Marie D'Alessandro

Marie D’Alessandro, 81, of West Orange, passed away on Monday, April 30, 2012 at Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville. Visitation will be at the Quinn-Hopping Funeral Home of Livingston, 145 E. Mt. Pleasant Ave., on Thursday 3-7 PM and Friday 11 AM until the Blessing Service at 1 PM. Entombment will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, East Hanover. Please omit flowers but memorial contributions to Clara Maass Medical Center, 1 Franklin Ave., Belleville, NJ 07109, would be greatly appreciated.

Marie was born in Orange, NJ in 1931 and graduated from Orange High School in 1949, from Berkeley School in 1950 and attended Columbia University. She moved to West Orange where she lived for over 65 years and where she worked at the Girl Scout Council of the Oranges, the Girl Scout Council of Greater New York in New York City followed by employment at National State Bank in Newark.

In 1953 Marie began working at Clara Maass Memorial Hospital retiring in 1993. She enjoyed working in the public relations/fund raising department and started the first organized volunteer program in the hospital. Marie assisted in organizing the New Jersey Association of Directors of Volunteer Services and was president of that organization from 1962 until 1964. She also worked with planning the National Association of Directors of Volunteers and was a member of the American Hospital Association’s Council on Volunteer Services and NJ Association of Hospital Auxiliaries.

In West Orange, Marie was secretary to the West Orange Adult School Committee in 1956 and 1957, the Residential Campaign Chairperson of the West Orange Mental Health Drive in 1959 and 1960. Marie also assisted in organizing the West Orange Community Theater in the 1950’s and 1960’s and serving as its president in 1960. In 1962 she was a member of the Board of Trustees of the West Orange Valley Settlement House and was appointed by Mayor James Sheeran to be a member of the Citizen’s Advisory Committee to the Recreation Department; Marie also volunteered to collect funds in the neighborhood drives for the American Cancer Society, March of Dimes and many other worthy organizations.

Marie is survived by her beloved brother Vincent and his wife Janet, her loving nephews and nieces: Vincent and Susan, Laura, Jamie and Tara; great nephews and nieces: Jamie, Tommy, Rory, Nick, Derek, Grace and Christopher, all the best “kids” ever! And Marie had fond remembrances of very close friends Sandra Gerson and Clifford Quinn. Marie will always be remembered as the best sister, the best aunt and the best friend anyone could ever have. Marie leaves us with a special “thank you” to all.