Obituaries

Morgan L. Burgess Sr.

Mr. Burgess, 68, of East Brunswick, died Sept. 2 at home. Surviving are his wife, Myrtle Bell Burgess; a son, Morgan Burgess Jr. of East Brunswick; a stepson, Leroy; a daughter, Mellenie Burgess of Piscataway; four stepdaughters, Renee, Andrina, Patricia and Sherril, all of New York; four brothers, Marotha Pasha of Washington, D.C., Michael Burgess and George Burgess, both of Long Island, N.Y., and Ronald Burgess of Greensboro, N.C.; three sisters, Gloria O’Brian of New York, Lorraine Gibbson of Long Island and Sondra Burgess of Canada; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Services were held at Christ Memorial Church, East Brunswick. Interment was in Franklin Memorial Park, North Brunswick.

Sherry Robin Cohen

Mrs. Cohen, 45, of Freehold Township, died Sept. 9 at home. She was a nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township. Surviving are her husband, Steven Cohen; a son, Richard, and a daughter, Randi, both at home; her mother, Harriet Franzel of Monroe; a brother, Larry Franzel of Freehold Township; and a sister, Deborah Cohen of Queens, N.Y. A service was held at Freeman Manalapan-Marlboro Funeral Home, Manalapan. Interment was in Mount Sinai Cemetery, Marlboro.

Edith Conger Conners

Mrs. Conners, 83, of Milltown, died Sept. 6 in St. Peter’s University Hospital, New Brunswick. Prior to her retirement, she was employed as a secretary with Personal Products Corp., Milltown, where she worked for 25 years. She was predeceased by her husband, John G. Conners. Surviving are a brother, G. Raymond Conger Jr., of Milltown; a niece, Judith Hickey; six nephews, Gary Conger, Jeffrey Conger, Clifford E. Glines, Richard Glines, Randall Glines and James Glines; and several great-nieces and great-nephews. Services were held at Selover Funeral Home, North Brunswick. Interment was in Old Cemetery, Somerville. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul’s United Church of Christ Organ Fund, 62 S. Main St., Milltown, NJ 08850, or to the Milltown Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 308, Milltown, NJ 08850.

Zoltan Kohut

Mr. Kohut, 88, of South River, died Aug. 26 in Care One, East Brunswick. He was a co-owner and operator of Kohut Sheet Metal Inc., New Brunswick. A son, Robert J., died in 1998. Surviving are his wife, Pauline Frankowski Kohut; a son, Donald Kohut Sr. of Barnegat; two sisters, Janet Sawhill of Salem, S.C., and Irene Ramsey of St. Petersburg, Fla.; one grandson, Donald Jr.; and eight nieces and nine nephews. Entombment was in Holy Cross Burial Park, South Brunswick. Memorial contributions may be made to Sheet Metal Union Local 27 Retirement Club, 322 Squankum-Yellowbrook Road, P.O. Box 847, Farmingdale, NJ 07727-0847.

Robert Rak

Mr. Rak, 37, of East Brunswick, died Sept. 6 at home. Surviving are a daughter, Heather Rak of Illinois; his parents, Joseph Rak of East Brunswick and Rachael Dimino of Manchester; a sister, Christina Rak-Sampson of North Brunswick; his grandparents, Antoinette and Robert Martin of Tampa, Fla., and Stanley Rak of Edison; and several aunts and uncles. A Mass was offered at St. Bartholomew’s Church, East Brunswick. Interment was in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Hillsborough.

Jean Tobia

Mrs. Tobia, 91, of Monroe, died Sept. 2 in Pine Brook Care Center, Manalapan. She was predeceased by her husband, Daniel S. Tobia, in 1996. Surviving are a son, Gary R. Tobia of Baltimore; a daughter, Constance Mills of Howell; four grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. A funeral liturgy was offered at St. Rose of Lima Church, Freehold. Entombment was in Holy Cross Mausoleum, North Arlington.

Crescenzo “Jim” Chierchia

Mr. Chierchia, 89, formerly of Sayreville, died Aug. 1 at home in North Port, Fla. He served as a special police officer for the Sayreville Police Department for more than 10 years. His wife, Mary Kowalik Chierchia, died in 1994. Surviving are three sons, James of Van Nuys, Calif., John of Monroe and Gregory of East Brunswick; two daughters, Julie Noland and Pamela Kramer, both of North Port; eight grandchildren; and three great grandchildren. A memorial service is scheduled for 8:15 a.m. on Oct. 14 at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Route 18 south, Old Bridge.

Gene Marie Tancibok Woodmansee

Mrs. Woodmansee, 99, of Milltown, formerly of Old Bridge and Spotswood, died Aug. 29 in Raritan Bay Medical Center, Old Bridge division. Her husband, Vincent O. Woodmansee, a former Spotswood police chief, died in 1965. She also was predeceased by three grandchildren, Kathleen, Dorothy Jean and James Griffin. Surviving are her son, John G. Griffin of Venice, Fla.; two grandsons, John P. Griffin of Milltown, with whom she lived, and Gary R. Griffin of Brick; and four grandchildren. Services were arranged by Eckman Funeral Home, Spotswood. Interment was in Reformed Church Cemetery, Spotswood.

Guy Michael Callahan

Mr. Callahan, 70, of Freehold, formerly of Sayreville and Spotswood, died Sept. 9 in Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick. He was an electrician for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 358, Perth Amboy, for 48 years. Surviving are his wife, Janice Hode Callahan; a son, Michael Callahan of Spotswood; a daughter, Nancy Alston of Monroe; a brother, James Callahan of Florida; and two granddaughters. A Mass of Christian Burial was offered at St. Mary of Ostrabrama Church, South River. Interment was in Holy Cross Burial Park, South Brunswick.

Janice Ann Lopez

Mrs. Lopez, 72, of Old Bridge, died Sept. 10 in Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick. Prior to his retirement in 1990, he was a picker-packer with Sunshine Biscuit, Sayreville, where he worked for 30 years. Surviving are three sons, Robert Lopez Jr., and Joseph, both of Old Bridge, and Steven of East Brunswick; four daughters, Karen Vader of Columbia, S.C., Nancy Stellingwerf of Edison, Diane Fritzinger of Bound Brook and Ann Marie Fela of Old Bridge; 10 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Services were held at Michael Hegarty Funeral Home, Old Bridge. Cremation was private.