For years, Roger Mazzella watched the “Star Wars” movies with his children and grandchildren. One character that he was drawn to was the old sage, Yoda. One of the quotes Yoda uses as a life lesson is “Decide you must how to serve them best.” It is a fitting description of how Roger lived his life.
As a husband, father, and grandfather, Roger’s top priority was to serve his family. Not only did that include providing the necessities for them, such as food and shelter, what he gave most of was his time. His house was the focal point for the family, hosting birthday parties, graduation parties, and family reunions. He was more than eager to celebrate the accomplishments of his family. One of his favorite pastimes was taking his family to the beach to enjoy the sun and to the boardwalk to master the arcade games. There were trips for ice cream and mini golfing, or stay-at-home movie nights that include some of his favorite comedians, like Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, and John Candy.
A former basketball, football, and baseball player, he helped coach his children and grandchildren in the sports of their choice as well as train them in the weight room.
It wasn’t just the people who shared his lineage that he helped, either. A graduate of Montclair State University, Roger taught history for many years at Hillside High School, as well as coaching basketball and baseball there. While he never had the tallest, strongest, or most talented players, his teams were always competitive thanks to his attention to detail and stressing fundamentals. The end result – a good grade in class or a winning game – was never his main concern; his top priority was that the young people he led improved and grew as individuals.
In addition to being an educator, he also served others at the bagel shop he ran, Muzzie’s. Even upon retiring, he continued to give, contributing to numerous charities.
Roger is succeeded by his loving children and grandchildren, who will miss him and his stories from the new ones that he shared in the book he wrote, I Never Knew We Were Poor, to the ones they heard them a million times already. It’s only fair he repeated those stories, as his family made him watch movies like “Muppet Family Christmas” and “Star Wars” on continuous loops.
In the “Star Wars” movies, Yoda too passes away. Right before his time comes, he turns to Luke Skywalker, the young man he is teaching, and says “Soon I will rest, yes, forever sleep. Earned it I have.” In his final days, Roger made sure to emphasize that he lived a good life. Now, he can be at peace, and he certainly earned it.
Visitation will be held Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019 from 10:00 a.m. until the Funeral Service at 12:00 p.m. at Anderson and Campbell Funeral Home, 703 Main Street, Toms River. Burial will follow at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Toms River, NJ.
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