Anne Elizabeth Shea Slane
Anne Elizabeth Shea Slane, of the Red Bank section of Middletown, formerly of Kearny, a woman who loved her Irish heritage, died at home, fittingly, on Friday, March 17, St. Patrick’s Day.
She was 96.
Anne turned 96 on March 1, and just a few days later, suffered a stroke. And yet up to the day she had the stroke, she was still completely aware of her surroundings. She did this, somehow, despite losing her oldest son, Thomas, when he was just 21 back in 1970. She persevered after her husband, Thomas, died at age 63 back in 1981. She somehow fought on in 1995 when her second-youngest son, Patrick, died at 41. And then, she did it all over again 10 years later when son Matty died in 2005 at 51.
Despite burying three sons and her husband, she never lost an iota of her faith. And it was that faith that kept her going through some of the darkest days of her life because she truly believed one day, she’d be reunited with Thomas, Thomas, Patrick and Matty.
She was born March 1, 1921, in or around Fall River, Mass., where she spent many of her early years. At one point, she moved to New Jersey, where she married Thomas Slane in 1944, after he returned from the Pacific in World War II.
They started a family soon after marriage, which would ultimately turn into seven children, four of whom are still alive today.
In the early days of her family life, she was a homemaker. Then she’d go on to work as a nurse’s aide at Christ Hospital in the ‘70s and early ‘80s.
She retired in 1981.
She remained in Jersey City, where she raised her family, until 1985, when she moved to Kearny, where she remained until she moved to Middletown in 2002.
There were some things Anne really loved that didn’t involve her family. For one, for decades, when it was 1 p.m. on a weekday, you were best suited not to call her on the phone because she’d be watching the soap opera “All My Children.” It was appointment television for her – and she’d rush you away if you called anytime in that 1 o’clock hour – or tried to chat with her in person.
“I’m watching ‘All My Children,’ and I have to see what Erica is up to,” she’d say often.
She also liked “General Hospital” at 3 p.m., but it was pretty safe to call her then – she hardly liked “GH” at much as “AMC.”
One other TV-related “thing” caught her attention, too – the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman at the hands of O.J. Simpson in 1994. She was so in tune to that story that it’s very likely she watched every single minute of the trial on either Court TV or CNN. And you wouldn’t dare ask her if O.J. was innocent. Oh no. She pegged him as guilty before Marcia Clark even started her opening statement. Needless to say, she was a bit disappointed when he was found not guilty.
She also loved President Bill Clinton – and she’d argue on his behalf whenever anyone spoke ill of him. After Clinton, she loved Barack Obama, and she was thrilled when he was elected to the White House in 2008. She even swore that her late husband, a Nixon Republican, would have loved Obama.
Now, as for the current occupant of the White House, let’s just say it baffled her, almost daily, that he got elected.
No matter what happened in her life – and plenty did – Anne kept an incredible Irish spirit throughout. She was, as they say, the rock of her family – and that rock never once crumbled, up to the day she left this earthly world.
Anne is survived by her children Mary Anne Carey, Margaret M. Canessa and her partner Michael Berhman, Annie Troy and her husband, retired Jersey City Police Chief Robert A. Troy, and Michael J. Slane. She is also survived by eight grandchildren, Kevin Canessa Jr., of The Observer, Colleen B. Slane Dawson, Michele R. Donker, Robert T. Troy, Megan R. Troy, Michael Slane Jr., William T. Slane and Erin Slane.
She is also survived by three great-grandchildren – with one more on the way.
While there won’t be a wake for Anne – that’s what she absolutely wanted – there will be a memorial Mass for her at St. Mary’s Chapel, Middletown, Friday, March 24, at 10:30 a.m. Her ashes will be buried with her husband and three sons in Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Anne’s memory to the St. Anthony High School Annual Fund, 175 Eighth St., Jersey City, N.J. 07302.
Ruthann Kellinsky
Ruthann Kellinsky, of Kearny, died Wednesday, March 15, in hospice care.
She was 75.
Born in Jersey City, she was one of 10 children of the late Frederick and Alice (Reynolds) Bruder.
Ruthann was born and raised in New Jersey. She was employed at ShopRite as a deli clerk for many years until her retirement in 2004. Ruthann later moved to Niagara Falls, N.Y., to be closer to her family. She volunteered as a teacher’s aide for HANCI for six years until suffering a stroke in 2014.
Ruthann was a strong-willed, independent woman who never wanted to rely on others for help. She was an avid bingo player and enjoyed her frequent trips to the casino.
Ruthann is survived by her three children, Steven Kellinsky, Allen (Sherry) Kellinsky and Debora Kellinsky; five grandchildren, Stephanie, Kara, Melissa, Lauren and Kevin; three great-grandchildren, Ava, Alexis and Charity; and many nieces and nephews.
Private services will be held at the convenience of the family. Memorial offerings may be made to Complete Senior Care PACE, 1302 Main St., Niagara Falls, N.Y. 14301.
Visit mjcoluccifuneralchapel.com for guest register.
Andres Ramallo
Andres Ramallo, of Harrison, died at home on March 8.
Memorial visitation took place at the Armitage & Wiggins Funeral Home, 596 Belgrove Drive, Kearny. Cremation was private.
Andres is survived by his brother Manuel along with other relatives in Spain and many friends here.
His niece, Concepcion, will return to Spain with Andres’ ashes for burial.
Anne Marie Kotlowski
Anne Marie Kotlowski of North Arlington, formerly of Jersey City, died on March 15.
She was 80.
Visiting took place at The Armitage & Wiggins Funeral Home, Kearny. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at Queen of Peace Church, North Arlington. Interment was in Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington.
Born in Avaco, Pa., Mrs. Kotlowski lived in Jersey City before moving to North Arlington over 40 years ago.
She was a cashier with Fairleigh Dickinson University prior to her retirement.
She was the beloved wife of 60 years of John Kotlowski; mother of John (Roxanne) and Joseph (Patricia) Kotlowski and Susan (Mark) Clifford; grandmother of Lauren, John J., Kaitlyn, Jessica, Joseph, Heather and Mark; great-grandmother of Holden; and the sister of Grace “Joyce” Siegel, Charlene Haggerman and the late Marilyn, Jerry and Barry.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Special Olympics of New Jersey, (www.sonj.org) 1 Eunice Kennedy Shriver Way, Lawrenceville, N.J. 08648, would be appreciated.
Sheila M. Ziccardi
Sheila M. Ziccardi, (nee Riley), 72, of Woodland Park, died Wednesday, March 15. The beloved wife of Gerald Ziccardi, she was the loving mother of Charlie and his wife Debbie Turri, Darren and his wife Frances Turri and stepmother of Lisa & her husband John Healey and Laurie and her husband Kevin Minardi.
She was also the dear sister of Robert Riley and was predeceased by four other siblings. She was also the adored grandmother of Michael, Sarah, Madison, Veronica, Jennifer, Alexandra and Jake.
The funeral takes place Tuesday, March 21, at 9 a.m. from the Ippolito-Stellato Funeral Home, 425 Ridge Road, Lyndhurst. A funeral Mass will be celebrated 10 a.m. that day at Sacred Heart Church, Lyndhurst. Interment takes place in Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to National Pancreatic Cancer Association, P.O. Box 1848, Longmont, Colo. 80502. Send condolences at www.stellatofuneralhomes.com.
Albert J. Capella
Albert J. Capella died Sunday, March 12, at Clara Maass Medical Center, Belleville.
He was 82.
The funeral was from the Thiele-Reid Family Funeral Home, 585 Belgrove Drive Kearny. A funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Cecilia Church, Kearny. Cremation was in Rosedale Crematory, Orange.
Mr. Capella was born in Jersey City then lived in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, for many years before moving to Kearny in 2010.
Albert was employed as a die cutter operator for most of his life.
He is survived by his children, Joann Capella-Jimenez and Joseph A. Capella; one sister, Ida Troiano; one granddaughter, Mildred Marie Chang and one great-grandson, Fredrik London Chang.
He was predeceased by his wife, Mildred (Pacheco) Capella; his daughter Theresa Capella and one sister Marion Damone.
Mrs. Emily S. Cartaxo
Mrs. Emily S. Cartaxo, a longtime Kearny resident, died on Thursday, March 16.
She was 89.
Visitation was Monday, March 20, in the Condon Funeral Home, 684 Kearny Ave., Kearny (condonfuneralhome.com). The funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, March 21, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Stephen’s Church, Kearny. A cremation service will take place at Rosedale Crematory, Montclair. The burial of ashes will take place Thursday, March 23, in Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington.
Wife of the late Joe Cartaxo (1984), Emily is survived by her children, Glenn (Linda), Ken (Annette), Karen Masullo (Nino) and Joseph (Darien) Cartaxo as well as her siblings, Ann Arlene Tarantino and Bill and Jack Carvalho. Also surviving are her grandchildren, Glenn, Lora, Tom, Michael, Danielle, Joseph, Sophia and Anthony along with her great-grandchildren, Madelyn, Amelia, Lillian and William.
She was predeceased by her brother, Elmer Carvalho.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at stjude.org/tribute. Envelopes will be available in the funeral home.
Learn more about the writer ...
Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.