Obituaries

Scott Donald Clowes

Mr. Clowes, 32, of Freehold Township, died Nov. 3 at CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township. Born in Danbury, Conn., he had lived in Vermont before moving to New Jersey in 1994. Mr. Clowes was an engineer with Agate Construction Co. Inc. for the past year, and over the past 11 years had contributed to construction efforts in New York City, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He was a graduate of Clarkson University, Potsdam, N.Y., where he earned a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering. He was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and was a “big brother” in the Monmouth County Big Brother/Big Sister program. Mr. Clowes is survived by his wife of seven years, Sarah Van Valkenburg; “little brother” Nicholas; his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Patricia and Gerard Raymond; an uncle, John Clowes; a niece; three nephews; and several friends. A memorial gathering was held at the Higgins Memorial Home, Freehold. Donations in his memory may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Central Jersey Chapter, 740 Broad St., Shrewsbury 07702.

Thelma G. Cremeans

Mrs. Cremeans, 84, of Red Bank, died Nov. 11 at home. Born in Buffalo, N.Y., she resided in Little Silver before moving to Red Bank a year ago. Mrs. Cremeans was a bookkeeper at The Cellar, Fair Haven, where she was employed several years. She was the only female member of the New York Philharmonic when she was in her early 20s. Mrs. Cremeans was predeceased by her husband, Robert Cremeans, in March; a son, John Cremeans, in 1997; two grandchildren, Amber and Joseph Sebolt in 1983; and her twin brother, Earl Bartell, in October. She is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Patti Cremeans of Florida; a daughter and son-in-law, Barbara and Jimmy McNamara of Freehold; a brother and sister-in-law, William and Audrey Bartell of Florida; a daughter-in-law, Gevena Cremeans of Middletown; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Arrangements were by John F. Pfleger Funeral Home, Middletown. Memorial donations may be made to the March of Dimes, 5 Cedarbrook Drive, Cranbury 08512.

Edith Lillian McAlevy

Mrs. McAlevy, 85, of Manalapan, died Nov. 18 at home. Born in Westwood, she had lived in the Covered Bridge section of Manalapan for 31 years. Prior to retiring in 1979, she was a cashier at the A&P supermarket in Freehold Township for 15 years. Mrs. McAlevy was predeceased by a daughter, Barbara Understiller; two sisters, Dorothy Schaffer and Edna Hansen; and a brother, James Snyder. Surviving are her husband, John; two brothers, Raymond Snyder of Whiting and Philip Snyder of Edgewater, Md.; a sister, Lois Sterling of Freehold; a grandson, Kurt Haag of Seattle; and many nieces and nephews. A funeral service was held at Freeman Manalapan-Marlboro Funeral Home, Manalapan. Interment was private.

William T. Story

Mr. Story, 98, of Red Bank, died Nov. 11 at Riverview Medical Center, Red Bank. Born in Holmdel, he had resided in Marlboro and Englishtown before moving to Red Bank in 1914. Mr. Story was employed in the maintenance department at Red Bank Regional High School, Red Bank, retiring in 1969. He was a member of the Reformed Church of Tinton Falls. He was a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Mr. Story was predeceased by his wife, Elizabeth Veary Story, in 1980; a son, William C. Story, in 2001; a sister, Dorothy Smith; a brother, Kenneth Story; and a daughter-in-law, Carol R. Story, in 1999. He is survived by three grandchildren, Cheryl Smith and her husband Eric of Oceanport, Tammie Story Smith and her husband Tom of Opelika, Ala., and Thomas W. Story and his wife P.J. of Little Silver; and eight great-grandchildren. Interment was at Holmdel Cemetery. The John E. Day Funeral Home, Red Bank, was in charge of arrangements.

Willie Leon Perry

Mr. Perry, 59, of Freehold, died Nov. 17 from injuries received in an automobile accident. Born in Neptune Township, he had resided in Freehold and then Bloomfield, Conn., before moving back to Freehold. Mr. Perry worked in several health care facilities in Connecticut and New Jersey. He was a member of the U.S. Army National Guard. He was predeceased by his wife, Shirley, and two sisters, Dora Lee Swanson and Annie Foy. Mr. Perry is survived by four sisters and three brothers-in-law, Sylvia Dixon of Freehold, and her husband, Melvin, of North Carolina, Beatrice and Rayfield Dawley of Ansonia, Conn., and Frances and Riley Murphy and Linda Revelle Nelson, all of Hartford, Conn.; a brother, James Ellis Perry of South Windsor, Conn.; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Funeral services were held at the Higgins Memorial Home, Freehold, with the Rev. Malcolm Steele officiating. Interment took place at Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Arnytown, Burlington County.

Carol Malinowski Nowicki

Mrs. Nowicki, 57, of South Amboy, formerly of Manalapan and the Parlin section of Sayreville, died Nov. 11 in Trinitas Hospital, Elizabeth. Prior to her retirement in 2004, she was employed for three years as a receptionist at North Edison Family Practice. Before that, she was the owner of South River Video for more than 10 years. Surviving are her husband, Michael J. Nowicki; two sons, Keith Arway of Freehold and Dennis Nowicki of Metuchen; a daughter, Jennifer Martinovich of Mine Hill; two brothers, Stanley and Benjamin Malinowski, both of Florida; three sisters, Lillian Dybiec of Florida, Mary Ann Garbowski of Sayreville and Suzanne Smith of South Amboy; and six grandchildren. Services were held at Carmen F. Spezzi Funeral Home, Parlin. Interment was in Sacred Heart Cemetery, also Parlin.

Joseph Schultz

Mr. Schultz, 74, of Englishtown, died Nov. 18 at home. Born in New York City, he had lived in Old Bridge before moving to Englishtown 10 years ago. Prior to retiring in 1991, he was a supervisor for Insulating Specialties in Hillside for more than 40 years. He was a U.S. Army veteran, who served during the Korean War. He was also a past member of St. Thomas the Apostle Roman Catholic Church, Old Bridge. Mr. Schultz was predeceased in 1983 by his wife, Lorraine. Surviving are a son, Mitchell Schultz of Englishtown; two daughters, Arlene Tetro of Howell and Joan Collins of Boca Raton, Fla.; and three grandchildren. Funeral services were held at the Michael Hegarty Funeral Home, followed by a funeral Mass at St. Thomas the Apostle Church. Interment took place at Forest Green Park Cemetery, Marlboro.

Carol Ann McCarty

Mrs. McCarty, 68, of Manalapan, died Nov. 3 at CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., she had lived in Queens, N.Y., before moving to Manalapan 38 years ago. Before her retirement in 2000, Mrs. McCarty was a cafeteria worker in the Manalapan-Englishtown School District for 20 years. She was a communicant of St. Gabriel’s Roman Catholic Church, Marlboro, where she was a former member of the Altar Rosary Society. She was a member of the Heart of New Jersey Chorus, Sweet Adelines International. Mrs. McCarty is survived by her husband, Paul; four sons and daughters-in-law, Kevin and Jaime of Freehold, Thomas and Cristi of Manalapan, Daniel and Christine of Manalapan, and Christopher and Jacqueline of Virginia Beach, Va.; two daughters and sons-in-law, Susan and Fred Kuebler of Walton, N.Y., and Eileen and Michael Flynn of Manalapan; a brother, Robert Boettcher of Garden City, N.Y.; and 14 grandchildren. A funeral liturgy was offered at St. Gabriel’s Historic Church, followed by entombment at St. Gabriel’s Mausoleum, both in Marlboro. The Freeman Manalapan-Marlboro Funeral Home, Manalapan, was in charge of arrangements.

Florence “Babe” Lewis Partridge

Mrs. Partridge, 96, of Freehold, died Nov. 17 at Roosevelt Care Center, Edison. Born in Englishtown, she had lived there for 40 years before moving to Highland Park, then to Freehold and later to Vermont before returning to Freehold 26 years ago. Mrs. Partridge was a schoolteacher in Freehold and in Brookfield and North Randolph, Vt., for 20 years before her retirement 31 years ago. Prior to that, she was a public health nurse for the Monmouth County Organization for Social Service (MCOSS), Freehold. Mrs. Partridge was a graduate of the Monmouth Memorial Hospital Nursing School, Long Branch. She was a member of the First Baptist Church, Freehold, the American Association of Retired Persons, and the Monmouth County Historical Association. She was the widow of Fred Partridge, who died in 1972. She was also predeceased by a brother, John Lewis, and a sister, Marie E. Canfield. Mrs. Partridge is survived by three nieces, including Michele Canfield of North Brunswick; a nephew; a great-nephew and two great-nieces, as well as great-great-nieces and great-great-nephews. Memorial donations may be made to the Roosevelt Care Center or the Barbara E. Cheung Hospice, 1 Roosevelt Drive, Edison 08837.

Jay Mark Gordon

Mr. Gordon, 61, of Marlboro, died Nov. 18 after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (or ALS, also called Lou Gehrig’s disease) for several years. Raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., he had lived in Marlboro for the past 33 years. Prior to retiring in 2003, he was an IT (information technology) specialist and the founder of Future Systems Technology, an independent consulting firm. He was a member of Temple Shaari Emeth, Manalapan, and a past president of the Marlboro Soccer Association. An avid reader and golfer, he was also a writer, whose fantasy-adventure novel, “The Hickory Staff” (The Eldarn Sequence, Book 1), was published this year by Orion Books in London. A sequel is slated for release in the summer. When diagnosed with ALS, Mr. Gordon established the Jay M. Gordon Foundation for ALS Research, a nonprofit organization dedicated to compiling a comprehensive, international database of the symptoms and histories of ALS patients. He was predeceased by his father, Abraham. Surviving are his wife of 40 years, Susan; two daughters and sons-in-law, Stacy and Patrick Roger-Gordon of Marlboro, and Karen and Robert Scott of Haymarket, Va.; his mother, Ann Gordon of Brooklyn; a sister and brother-in-law, Linda and Dr. Gerson Weiss of New York City; and five grandchildren. Funeral services were held at Bloomfield-Cooper Jewish Chapels, Manalapan, followed by interment at Beth Moses Cemetery, Farmingdale, N.Y. Memorial donations may be made to the Jay M. Gordon Foundation for ALS Research, 2 Trudeau Court, Marlboro 07746.

Robert F. Strickler

Mr. Strickler, 87, of Freehold Township, died Nov. 18 at Applewood Estates Care Center, Freehold Township. Born in Lewistown, Mont., he had lived in Princeton and Hightstown before moving to Freehold Township to organize the Freehold Camp of the Gideons. Mr. Strickler was employed by Eastern Airlines for eight years and later at the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory before his retirement in 1984. He was called to testify before the U.S. Senate on issues related to meteorology. He was a captain in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, serving as a meteorologist in Peru, and served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve from the end of World War II until 1955. He was a graduate of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, where he earned a master’s degree. Mr. Strickler was a member of the Ardena Baptist Church, Howell, where he served as a deacon and member of the mission board. He held all the offices in the Freehold Camp of the Gideons. A memorial service was held at the Ardena Baptist Church. Memorial donations may be made to The Gideons International, Freehold Camp No. U29043, P.O. Box 493, Freehold 07728. The Higgins Memorial Home, Freehold, was in charge of arrangements.