Mary D'Onofrio

Mary was born in Garwood, NJ and moved with her parents when she was 5 years old to Ocean Gate. Her father was a building contractor. She grew up in Ocean Gate and attended local grade school, graduating from Toms River High School in 1944. For a time she worked at Lakehurst Naval Base during the war effort. She also worked at Charney’s Stationery Store in Toms River and was eventually employed by the US Social Security System.

While living in Ocean Gate in 1946 she met her future husband, Dan, who also lived in Ocean Gate and was recently discharged form the Marine Corps. They married in 1949 and had their first child, DJ, in 1951 and then a second son, Stephen, in 1954. They soon moved to Toms River where both of their children attended and graduated St Joseph’s High School.

Mary volunteered in the school kitchen for several years and later volunteered at Community Medical Center, for approximately 5 years, in the emergency room on weekends. Throughout the years as her husband became more active in the business community, she was always there to support him wholeheartedly through the good times and bad. Whatever the task she was given, she did well and brought joy and happiness to everyone’s life.

Mary assisted her son, DJ, for a while when he initially opened the Old Time Tavern in 1977, with her talent in the kitchen preparing and utilizing her favorite recipes.

When her family had grown, she found a passion for golf sometimes playing 4 days a week. She developed the game and won various 1st place prizes, and had the luck to get a hole in one. For over 25 years she enjoyed playing in NJ and Florida where she vacationed 5 months a year. The only hostility and impatience she displayed was with her fellow golfers on the course or bad calls. She always came home from golfing with a new joke.

She was a welcomed guest everywhere. She was especially talented with painting – whether with a 6-inch brush or an artist brush and professional easel – she did great projects at home and in her husband’s business locations.

Mary had that “spark” that everyone enjoyed and loved.

“Make room heaven, here comes Mary” – Love, Dan.

Memorial donations in memory of Mary may be made to www.alzheimersresearchfoundation.com. Anderson and Campbell Funeral Home in Toms River is in charge of private services. Condolences may be made by visiting www.andersonandcampbell.com.