Obituary of Robert J. Fornale

Robert J. Fornale of Bricktown passed away at home on May 27, 2019.

Born on February 6, 1940 in Exeter, PA to Dominick and Palma Fornale, he grew up on Bedford Street in Orange and later on White Street in West Orange.  He graduated from West Orange High School in 1958, and he served in the National Guard from 1957 to 1965, serving in the United States Army for one year when his unit was activated during the Berlin Crisis of 1961.

In 1967, Robert began working at Esso’s Bayway Refinery as an instrumentation mechanic.  By 1978, the company had been renamed Exxon, and Robert had moved to an office as an engineer.  He remained at Bayway as the refinery changed hands from Exxon to Tosco to Conoco Phillips. He retired in 2001.

Known as Robert to his family, Foo to his high school classmates, and Bob to his co-workers and his friends in later life, he resided in Piscataway and Jackson as his sons grew up.  In Jackson, he coached Pop Warner football from 1976 to 1983, and he was a member of the Knights of Columbus. He settled in Brick in 1988, where he lived the remainder of his life. He had a love for opera, particularly The Marriage of Figaro.  He enjoyed traveling, particularly to Italy, where he visited cousins outside of Verona.

Mr. Fornale is survived by his former wife, Katherine Fornale; his son, Paul, and daughter-in-law, Piedad; his son, Mark; his brother, Thomas Fornale, and sister-in-law Evelyn, Fornale; his sister, Vincentina Fornale, and her wife, Margaret Cherubin; and many nieces and nephews.  He is predeceased by his sister, Sylvia Ziegenfuss, and her husband, Edward; as well as his parents, Dominick and Palma Fornale.

Visitation will take place on May 31 from 4:00 to 8:00 PM at Dangler’s Funeral Home of West Orange, 340 Main Street, West Orange, NJ 07052.  Funeral mass will take place on Saturday, June 1 at 11:00 AM at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 1 Eagle Rock Avenue, West Orange. Interment will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in East Hanover.   In lieu of flowers, memorials or donations may be made in Robert’s name to the Wounded Warriors, PO Box758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675.