in 1959. He went on to graduate from Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) in 1963, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry Education. He participated in …

Joyce Shamy passed away on December 28 at Penn Medicine Princeton Health in Plainsboro. She was 85 years old. Mrs. Shamy was born in Detroit and lived there as a young girl. She attended high school in Miami and was married shortly thereafter. She and her husband, Edward moved to the Somerset section of Franklin Township where the young couple …

Donna Hutchinson passed away on December 27 at JFK Medical Center in Edison. She was 61. Mrs. Hutchinson was born in New Brunswick and resided for many years in Franklin Township. She also lived in Perth Amboy, Woodbridge and Parlin . Mrs. Hutchinson enjoyed trips to Myrtle Beach and Atlantic City with her husband. She was the true matriarch of …

Patricia Rantkowski of Somerset passed away on December 26 after a 9-month battle with cancer. Pat was born on Staten Island, NY to Joseph and Nancy Malta Rantkowski. She graduated from St Mary of the Assumption High School in Elizabeth, and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Rutgers University in New Brunswick. Pat‘s chosen profession was Human Resources, which …

Margareta E. “Gretel” Hill, of Somerset passed away on December 23 at the Bridgeway Care and Rehabilitation Center in Hillsborough. She was 91. Born and raised in Selbitz, Germany, she moved to the United States after her marriage to Buford Hill in 1949, eventually to Browns Mills in 1955 and then to Somerset in 2000. She and her husband, Buford …

Ms. Ann Marie Bokaine passed away on December 21. She was 80 years old. Ms. Bokaine was born in New Brunswick and was a lifetime resident of Somerset. She was a lifelong parishioner of St. Ladislaus Church and happily volunteered much of her free time to the parish. She was an avid reader and enjoyed quiet evenings at home doing …

Douglas J. Rayner of Somerset passed away on December 15 at the RWJ Hospital in Rahway. He was 70. Born in Detroit, Michigan, he has lived in Somerset since 1963. Doug graduated from Franklin High School and Rutgers University with a degree in Political Science. Doug was an active member of the Bound Brook Presbyterian Church where he served as …

Lisa Wehner, 58, passed away on December 10 at her home in Somerset, in the loving embrace of her husband Bill and their three boys Ryan, Kevin, and Matthew. Mrs. Wehner was born on July 16, 1963 in Methuen, Massachusetts. She lived in Somerset, New Jersey for 29 years and previously resided in Basking Ridge. Lisa earned Bachelor’s degrees in …

Joan L. Roberts, of Somerset, passed away on December 4 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. She was 84. Born and raised in Minersville, Pennsylvania, she graduated from Minersville High School in 1954. She lived in Edison and South Bound Brooke before moving to the Middlebush section of Franklin Township in 1960. Joan worked as an Administrative …