Lewis A. Kadell

Lewis A. Kadell, age 68 years young, passed away surrounded by his loving wife Michele, daughter and son- in-law, Stacy and Andrew Strittmatter, son Todd Kadell and his partner Laura Telesca, on the evening of November 4th, 2024.

He was born June 2nd, 1956, in Paterson New Jersey, to Stuart and Elizabeth (Pregrod) Kadell. He spent years traveling coast to coast after graduating from Fair Lawn High School in New Jersey, where he earned varsity letters in wrestling.

After sailing the turquoise seas on a sailboat, he returned home to Fair Lawn to work for the family roofing business, Reliable Roofing Inc. On May 14th, 1982, Lewis met the love of his life and forever partner, Michele Chaskin. Their first sights left an indelible mark on their hearts and the couple wed 8 months later, January 2nd, 1983.

Lewis spent his life as a roofer after following in the footsteps of his father and then eventually ended his career life as a real estate developer. No matter what Lewis did, he always displayed a passion for fixing things, and taking care of people. He developed and pioneered the first permanent housing for homeless and disabled veterans in the state of New Jersey in May of 2012.

Lewis and Michele lived together in the same home for 42 years in Upper Saddle River, NJ. The first seven years of his marriage to Michele, there was not an island left unvisited or a beach and bottle of Dom Perignon that did not have their names on it.

Amidst all the wonderful things that Lewis contributed to and accomplished in his lifetime, it was no surprise to anyone that his most cherished and proud endeavor was when he became a father. In 1989, Lewis and Michele adopted Todd, and in 1991, they adopted Stacy from the same biological family from San Antonio Texas.

Lewis always felt that adoption was a full-circle blessing and showing up for his children was his priority above everything else. He volunteered countless hours, years, even decades to coaching and giving back to the community. Lewis even trained and became NCAA-license certified in coaching soccer despite never having played himself. He did this for his children who fell in love with the sport at a young age. He never once missed a game or practice.

The most unbelievable quality that Lew possessed was his ability to see the absolute best in people and always remain loyal. He had the strongest spirit and the strongest forearms known to man. There was never a room that did not feel the presence of Lew, with his low voice, stern expression, and mesmerizing and elaborate stories. Lewis truly had an uncanny and unique way of connecting with people from all walks of life. His final wish and greatest joy in his entire life was being a present, loving, teasing, and incredibly proud Grandpa. His first words upon hearing he was being promoted to Grandpa were, “Wow, this is a really good day, what an incredible blessing we have.” He would not let an opportunity go by if it involved putting his toes in the sand, eating ice cream, watching his kids or grandkids play soccer or hopping the nines on the craps table.

Lewis lived out his final year of life surrounded by unconditional love from his four beautiful grandchildren in Charlotte, NC. He leaves behind his best friend and life partner of 42 years, Michele (Chaskin) Kadell, his son Todd Kadell and partner Laura Telesca, his daughter and son-in-law Stacy and Andrew Strittmatter and their children Scarlett (7), Beckham (6), Novaleigh (4), and Asher (2). He also leaves behind a beloved cousin Bonnie Malajian, her son Marc and wife Nicolette, and her son Brian and partner Ashley.

Lewis leaves behind many dear friends, some old, and some new who all will carry his memories and stories within their hearts. If Lew were alive, he would want everyone to know that he is not dead until the ripples he caused in this world die away. So, make Lew proud and keep on living, keep on loving, and most importantly, keep on laughing.