Michele Hubley

Born to Albert and Margret Skea in Orange, New Jersey, grew up in East Orange, New Jersey where she worked part-time as a telephone information operator and graduated from Clifford Scott High School. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in French and Political Science and a Master’s Degree in Education. After graduating she attended the University of Rouen in Rouen, France receiving a diploma in French Studies.

Returning to the US she took a teaching position in French at Clarkstown High School in New City, New York. Two years later she and her new family moved to Sparta, New Jersey where she took a position teaching French at Pope John XXIII High School. While at Pope John she was instrumental in creating and running the “Search for Christian Maturity” Program for Juniors and Seniors at Pope John.

In 1985 she moved with her family to Tokyo, Japan. During her nine year stay she earned a diploma in the Japanese language from the Tokyo Academy of Japanese Language. She then took a position as an adjunct professor of English at the International Christian University in Tokyo, Japan.

Upon her return to the United States she rejoined the teaching staff at Pope John XXIII High School in Sparta where she taught French, Spanish and Japanese.

When her husband was transferred to the Czech Republic she split her time between Sparta and Prague, once again studying a new foreign language, receiving a Certificate in Basic Czech from Charles University in Prague.

After six years in the Czech Republic she once again had to split her time between two countries, this time between the US and Romania where her husband was employed and took up residence in Romania’s capital city, Bucharest.

After four years in Romania, she and her husband permanently moved back to Sparta where she became a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children. In this capacity she received an award as the Outstanding Advocate for Children in Morris and Sussex Counties. She also volunteered to conduct a weekly children’s reading and crafts session at the Sparta Book Store where she was known as “Miss Michele” / “Mimi”.

Michele loved a challenge whether it be paying her own way through college, learning a new language or finding ways to motivate and teach children. She always found ways to support her family; whether it was to figure out what she had bought at a Japanese grocery store, then how to cook it, or not, to surviving the stress of being an American under the microscope in former Communist countries. Michele always saw the best in people and she didn’t believe in quitting, a trait her children and grandchildren sometimes hated when it came to their homework.

Michele is survived by her husband, Jim – her high school sweetheart, her two children, Erin Askin and Todd Hubley, her “adopted” daughter Anne D’Angelo, her three grandchildren, Liam and Stuart Askin and Emily Hubley; and her three sisters, Sandra Skea, Laura Paparatto and Marsha Zimmermann.

Friends may pay their respects to the family from 2PM to 4PM and 7PM to 9PM on Sunday, December 18th at the Goble Funeral Home, 22 Main Street Sparta, New Jersey. A funeral Liturgy will be celebrated at 11am on Monday, December 19th at Our Lady of the Lake Church in Sparta, NJ. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial donations be made to the Pope John XXIII High School Endowment Fund by clicking the link below.