Caren Elizabeth Strasko

April 9, 1959 – November 1, 2025

Caren Elizabeth Strasko, 66, passed away peacefully on November 1, 2025, surrounded by her loving family at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Somerset in Somerville, New Jersey.

Born in Newark on April 9, 1959, to the late Richard and Edeltraut  Buthmann, Caren grew up in Springfield before settling in North Plainfield, where she made her home for the past 42 years. It was there that she raised her family and became deeply rooted in the community she loved.

Caren earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing from Fairleigh Dickinson University. For many years she worked alongside her family at their beloved business, Buthmann’s Luncheonette in Newark. For the past 21 years, she was a dedicated and integral part of Schechner Lifson Corporation, an insurance brokerage firm located in Summit, New Jersey, where she served as manager and built countless valued friendships with colleagues and clients alike.

Caren truly cherished time spent with family and friends. She had a love for the arts and enjoyed attending plays and concerts. During the summer months, she could often be found at the Middlesex Pool, where she spent many happy days with her close circle of friends. Always active in her community, Caren volunteered for many years as a girls’ softball coach with the North Plainfield Recreation Department and was also involved with the Girl Scouts, especially alongside her granddaughter.

A proud member of the German American Club in Clark, Caren enthusiastically volunteered at many of their events, including the annual Oktoberfest celebrations. Family and friends fondly remember her musical spirit as an avid accordion player, often visiting her children’s classrooms to share her talent and joy. Above all, Caren will be remembered for her selflessness, devotion, and deep love for her family. She adored spending time with her grandchildren, rarely missing a single event—particularly those connected to her granddaughter’s marching band—and was always there to lend a helping hand to her daughter, Katy.

Caren is survived by her son, Ryan Strasko, and his children, Matthew, Abigail, Reese, Dylan, and their mother, Lisa; her daughter, Kathryn (Katy) Strasko, and her daughter, Jordyn; her brother Richard Buthmann and his wife Lori; her sister-in-law Teresa Buthmann; her longtime partner Joseph Irovando; her ex-husband James Strasko Jr.; and many loving aunts, uncles, and cousins in Germany and her beloved companion Ollie. She was predeceased by her parents and her brother Ronald Buthmann.

Family and friends may visit on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, from 4:00 to 8:00 P.M. at Higgins Home for Funerals, 752 Mountain Boulevard, Watchung, New Jersey. A funeral service will be held at the funeral home on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at 11:00 A.M. Cremation services will follow privately.

Caren will be remembered for her generous heart, her community spirit, and her unwavering love for her family—a legacy that will continue to live on in all who knew and loved her.