McConnell Remembered as Hero Who Inspired Hope

Mayor Barberio, Rep. Frelinghuysen and servicemembers among those at Parsippany wake; funeral will be in North Caldwell Tuesday.

Parsippany said its farewell to U.S. Army Sgt. Derek McConnell in the township Monday, paying last respects to the soldier who died March 18 of still-unreleased causes. A steady stream of mourners visited the Par-Troy Funeral Home throughout the afternoon and evening as an open-casket viewing was held. Around the room were photo collages showing the many faces of Derek: The wounded warrior; the brand-new (healthy) soldier; the fiance; the son and brother; the boy; the man. Much of the talk at the funeral home centered around the grace and bravery demonstrated by the young man as he dealt with massive health challenges over the two years preceding his death. McConnell, 23, was wounded in Afghanistan in July 2011, after being hit by an …

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Hundreds Mourn Death of Budd Lake Teen

Family and community members pay final respects to Nicholas Michael Cianciotto III, who was ice fishing when he and his friend fell into the frigid waters of Budd Lake last week.

Accident Victim Remembered as a 'Dear Friend'

Allen Van Seters died on his 53rd birthday when a tree crushed his car on Route 46.

As police continue with their investigation into the Sept. 14 motor vehicle crash on Route 46 that led to the death of a Parsippany resident, Allen Van Seters is being remembered as a man of compassion and empathy. Van Seters died on his 53rd birthday after the green Honda he was driving along Route 46 West ended up crossing a median at a turnoff for Baldwin Road and running into a tree that fell and crushed his car. He was taken to St. Clare's Hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later. Van Seters was born in Paterson on Sept. 14, 1959, to the late John and Anna Van Seters. Most recently, Allen Van Seters worked at PNY Technologies in Parsippany as a machine operator.  Van Seters is survived by brothers John Van Seters and …

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Jersey Newspaper Pioneer Dead At 99

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'N.J.'s Historian' Wrote Over 50 Books About State

John T. Cunningham died last week at age 96; visiting hours scheduled for Monday in Madison.

John T. Cunningham, a popular New Jersey historian who wrote more than 50 books about the state's past, some of which were used in grade-school classrooms and turned into award-winning documentaries, died Thursday. He was 96. Visiting hours are scheduled for Monday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at Burroughs, Kohr & Dangler Funeral Home, 106 Main Street, Madison. A memorial service for Cunningham is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. at Morristown United Methodist Church, 50 S. Park Place, Morristown. Cunningham was raised in Mendham and graduated from Morristown High School in 1932. A 1938 graduate of Drew University and a resident of Florham Park for 60 years, Cunningham was remembered by Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen as a man whose…

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Obituary: Anthony B. Scavolo, 89

St. Pius parishioner and Montville Seniors member to be celebrated.

Whitney Houston Laid to Rest in Westfield

Procession arrived at noon Sunday for burial ceremony at Fairview Cemetery. Nearly 100 fans shouted 'We love you, Whitney' as hearse turned into the cemetery.

The vigil at Fairview Cemetery began at first light Sunday morning. There were no mourners, just reporters and photographers mingling congenially as they staked out a good spot for their reports back to the network morning shows or a position for the perfect photo of the funeral procession bringing Whitney Houston to the cemetery for her burial. Police officers arrived before daylight, at 6 a.m., to secure every possible corner of the Fairview property, from the Cranford border along Union County College to the south and E. Broad Street to the north. At the western end of the cemetery, Gallows Hill Road was closed to prevent any neighborhood street from messing up any potential route in which the procession of hearses and limos that would …

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5:12 pm on Tuesday, November 27, 2012

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DeCroce: A GOPer Who Could Get Things Done

Officials recall Legislator who acted as model and teacher

One of the last acts Assembly Republican Leader Alex DeCroce performed Monday during a marathon Legislative session was to marshal through the Assembly a bill he co-sponsored that boosted development opportunities and annoyed environmentalists. DeCroce, 75,  died Monday after the session that closed out the 214th Legislature. DeCroce,  from Parsippany, served in the Assembly since 1989 and  was named the his party’s leader there in 2003. His wife, Betty Lou DeCroce, is a deputy commissioner with the Department of Community Affairs. He was a former Morris County freeholder. DeCroce's death comes on the heels of the passing of another GOP assemblyman, Peter Biondi of Somerset County, who died Nov. 10, two days after he was re-elected to an …

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