Melvin S. Nutkis

He was born in Jersey City, NJ, to Aaron and Leah Nutkis on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1935. Mel lived in Mountainside for 35 years before moving to Florham Park 4 years ago. As a child, he attended the Hudson County Yeshiva and graduated from Snyder High School in Jersey City in 1952. He attended Stevens Institute of Technology for both undergraduate and graduate programs, where he graduated with high honors. He worked for many years as an engineer for Exxon in Florham Park and after retiring, was a private consultant for numerous companies. Mel was also a member of Congregation Beth Torah in Florham Park.

Mel was the beloved husband of Dorothy Nutkis, loving father of Judith Nutkis, Roslyn Lauterbach (Craig), Daniel Nutkis, step-father of Amy Ash (Jared) and Andy Zidel (Randi), devoted grandfather of David and Rob Holop, Jennifer, James, Jeffrey, and Leah Nutkis, and step-grandfather of Avi and Benji Ash and Eli and Abbey Zidel. Mel is also survived by 7 great grandchildren.

Throughout his life, Mel loved playing and watching sports. Among his favorite teams were both the Jets and Giants, as well as the Mets. He loved all kinds of puzzles and word games. In both high school and college, he developed crossword puzzles for the school newspapers. Mel was proficient at Wordle and Spelling Bee in his later years. He was also an avid reader and loved discussing world events with family and friends. He was particularly interested in the welfare of Israel. Mel and Dorothy traveled extensively throughout their 39 year marriage. Mel was the one who planned the trips, including selecting where to stay, where to dine, what to eat, and which wine would be the most appropriate at any particular meal. Mel and Dorothy had a large group of friends, many of whom relied upon him for restaurant recommendations and the choice of wine at the table.

Mel was passionate about a number of things throughout his life. His family, including his children, grandchildren, and their children, were his main priority. He also had a large number of cousins to whom he was closely connected. This year, Mel’s birthday once again fell on Thanksgiving Day. He celebrated the holiday and his birthday over the weekend. Everyone feels blessed to have been able to spend time with him before his unexpected passing on Monday, December 2nd.

The family will receive guests on Friday, December 6, 2024 from 10:15 AM to 10:45 AM at Bernheim-Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel, 68 Old Short Hills Rd, Livingston, New Jersey 07039. A funeral service will take place Friday, December 6, 2024 at 11:00 AM, 68 Old Short Hills Road, Livingston, NJ 07039. Burial to follow at Cedar Park Cemetery, 735 Forest Avenue, Paramus, NJ 07652.

Contributions in Mel's memory may be made to Jewish Federation, https://www.jewishfederations.org or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, https://www.stjude.org