Obituaries

Greater Media Newspapers prints obituaries as a free community service, at no charge to the families of the deceased or to the funeral homes that provide the information.

HEDY AKSTULEWICZ, 53, of Freehold Township died Sept. 16 at CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township. She was born in Dover, Morris County, and had resided in Parsippany and the Succasunna section of Roxbury before moving to Freehold Township in 1974. Mrs. Akstulewicz was a software consultant for the past 11 years. She was a communicant of St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church, Freehold. Surviving are her husband, Walter J.; a son, Dennis, at home; a daughter, Stacy Lynn of Greenville, N.C.; her parents, James J. and Sophie Mahtook of Howell; and a sister, Joanne Mercadante of Freehold Township. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated today at St. Rose of Lima Church, followed by interment at St. Anne’s Cemetery, Wall. The C.H.T. Clayton and Son Funeral Home, Adelphia section of Howell, was in charge of arrangements.

CAROLYN GOLDFINE WOOD, 79, of Monroe, formerly of Englishtown, died Sept. 3 at home. Her first husband, Jacob Goldfine, died in 1977, and her second husband, Charles Wood, died in 1998. Surviving are a son, Robert Goldfine of Freehold; four daughters, Marilyn Clinton of Atlanta, Martha Walsh of Howell, Helen Vota of Sea Girt and Sandra Sribnick of Silver Spring, Md.; a sister, Judith Levine of Florida; 10 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. Services were held at Bloomfield-Cooper Jewish Chapels, Manalapan. Interment was in Congregation Sons of Israel Cemetery, Englishtown.

THOMAS MONTALTO, 90, of Manalapan died Sept. 5 at home. He was born in Manhattan, N.Y., and resided in Brooklyn, N.Y., before moving to Manalapan eight years ago. Mr. Montalto was a barber for 70 years in Manhattan and Long Island, N.Y. Surviving are his wife, Vita LaPinta Montalto; two daughters, Cora Bandes of Manalapan and Loretta Montalto of Belleview, Fla.; and one grandchild. The funeral liturgy was celebrated at St. Thomas the Apostle R.C. Church, Old Bridge, followed by interment at Calvary Cemetery, Woodside, N.Y. The Freeman Manalapan-Marlboro Funeral Home, Manalapan, was in charge of arrangements.

FRANCIS C. MORTIMER, 72, of Manalapan died Sept. 4 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, New Brunswick. Mr. Mortimer was born in Jersey City and resided in Kearny before moving to Manalapan 35 years ago. He was an electrical engineer for Hayward-Robinson Co., New York, until his retirement 24 years ago. He was a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Mr. Mortimer sang in the choirs of several area churches, including Our Lady of Mercy R.C. Church, Englishtown; St. Gabriel’s R.C. Church, Marlboro; St. Catharine’s R.C. Church, Holmdel; St. Michael’s R.C. Church, Long Branch; and Epiphany Church, New York City. He also performed with the Madison Chorale, Old Bridge; Elysium Chorale, Freehold; and Creative Productions, Matawan. Mr. Mortimer was predeceased by a sister, Eileen Juskiewicz, who died in 1996. Surviving are his wife, Arlene Mills Mortimer; two sons, Kevin F. of Miami, Fla., and Timothy P. of Manalapan; a daughter and son-in-law, Lori Ann Mortimer and Steven Nelson of Methuen, Mass.; a brother, Charles J. of Jersey City; a sister, Mary Altese of Flagstaff, Ariz.; a granddaughter; eight nephews; a niece; two grandnephews; and two grandnieces. The funeral liturgy was celebrated at Our Lady of Mercy Church, followed by interment at Rosedale Cemetery, Orange. The Higgins Memorial Home, Freehold, was in charge of arrangements. Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, 801 Broad St., Shrewsbury 07702.

SYLVIA IRBY, 81, of Eatontown died Sept. 8 at Monmouth County Care Center, John L. Montgomery Division, Freehold Township. She was born in Halifax, Va., and resided in East Rutherford before moving to Eatontown in 1980. Mrs. Irby was a self-employed nurse’s aide, retiring in 1977. She was predeceased by her husband, Ames E., who died in 1986; and a son, William A., in 1971. Surviving are two sons, Lewis E. of Tinton Falls and Larry A. of Passaic; two daughters, Connie Cornine of Freehold Township and Barbara Ann Bell of Washington, D.C.; two brothers, Albert Hodge of Boston, Va., and Franklin Hodge of North Carolina; three sisters, Catherine Brown of Pittsburgh, and Lula Mae Daniels and Louise Wilkerson, both of Baltimore; 14 grandchildren; and 23 great-grandchildren. Services were held at Maplewood Cemetery, Freehold Township, under the direction of the Freeman Funeral Home, Freehold.