Helen Chasnowitz
Helen Chasnowitz, 89, died in a New York assisted living facility on Nov. 30. She was a lifelong Kearny resident.
Beloved mother and grandmother, she is survived by her two daughters, Lydia Chasnowitz and Catherine Offerman, and by her grandson, William Offerman.
Helen worked at many places, including Ronson Chemicals, and later in life at the Arena in the Meadowlands.
A family service was held in December followed by cremation by Helen’s wish.
T. Paul ‘The Colonel’ Durkin
Thomas Paul Durkin, 86, passed away peacefully in his hometown of Kearny on Saturday, Jan. 16. He was predeceased in 2005 by his wife of 43 years, Ellen Ann (nee Usher) Durkin. Paul would have been 87 this Wednesday.
The youngest of Gertrude (nee Woods) and James’s six children, Durkin was born on Jan. 20, 1929, in Kearny. He attended the Kearny public schools and St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in Kearny as a child. The son of a veteran newspaperman, Durkin began his own newswriting career covering sports with The Newark Star-Ledger and The Observer while a student at Kearny High School.
Durkin’s accomplished career in journalism spanned seven decades (1940s to 2000s) and included stops at several major publications and news services including the Associated Press, Dell Sports, Dorf Feature Services, The Jersey Journal, The New York Daily News, The New York Times, The Star-Ledger, the Stars and Stripes, and the New York World Telegram.
Durkin’s early career included assignments covering horse racing and area sports teams including the New York Football Giants, the New York Rangers, and the New York Yankees. Among his most cherished assignments was traveling the world with the U.S. Olympic Track & Field team, following them to the Summer Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland, in 1952 and Melbourne, Australia, in 1956. He honorably served in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954.
In the 1960s, Durkin became an “inside” man when he transitioned to the editor’s desks at several of New York’s most influential sports departments. He was the editor of Dell Sports magazine and numerous sports books when he met his future wife, Ellen Usher, at that time a writer at Dell Publishing. They married on Sept. 15, 1962, in New York City.
In the 1970s, he was an editor with the New York Times and served as associate sports editor of the Daily News.
In the early 1980s, Durkin returned to his roots in Hudson County and joined the news desk of The Jersey Journal in Jersey City. He spent the remainder of his career there until his retirement in 2000.
The Colonel is survived by his five sons and their wives: Michael (Kerri), Stephen (Beth), Patrick (Danielle), David, and Andrew (Mary); twelve grandchildren: Katelyn, Kyle, Connor, Erin, Ryan, Thomas, Kelsey, Sean, Christopher, Connor, Brendan and Julia; and dear nieces Elaine Parker and Jill Wiss (Mason).
Durkin was a devoted parishioner of Queen of Peace Catholic Church in North Arlington and a proud member of the Newspaper Guild of America and the Elks. In addition to his family, the Colonel leaves behind many dear friends and admirers.
Visiting will be on Tuesday, Jan. 19, from 4 to 8 p.m., at the Armitage Wiggins Funeral Home, 596 Belgrove Drive, Kearny. A funeral Mass will be held Wednesday, Jan. 20, at 11 a.m. at Queen of Peace Church, North Arlington, and private cremation will follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to WomenRising, 270 Fairmount Ave., Jersey City, N.J.
Marie C. Minnella Ennis
Marie C. Minnella Ennis passed away Jan. 2 in South Carolina. She was 89.
Born in Newark, she lived many years in Rutherford before retiring to Columbia, S.C.
Arrangements were by the Armitage Wiggins Funeral Home, 596 Belgrove Drive, Kearny. Services were conducted by the Order of the Eastern Star and Order of the Amaranth from the funeral home, followed by a funeral service at the Old Bergen Church, 1 Highland Ave., Jersey City. Entombment followed in Woodbridge Memorial Gardens.
Marie was the beloved wife of William C. Ennis and loving mother of Janie Feinberg (Barry), Rosemarie Currey, Dawn R. Ennis, The Rev. Mark W. Ennis (The Rev. Pamela Pater-Ennis) and Carlos C. Ennis (Houria). Dear sister of Louis Minnella (Jane) she is also survived by five grandchildren, her great-grandson Jonathan, her Uncle James Minnella (Theresa) and nieces and nephews.
To read more about her active life, please visit her complete obituary at www.armitagewiggins.com.
Francisco Figueredo
Francisco Figueredo, of Kearny, died Jan. 10. He was 84.
Arrangements were by the Armitage Wiggins Funeral Home, 596 Belgrove Drive, Kearny. A funeral Mass was held at St. Cecilia’s Church, Kearny, followed by burial in Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington.
Francisco is survived by his wife Mirta and his daughter Susan.
Peter J. McSorley
Peter J. McSorley, entered into eternal rest on Monday, Jan. 11. He was 72.
Funeral services were under the direction of the Mulligan Funeral Home, 331 Cleveland Ave., Harrison. A funeral Mass was held at St. Cecilia’s Church, Kearny.
His interment was in Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington.
Born and raised in Kearny, Peter moved to Edison in 1974 where he lived for many years before moving to Deerfield Beach, Fla., recently. He was a truck driver for CRB of Edison for over 20 years until retiring in 2000. He was a member of the Teamsters Local Union in Edison, a former member of the Edison Elks Lodge 2487, and a parishioner of St. Matthew the Apostle in Edison.
Peter loved family, fishing and The New York Yankees.
Peter is survived by his sons Peter and his wife Mary Anne, Vincent and his wife Jen, and Michael and his wife Denise; his grandchildren Michael, Matthew, Meaghan and Declan; and his siblings Patrick, Rose Marie, Theresa, and Catherine. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his siblings, Susan Ann Cruz, Roger, James, and Margaret O’Neill.
Elizabeth A. Shalvoy
Mrs. Elizabeth A. (Betty) Shalvoy, of Kearny, died Friday, Jan. 15, at home. She was 88.
Private services were entrusted to the Condon Funeral Home in Kearny.
Mrs. Shalvoy had been a registered nurse in St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York City until retiring.
She was predeceased by her husband George Shalvoy Jr. and her twin sister, Jane M. Davis. She is survived by her son George III and many nieces, nephews and friends.
