Angeline C. Brigiani

Angeline Giacalone Moccaro Brigiani died peacefully on March 26, at Green Acres Manor, Toms River. Angeline was born in Sicily, Italy on December 7, 1910. She immigrated to the United States in 1912 with her mother and older sister to join her father Paolo Giacalone who was a shoemaker in Woodbridge.

Angeline was raised in Woodbridge and graduated from Woodbridge High School in 1929. She married Joseph A. Moccaro in 1935. They had two daughters, Maryann (Moccaro) Palmisano and Joan (Moccaro) Troyano. She was widowed in 1935.

She graduated from Rutgers University with a B.S. in Education in 1961. Angeline taught in St. James Catholic School in Woodbridge for two years, was a Special Education teacher in Woodbridge Township in School 11 and Iselin Junior High School, taught elementary education in Fords School #25 and taught English in Avenel Junior High School and Woodbridge Junior High School until her retirement in 1974. In 1990, she was chosen by the Alpha Delta Kappa Society as that year’s most Outstanding Retired Educator in Woodbridge Township. Professionally she was a member of the NJ Association of Teachers of English, NJEA, NEA, NJREA, and MCEA.

In 1959, she married Judge Guido J. Brigiani and moved to Jamesburg. She became Vice-Chairperson of the Democratic Organization and held that post for 25 years. She was a delegate from Middlesex County to the Democratic Convention in New York City for President Jimmy Carter. Her husband, Guido J. Brigiani, who was also a NJ State Assemblyman from Middlesex County and later, Middlesex County Surrogate, died in July 1993.

After the death of her husband, Angeline moved in 1997 to Brighton Gardens in Edison and from there to the assisted living facility, the Residence in Toms River. For the past three months she has been a patient at Green Acres Nursing Facility in Toms River. She is predeceased by her parents, Maria (Grimaldi) and Paolo Giacalone, and sisters Margaret Giacalone Moccaro, Esther Giacalone, Jean Giacalone Schmidt and Gertrude Giacalone Costello. Also deceased are her brothers Peter, Paul and Bartholomew Giacalone.

She is survived by two daughters Maryann Moccaro Palmisano of Seaside Park and her husband, Carl, and Joan Moccaro Troyano of Manahawkin and her husband, Thomas, one step-son William Brigiani of East Brunswick, six grandchildren and sixteen great grandchildren.

Funeral services are from Quinn-Hopping Funeral Home, 26 Mule Road, Toms River, NJ on Wednesday, March 28 between the hours of 2-4 & 7-9 PM. Mass will be at St. James Catholic Church, Route 35 and Main Street, Woodbridge, NJ on Thursday, March 29 at 10:30 am. Interment will follow at St. James Mausoleum, Woodbridge. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. James Catholic School, Woodbridge or to Vitas Hospice, Eatontown, NJ.