Paul E. Bonasera

Born to Henriette and Edward Bonasera on December 27, 1947 in Manhattan, NY, during what

was called “the Great Snowstorm of ‘47”. Through the blizzard and two feet of snow, they

made it to safely to the hospital just in time.

Paul, an only child, lived with his parents in Manhattan, NY until the age of 3 when they

separated. At 3 years old his mother flew back home to Garches, France taking him along,

there he spent the next two years of his life learning to speak fluent French. At 5 years old they

moved back to Manhattan to be closer to his father, living between NYC and Teaneck, NJ

where his father then resided. As a teenager he spent his afternoons in pool halls, he said

shooting pool helped him focus his lazy eye and the gritty crowd inspired his writing.

He found his love of journalism at the age of 20 and got a job as a copy boy at the Bergen

Record. Here he learned the “craft of writing a good story” and began his writing career in the

newsroom for the next few years. He moved on briefly to the Patterson News but found his

place at the Parsippany Daily Record where he spent the next few decades writing obituaries,

breaking news, interviews, and education pieces under the title Column 8. Friends and fellow

journalists have shared warm sentiments.

Jack Bowie, retired Managing Editor of the Parsippany Daily Record writes, “It was clear Paul

loved being a reporter. You could tell he loved talking with people and figuring out the story.

And he was precise. He wasn't afraid to ask dumb questions to find stuff out. He never

turned down an assignment. He was a great guy.”

Former Daily Record Reporter, John Chartier adds, “He was a reporter’s reporter. I can hear

him answering the phone with a kind of street-smart edge, “Newsroom, Bonasera”, it made me

feel proud to be a reporter.”

Reporter Larry Higgs, “knew him as the night reporter, juggling breaking news, taking obits and

dictation from those of us on assignment. Even when we got the first laptops, when they failed,

Paul was our back up. He’d take your dictation and simultaneously edit your story in a gentle

sort of way, suggesting “maybe it would be better if you said this.” Paul was old school in the

best way doing one of the toughest jobs.”

William Westhoven, Reporter, Parsippany Daily Record states, “When I arrived at the Daily

Record in 1994, Paul was clearly one of the veteran reporters who knew the job and was

invested in getting it right, getting it first and the other lofty goals of our demanding business.

As long as I’m around, the Daily Record staff will remember him well.”

Paul lived and breathed the newspaper but loved his family immensely as well.

Working long hours and having very little free time, he always found a way to spend quality

time with his family. He found ways to make it to his children’s baseball games, dance recitals,

school concerts and events and loudly cheered them on. As a brown belt in Isshin-Ryu Karate

he enjoyed exercise and imparted the importance of it by taking his kids on long afternoon bike

rides and family hikes. There was never enough time to love his family enough. His son Sean

reflects, “He modeled for me what a good father should be and I can only hope I will be as

good as a father to my two daughters as he was to all of us.”

As Paul went from full time reporter to part time, then free-lance writer, he focused mostly on

special interest stories, and lighter topics. He worked part time as a limo driver which gave him

the opportunity to continue his genuine interest of chatting with new people, finding out their

stories, being genuinely social.

As signs of Alzheimer’s set in, but still undiagnosed, he was able to keep writing and began

working as a cashier at Shoprite in Chatham Twp., NJ until he, his wife, and daughter Bridgette

moved to Whiting in 2014.

Here he lived out the rest of his life in their care, at home. He passed quietly in his favorite

recliner surrounded by family. He is survived by his wife of 52 years Madeline Petrik Bonasera,

his daughter Bridgette Bonasera, and son E.C. Bonasera of Whiting, NJ, son Sean Bonasera

and wife Sylvia and two daughters of Branchburg, NJ and daughter PollyAnne Bonasera Ford

and her husband Brendan of Titusville, NJ.

Memorial services will be held at a later date. Anyone wishing to may make a donation in Paul’s

memory to Alzheimer’s Association of America.