Francisca Bonilla
A funeral service for Francisca Bonilla, 95, of Harrison, will be at Armitage Wiggins Funeral Home, 596 Belgrove Drive, Kearny, on Tuesday, Dec. 29, at 11 a.m. and burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington.
Francisca is survived by her children Pablo, Ricardo and Nelson along with their families.
Joseph Patrick Donovan
Joseph Patrick Donovan, “Joe,” 64, of Neptune Township, passed away from colon cancer, in the company of his family on Sunday, Dec. 20, at Meridian’s Sub-Acute Rehabilitation located in Wall.
Joe was born on April 24, 1951, in Newark and spent his childhood in Kearny, where he attended St. Cecilia’s Grammar School, Essex Catholic High School, and eventually graduated from Thomas Edison State College with a B.A. in Business Administration.
On June 3, 1972, he was married in Holy Cross Church, Harrison. In 1977, he and his wife, Debbie bought their home in Neptune Township where they became members of the St. Rose Parish, Belmar, and raised two lovely daughters. He spent his daughters’ youth coaching Neptune Recreational T-Ball, softball, soccer, and basketball.
During Joe’s 40-year career with PSE&G he made lifelong friends and held several positions finishing with (GSOC) as a computer analyst.
Joe enjoyed following the NY Giants and Rutgers, but the NY Yankees were his passion. He loved to tell a joke and had a wonderful sense of humor.
He was predeceased by his parents, Andrew Raymond and Dorothy (Duff) Donovan and two brothers, Andrew Raymond Donovan Jr., and Daniel Joseph Donovan.
Joe is survived by his wife of 43 years, Deborah A. (Mc- Conville) Donovan, his daughter, Kelly E. Donovan de Santos, her husband, Abel Santos Velasquez of Long Branch, daughter Morgan B. Donovan of Highland Park, grandson Ian Rodriguez-Donovan, brother Timothy M. Donovan and his wife, Gail Donovan of Westfield, along with Dolores Mallen, mother-in-law, several sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law. nieces, nephews, two grandnephews, cousins and friends. He will be sadly missed, but never forgotten.
Arrangements were by the Reilly Bonner Funeral Home, 801 D St., Belmar. A funeral Mass was celebrated at the Church of Saint Rose, 603 7th Ave., Belmar. Committal was private. For further information or to send condolences to the family, please visit reillybonnerfuneralhome.com.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Joe’s name to colon cancer research by going to www.ccalliance.org or polycystic kidneydisease@www.pkdcure.org.
Barbara M. Rio
Barbara M. Rio (nee O’Connor) passed away on Dec. 26. She was 75.
Born in Shickshinny, Pa., she lived in Newark before moving to Kearny 46 years ago.
Visiting will be on Tuesday, Dec. 29, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at the Armitage Wiggins Funeral Home, 596 Belgrove Drive, Kearny. The service will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 30, at 11 a.m. at the funeral home. Private cremation will follow. To leave online condolences, please visit www.armitagewiggins.com.
Barbara was an avid bowler and loved her Atlantic City trips. Her greatest love, though, was being a mother and grandmother.
Wife of Raymond Rio, she is also survived by her daughters Diane Rio and Paula Paglia (Anthony), her sister Joyce O’Connor, her brother Robert and his wife Lynn, her sister-in-law Judy O’Connor and her grandchildren Ryan, Marc, Nicholas, Adam, David, Anthony, Alexandra and Vincent as well as her great-grandchildren Brendyn, Ryla and Maxx. She was predeceased by her daughter Julie Ann Garcia and her brother Richard O’Connor.
If you care to make a memorial donation, please consider St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Sarah Russell
Sarah Russell (nee Bryson) passed away Dec. 25. She was 96.
Born in Scotland, she lived many years in Kearny, then Arizona, before returning east to Rutherford in 2008. Arrangements were by Armitage and Wiggins Funeral Home, 596 Belgrove Drive, Kearny.
Sarah was the wife of the late Kearny Police Captain John Russell.
Mother of John T. Russell (Jane) and Janice Hoffmeyer (Kim), she is also survived by her grandchildren Jason, Michael (Patty) and Sally Ann and great-grandchildren Emily, Thomas and Lachlan.
