29-Year-Old With 'Gentle Loving Heart' ID'd As Body Found in Northampton River 29-Year-Old With 'Gentle Loving Heart' ID'd As Body Found in Northampton River
29-Year-Old With 'Gentle Loving Heart' ID'd As Body Found in Northampton River A 29-year-old man from western Massachusetts and law clerk for the State of New Jersey has been identified as the person police pulled from the Connecticut River earlier this week.  Daniel Esrick, a Northampton native, was found Monday, Nov. 25, near the Gill side of Route 2, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said. It's unclear how long he had been in the water.  Daniel was a talented student, according to his obituary. He studied biology and physics at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst before matriculating to the Temple University Beasley School of Law, where he g…
'Never, Never, Never Give Up:' Dumont Teacher Lauren Zucconi Dies After 10-Year Cancer Battle 'Never, Never, Never Give Up:' Dumont Teacher Lauren Zucconi Dies After 10-Year Cancer Battle
'Never, Never, Never Give Up:' Dumont Teacher Lauren Zucconi Dies After 10-Year Cancer Battle Lauren Zucconi, a Bergen County teacher, loving wife, and proud Long Beach Island homeowner, passed away on Monday, Nov. 25, after a decade-long battle with cancer, according to her obituary on the Volk Leber Funeral Home website. She was 36 years old. Her unwavering mantra, “Never, never, never give up,” defined her courageous journey and inspired those around her. Born in Westwood and raised in Chestnut Ridge, NY, Lauren excelled in academics and athletics, graduating from Spring Valley High School, where she met her soulmate, James Robert Nash, her obituary says. She went on to earn…
'Senior Sales Superstar:' Boonton Dad, Rockstar Employee Karl Schafer Leaves Legacy Of Love 'Senior Sales Superstar:' Boonton Dad, Rockstar Employee Karl Schafer Leaves Legacy Of Love
'Senior Sales Superstar:' Boonton Dad, Rockstar Employee Karl Schafer Leaves Legacy Of Love Karl Edward Schafer, a Morris County resident with roots in Bergen County, died on Monday, Nov. 18, leaving behind a remarkable legacy of kindness, warmth, and a zest for life that touched everyone who knew him, according to his obituary on the Bizub-Parker Funeral Home website. He was 61 years old. A graduate of Indian Hills High School in 1981, Karl went on to study at Calvin College in Michigan and spent over two decades building a life in Montville and then in Boonton, his obituary says.  Karl’s career as a Senior Account Manager at BradyPLUS in Carlstadt was a perfect reflection o…
Beloved Thornwood Teacher Remembered For Positive Energy, Impact On Students Beloved Thornwood Teacher Remembered For Positive Energy, Impact On Students
Beloved Thornwood Teacher Remembered For Positive Energy, Impact On Students A beloved teacher who was a fixture at a Northern Westchester high school for decades is being remembered for her contagious positive energy and her tremendous impact on her students throughout her long career.   Elizabeth “Betsy” Groat of Ho-Ho-Kus in Bergen County died on Wednesday, Oct. 30 after a battle with cancer, according to her obituary.   Groat, who taught physical education and coached at Westlake High School in Thornwood, dedicated 38 years to inspiring and supporting student-athletes in the Mount Pleasant School District, according to a GoFundMe page created in her honor that i…
Vietnam Veteran Dies In Fire At Middle Island Home Vietnam Veteran Dies In Fire At Middle Island Home
Vietnam Veteran Dies In Fire At Middle Island Home A Long Island veteran died after he was seriously injured in a house fire. Emergency crews in Middle Island were called shortly after 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20, when flames broke out at the Lake Pointe apartment complex on Middle Country Road. Inside, firefighters located 79-year-old Arthur Ziomek. He was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. On Tuesday, Nov. 26, Suffolk County Police confirmed that Ziomek had died. A preliminary investigation determined the cause of the fire was non-criminal in nature, police said. Ziomek was born in Brooklyn and se…
Beloved Yorktown Native, Former Firefighter Dies At 37, Remembered For Kindness Beloved Yorktown Native, Former Firefighter Dies At 37, Remembered For Kindness
Beloved Yorktown Native, Former Firefighter Dies At 37, Remembered For Kindness A beloved Northern Westchester native and former firefighter is being remembered for his kindness, generosity, and lasting impact on those who knew him following his unexpected passing. Reynaldo “Reycito” Sanchez, Jr., age 37, a resident of Miramar, Florida, and formerly of Yorktown Heights, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, Oct. 31, according to his obituary. Born in the Dominican Republic on Sept. 25, 1987, he moved to Westchester, where he grew up, attended Yorktown High School, and graduated in 2006.  Reynaldo was a past member of the Harry Howard Hook and Ladder Co. of the Po…
Harrisburg School District Board President Jim Thompson Dies Hours After Meeting Harrisburg School District Board President Jim Thompson Dies Hours After Meeting
Harrisburg School District Board President Jim Thompson Dies Hours After Meeting The Harrisburg School District is grieving the sudden loss of James R. Thompson, its newly appointed Board President, who passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, just hours after attending a board meeting. Thompson, 67, was present at the Committee of the Whole Board Meeting on the evening of Nov. 19, where he fulfilled his duties alongside fellow directors and district leadership. His passing marks the end of a remarkable tenure that spanned over a decade of service to the Harrisburg School District. Thompson was reelected to the board in 2023 and recently named Board Preside…
Florida Man Indicted In 2022 Howell Twp. Crash That Killed Neptune Father, Prosecutors Say Florida Man Indicted In 2022 Howell Twp. Crash That Killed Neptune Father, Prosecutors Say
Florida Man Indicted In 2022 Howell Twp. Crash That Killed Neptune Father, Prosecutors Say A former Jackson Township man was facing charges in a Howell Township crash that killed a father more than two years ago, authorities said. Drew Peterson of Jensen Beach, Florida, was indicted for second-degree vehicular manslaughter, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said in a news release on Wednesday, Nov. 20. A grand jury returned the indictment on Wednesday, Oct. 30 after a forensic toxicologist's review. Peterson, 34, was accused of causing the crash that killed 50-year-old Robert Johnson of Neptune Township. The wreck happened at around 12:05 a.m. on Fri…
Andrew De Juana, Mount Olive Native, Dies At 34: 'True Light Of Life' Andrew De Juana, Mount Olive Native, Dies At 34: 'True Light Of Life'
Andrew De Juana, Mount Olive Native, Dies At 34: 'True Light Of Life' Andrew De Juana, who grew up in Mount Olive, died on Monday, Nov. 4 at the age of 34, according to his obituary from William Leber Funeral Home. De Juana was a sales manager at Equnox in Manhattan and had recently received his New York Yoga Teaching Certification, according to his obituary. Aside from yoga, he enjoyed hiking, spending time at the beach, and traveled to Thailand, California and Hawaii, his obituary reads. Andrew De Juana I've lost a lot people in my life but none could compare to the loss of you. I love you Clyde 🩷 - Bonnie Posted by Jess Stiles on Thursday, Novembe…
U.S. Army Vet, Freehold Dad Joseph 'Joey' Black Dies, 30 U.S. Army Vet, Freehold Dad Joseph 'Joey' Black Dies, 30
U.S. Army Vet, Freehold Dad Joseph 'Joey' Black Dies, 30 Shock and sadness spread following the death of Freehold's Joseph "Joey" Black, who passed away on Sunday, Nov. 10 in Jackson, his obituary on the Old Bridge Funeral Home website says. He was 30 years old. Joey proudly served in the US Army from 2014 to 2017, where he was stationed in Korea as a skilled tank operator and member of the Panthers, later receiving an honorable discharge.  After his military service, he worked as a trackman for NJ Path Train Union TWU, known for his dedication and camaraderie. A passionate NJ Devils fan, Joey will be remembered as a creative spirit, pa…
Sparta Native, NJ Transit Worker Scott Williams Dies, 47 Sparta Native, NJ Transit Worker Scott Williams Dies, 47
Sparta Native, NJ Transit Worker Scott Williams Dies, 47 Scott Williams, a longtime NJ Transit employee and Sparta resident, died on Tuesday, Nov. 5, at the age of 41, according to an obituary from the Goble Funeral Home website. Williams, was born in Livingston and graduated from Sparta High School, before going to work at NJ Transit, where he worked for 17 years, according to his obituary Williams is survived by his wife, Jillian, and his five children, Harvey, Eva, Charlotte, Lillian and Abigail, his obituary reads. He is also survived by his parents James and Janice, his siblings, Lindsey and Colleen, and numerous other family members and fri…
Van Ritshie, Beloved MTA Announcer, ‘Voice Of Hudson Valley’ Radio Host, Dies Van Ritshie, Beloved MTA Announcer, ‘Voice Of Hudson Valley’ Radio Host, Dies
Van Ritshie, Beloved MTA Announcer, ‘Voice Of Hudson Valley’ Radio Host, Dies If you’ve ever hopped a train or scanned a radio in these parts, chances are good you’ve heard the velvety smooth voice of Van Ritshie. The longtime Hudson Valley radio host and voiceover artist, whose voice guided MTA commuters for decades, died Sunday, Nov. 3, at a Dutchess County hospice center in Poughkeepsie. He was 80 years old. “The Family of Van Ritshie is sad to announce that ‘The Voice of the Hudson Valley’ has passed on to be with Jesus after a brief illness surrounded by family,” reads his obituary. After earning his communications degree at Queensborough Community College in Q…