John Yaman

It is with heavy hearts we share the passing of John Yaman on October 25, 2024. John passed away at the age of 87 in Toms River, New Jersey, leaving behind his extended family and a legacy of wit and laughter. Born on January 5, 1937 to beloved parents George and Waddad Yaman in Lebanon, John was the eldest of four children, including Dorothy Stivali, Annabel Coyman and Dr. Peter Yaman. His cherished wife and partner in life, Minerva “Minnie” Yaman, of 52 years predeceased him in 2015. His beloved sister Dorothy, who passed in 2022, is survived by her three daughters, Cheryl, Kerry and Lisa.

John is survived by Annabel, her husband Walter and two of their children, Randie and David; Peter and his three children, Jason, Trent, and Jared; his dear friend and love, Patricia Sorrentino, whose company he cherished; his nephew Michael Rotunda and family, and niece Mary Louise Rotunda Meterhoff and family, as well as countless grand nieces and nephews and friends.

John enjoyed a life filled with travel and adventure, starting in Beirut Lebanon and making his way across the globe. John’s family journeyed by boat from Lebanon to the United States in 1955. Fluent in Arabic and having attended the American Uni of Beirut, John arrived in the US already speaking English. He graduated Bloomfield High School and then joined the Army, serving his new country with pride.

Returning from being stationed in Germany, John went to work at Bambergers, thinking to fill his time (and his pocket!) until the next school semester started. Little did he know he would work there for the next few years while putting himself through school, but that job gave him the biggest reward of his life: his future wife Minnie. For the next half a century, they traveled across the globe from Syria to New Zealand, Africa to Paris; there was no land, country, or ocean they didn’t see. John became a director at Heathkit Data Systems, one of the original personal computer companies, specializing in made-to-order kit computers.

After Minnie’s passing in 2015, John immersed himself in the Leisure Village community in Lakewood, NJ. He met Patricia Sorrentino, and while they didn’t travel the globe, John and Pat spent years together and often visited each other’s large family gatherings, always showing up with homemade dinners, desserts, and treats. John was known for his culinary wizardry in the kitchen. He was a masterful Lebanese cook and had a talent for bottling jellies and jams.

While the loss for our family is great, we know John is reunited with his beloved Minnie, his sister Dorothy, her husband Charlie and their son Charles Stivali, and his niece Tammie Lee Coyman, as well as his sister-in-law Janet Yaman.

A memorial gathering will be held at D’Elia funeral home in Lakewood, NJ, from 11am – 1pm on Saturday November 23, 2024. Family and friends are encouraged to attend.