Joan Comp
Joan Comp (nee Babinski), a lifelong Kearny resident, died Dec. 12, 2022.
She was 81.
Visiting was at the Armitage & Wiggins Funeral Home, Kearny. Mass was celebrated at St. Stephen’s Church, Kearny. Cremation was private.
Joan and her late husband Marty (KPD) were very active in Kearny life. She was a retired assistant tax assessor for the Town of Kearny and was an elected Third Ward Councilwoman. She was also active in the Woman’s Club.
She is survived by her children and their spouses, Joanne and John Coupe, Michael and Stephanie Comp and Caroline and Michael Dietze. Sister of Peter Babinski, Carl Babinski and Debbie Costanzo she is also survived by her grandchildren; John, Brian, Madison, Michael and Evangeline.
In lieu of flowers, kindly consider a donation in memory of Joan to your own favorite charity.
Mary Elizabeth ‘Betty May’ Osborn
Mary Elizabeth “Betty May” Osborn died Dec. 11, 2022.
She was 81.
She was a lifelong Kearny resident.
Visiting was at the Armitage & Wiggins Funeral Home, Kearny. Mass was celebrated at St. Stephen’s Church, Kearny. Cremation was private.
Mary was a computer programmer for AT&T in New York City.
Sister of William Osborn, she is survived by her nephews Robert and Jim Osborn and niece Catherine O’Neill along with many great-nieces and nephews, good friends and her best friend Loma Readie and her family.
In lieu of flowers, kindly consider a donation to the American Cancer Society.
William J. Gallacher
William J. Gallacher, 77, of Kearny, died Dec. 15, 2022.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend a memorial visitation for William at the Armitage & Wiggins Funeral Home, 596 Belgrove Drive, Kearny, on Wednesday, Dec. 21 from 4 to 8 p.m. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Kearny on Thursday, Dec. 22 at 10 a.m. Interment will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington.
Born in Scotland, William came to the United States with his family when he was 5. The family settled in Newark, and William later moved to Kearny, where he was a longtime resident. He was a truck driver for various companies throughout the years, until his retirement at 62. William was an avid fan of the New York Mets and was a dedicated Little League coach for the FMBA. His greatest job was being a devoted and proud grandfather.
William was the beloved husband of Patricia Gallacher; loving father of William Gallacher and his wife Tracey, Kevin Gallacher and his wife Samantha and Carolyn Slomkowski and her husband Robert; and cherished grandfather of 11. He is also survived by his siblings Maria Raab, Sarah Gallacher and Frank Gallacher, and by many loving nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Philip Eberwein
Philip Eberwein of North Arlington died Dec. 16, 2022.
He was 88.
Philip was born in 1934 and raised in the Bronx. One of his favorite childhood memories was sneaking into Yankee Stadium and leaning over the Yankee dugout with pencils and scraps of paper to get autographs from the likes of Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth and Whitey Ford.
Philip served eight years with the New York 107th Infantry Regiment and was honorably discharged in 1960. He remained extremely patriotic and had the utmost respect for those in the military service. Philip eventually took a job with the New York Daily News as a printer pressman, where he stayed until retirement. He worked at night and often came home in the early mornings with hats made from newspaper and treats from the local bakery.
In his 20s and into his early 30s, Philip was the life of the party until he went on a date that would change his life. At the conclusion of this one date, the young lady told him that she wasn’t interested in him, but did he want to go on a date with her friend, Maria? He said “yes,” and after a short courtship, he and Maria were married and spent over 55 years together, before she died in 2020.
Philip loved to make people laugh and seemingly followed in the footsteps of Yogi Berra, with wise sayings such as “One day I will wake up dead.” Philip was also abundantly generous and helping people was at his core. If you told him you liked something, you’d have at least two cases on your doorstep the next day.
Philip leaves behind to celebrate life, his daughters Anna Eberwein and Cecilia Lindenfelser (née Eberwein), son-in-law Charles Croat, his grandson Kenneth Philip Lindenfelser and his wife, Jenneil Lindenfelser. Philip’s last wishes were to join his beloved Maria and for his family to enjoy life to the fullest.
Until we meet again…
Viewing will take place at Parow Funeral Home, North Arlington, Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at Queen of Peach Church at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 21.
Jack McNamara
Jack McNamara, 91, a lifelong resident of Kearny, died Dec. 16, 2022.
The beloved husband of the late Ena McNamara (nee McGarril), he was the devoted father of John McNamara and his wife Jean, Cynthia Finan and her deceased husband Jim, Nancy Policano and her husband Joseph. He was dear grandfather of Anthony, Katie, Carly and her husband Nick, Breanne and James.
Cherished great-grandfather of Gabriela, Jack was predeceased by his siblings James, George and Dave McNamara and Jean Flanagan.
Before retiring, Jack worked for Otis Elevator, Harrison, for over 20 years until it was closed down then started a new career at Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission in Newark working his way up to waste water supervisor.
Jack was an usher for over 40 years at St. Cecilia Church, Kearny. But, what gave Jack the most pleasure was watching his entire family grow.
Visitation will be Tuesday, De. 20, from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Armitage & Wiggins Funeral Home, 596 Belgrove Drive, Kearny. A funeral service will begin Wednesday, 9 a.m., at the funeral home followed by a 10 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial at St. Cecilia Church, Kearny. Interment will be in Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington.
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.