On this 4th of July, 2016 I decided to share some memories of this holiday throughout
When I was young the local fireworks were over Carteret Park which was about 1/2 mile from my house. Sometimes we would walk there to see the fireworks but more likely we would just walk a few blocks to where the homes ended (after the barracks) and watched them across the field. Once homes were Continue reading
Between my junior and senior year in high school I got a summer job at a paint factory in Carteret in one of the buildings along the railroad tracks across from the Holiday Inn (which was not there at the time). There were 3 of us who got the jobs. We had to get “working papers”. I worked in the main warehouse while Frank Cundari worked in the lab. Continue reading
While going to college I got a job at Kappa Networks at the corner of Roosevelt Ave and Carteret Ave in Carteret. I got the job through my neighbor who worked there. They hired me because I was studying to be an engineer and they wanted someone like me. Continue reading
When I was growing up in Port Reading, summer was the best time of year. It was a different world then. I left early every morning to go to the park near my home to play with my friends and to get involved in the many activities planned by young adults hired by Woodbridge Township to keep us busy with arts and crafts, board games, and physical games. My favorite was playing basketball at the park.
Each summer the park sponsored several trips (for free) to the major league baseball games in New York – Yankees, Giants, and Dodgers – as well as Philadelphia. My favorite was when we went to the Polo Grounds because the Giants were my favorite team. We had poor seats but we always tried to sneak our way into the better seats which worked many times.
Dominic Ragucci passed away at age 97 on Nov 21st, 2015. The following homily was given by his son Deacon Joe Ragucci at his funeral Mass: Continue reading
From Michael Ragucci:
For those of you who knew him my father could be a tad bit stubborn at times and meant what he said…. Well it is still true now. A few years back when he was in his young 80’s he told Tammy and I he didn’t want his age as part of his obit or he would haunt us. Well I take full responsibility for the 97 in the obit but here’s where the fun starts. Continue reading
In another post <here> written in early 2014, I talked about my Dad, Dominic Ragucci, and his sister, Mary Ragucci, in Brighton Gardens assisted living in Edison. Since that time, Dominic has passed away in Nov 2015 <post> at the age of 97 after battling with dementia during the final days of his life.
Mary was never the same after that. By mid 2016 she deteriorated to the point that she needed increasing care to do daily activities and lost a great deal of weight due to swallowing issues. In Nov 2016 she rolled out of bed and ended up in JFK hospital and then to Roosevelt Care Center ending her time in Brighton Gardens. Her mental and physical condition continue to deteriorate as she celebrated her 97th birthday.
Feb 2017 update: Well Aunt Mary made a miraculous recovery. We all thought she would pass away but she is her feisty self again with all her mental faculties. She is still in a wheelchair but has regained her strength due to being fed by the RCC staff.
October 2016 December 2016
Today, once again, Rose and I visited my Dad (Dominic) and his sister Aunt Mary at Brighton Gardens Assisted Living in Edison. It’s unfortunate that as they reached this age (Dad is 95 and Mary is 94) that they need this assistance and can’t live home alone. But it’s the best place for them right now….
Continue reading