Obituary of Joseph Grzella, Jr.

Joseph Grzella Jr., 87, died on Wednesday (Nov. 5, 2008) at home after a long illness.Mr. Grzella was born in Deerfield, N.Y, on July 8, 1921, to the late Joseph and Rose Barbara (Sedlik) Grzella. He grew up on a family farm in Middleville, N.Y. As a child, he and his brothers would throw the rock crystals they found in the farms ground against stones, to watch them shatter in the sunlight. Today, the farm is the site of the Herkimer Diamond Mines of Herkimer, N.Y. He met his future wife, Rose Serretti, on a blind date he was a last-minute replacement for a friend who needed a second for a double date. They drove the six hours from upstate to Linden, N.J., to meet their dates. Six months later, Joe and Rose married on Sept. 16, 1945.In early 1946, Mr. Grzella was drafted, and served in the U.S. Army occupation forces in Japan. He was honorably discharged in 1947. After he returned to the United States, Mr. Grzella and his wife settled in Warren, where they have lived since 1948.Throughout his working career, Mr. Grzella was a traffic manager for a number of manufacturing companies in New Jersey, including Dollins and Premier Dye Casting. He last worked for A.I.M. plastics in Berkeley Heights, from 1966 to 1990. During his younger years, Mr. Grzella also was a great bowler.Mr. Grzella was a member of Our Lady of the Mount Church in Warren for 60 years. He was an usher and counter for decades and helped with the churchs clothing ministry. In 1996 he received the Medal Regina Nostra from the Diocese of Metuchen in "recognition of outstanding service to God and to His People.'' He also was a member of the Warren Senior Citizens Club for many years, serving as treasurer. He coordinated the clubs trips to many different lunches and to Atlantic City. In addition to his wife of 63 years, Mr. Grzella is survived by three children; Joan Church and her husband, Don, of Pittstown; James and his wife, Young, of Fairfax, Va.; and Paul, and his partner, Edward W. Edwards, of Bridgewater. Also surviving are his two grandchildren, Anna Grzella of Fairfax, Va., and Melissa May, and her husband, Jesse, of Clinton, N.J., and their four children, Kaitlin, Jonathan, Thomas and Nicholas.Mr. Grzella was predeceased by four brothers and one sister. A Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday at Our Lady of the Mount Chapel in Warren. Interment will follow in Good Shepherd Chapel Mausoleum at St. Gertrude's Cemetery in Colonia. Visitation will be conducted from to 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. today at Higgins Home for Funerals on Mountain Boulevard in Watchung. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations being made to the hospice program of the Visiting Nurse Association of the Somerset Hills, 200 Mt. Airy Road, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920.