Mary Rover Ghirlanda

Mary Ghirlanda, age 95, of Lakewood, NJ passed away at her home on Sunday, September 27, 2015. Mary was born in Harrison, NJ on May 25, 1920. She was the daughter of the late Mary and Francis Rover. Mary was a former resident of Harrison, NJ, Stonington, CT, and Delray Beach, FL, before moving to Lakewood in 1998. She worked as a correctional officer at the Women’s Correctional Facility in Niantic, CT. There she met her dear & close friend Joan Cantwell of Niantic, CT. Wife of the late Walter C. Ghirlanda who passed in 2003; grandmother of the late Kate Frankewicz who passed in 1983; and sister of the late Joan Dolahan, Midge Sode, Rose Smith and Francis “Buddy” Rover, as well as her lifelong best friend of over 70 years, Helen Kurswicz. Mary is survived by her daughter, Ann Frankewicz and her husband James of Jackson; a sister, Barbara Barry of Oceanside, CA; two grandchildren, Jill Nix & her husband Jonathan of Howell and Michael Frankewicz & his fiancé Kassandra Saitta of Forked River; four great-grandchildren, Gavin Nix, Tyler Nix, Michael Frankewicz and Mason Frankewicz; Mary is also survived by her three Goddaughters Denise Rover, Catherine Gibson, & Judith Dolahan, as well as several wonderful nieces and nephews. A memorial mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, October 3, 2015 at the St. Mary of the Lake Church, 43 Madison Ave., Lakewood, NJ 08701. Entombment of her cremated remains will immediately follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Lakewood, NJ. Due to Mary’s love of animals, please consider donating to the Jersey Shore Animal Shelter located at 185 Brick Blvd, Brick NJ 08723.