Obituaries for May 2026

Let us pray for our dearly departed clergy and religious whose Masses of Christian Burial were held in May.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.

Sister Janet Mc Laughlin, SC

A Mass of Christian Burial was held on May 14 at Holy Family Chapel in Convent Station, New Jersey, for Sister Janet Mc Laughlin, SC, formerly Sister Ralph Marie. She died on May 2 after a brief hospitalization. Sister Janet was 92.

She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and entered the Sisters of Charity on September 6,1960 where she was a faithful member for 65 years. Sister Janet held many ministries and performed all with a quiet and steadfast earnestness.

A graduate of Montclair State College in Montclair with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, she went on to earn a master’s degree, also in mathematics, from Boston College. Sister Janet taught in New Jersey and Rhode Island. She served her education ministry at Bayley-Ellard High School in Madison; Star of the Sea Academy in Long Branch; Saint Michael High School in Jersey City; and Saint John School in Paterson.

Sister Janet also served as Director of the Equal Opportunity Program at the College of Saint Elizabeth in Convent Station; Director of the Educational Program at Morris County Chaplaincy in Morristown; House Manager at the Halfway House in Morristown and at Paterson Towers in Paterson. She was a staff member of the Hopestead House of Prayer in Wickford, RI, and additionally served as Coordinator of the Math Lab at Montclair State University. An advocate for social justice and the environment, Sister Janet provided administrative/volunteer duties to the NGO Office for the Sisters of Charity Federation with the United Nations.

In later years, she became treasurer of the Sisters of Charity motherhouse community, while also becoming involved with the community’s daily life and household needs. Additionally, Sister Janet, who had a passion for social justice and the environment, participated in the congregation’s Charity Alive Programs.

Sister Janet is survived by many treasured family members and friends.

Monsignor Lawrence J. Miller

A Mass of Christian Burial was held on May 7 at Blessed Miriam Teresa Demjanovich Parish at Saint Mary, Star of the Sea Church in Bayonne, New Jersey, for Monsignor Lawrence J. Miller. He died peacefully on April 28. Monsignor Miller was 91.

Born in Bronx, New York, he graduated (after only three years) from Cardinal Hayes High School and went on to graduate from Fordham University with a master’s degree. He served in the U.S. Army as a Captain for one term. He then pursued medical school in hopes of becoming a doctor, until one evening he received a “calling” on the subway that told him to “heal the soul instead of the body.”

Monsignor Miller attended Immaculate Conception Seminary in Darlington, New Jersey, where he earned a Master of Divinity Degree in Pastoral Theology. He was ordained a Roman Catholic Priest in the Archdiocese of Newark on May 31, 1969, by the Most Reverend Thomas A. Boland, DD.

He served as a parochial vicar at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Jersey City and Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Scotch Plains. His last assignment was as Pastor at Saint May, Star of the Sea Church in Bayonne.

As a priest, he started and directed a Pee Wee Basketball League at Our Lady of Mercy and served as chaplain for the Bayonne Police Department and the local Knights of Columbus.

Msgr. Miller was predeceased by his parents Elizabeth R. (nee Schmidt) and Harold F. Miller, his brother Harold F. Miller, Jr. and wife Rosemarie, and his aunt Esther Schmidt. He is survived by his sister, Joan Monti and her children; John Monti, Donna Bauman and her husband John and their children; John Bauman and his wife Adrianne, Brooke, Jason, and Bridget Bauman, Steven Monti and his wife Peggy, and their children; Mary, Natalie and Daniel Monti.

Father Peter A. Oddo

A Mass of Christian Burial was held on May 6 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Newton, New Jersey for Father Peter Andrew Oddo. He died peacefully on May 4, just days shy of his 91st birthday.

Born on May 13, 1935, in Lodi, Father Oddo was the son of the late Andrew Oddo and the late Angelina (nee Tamborini) Oddo. He was raised in Lodi, where he spent his early years before embarking on a life of service, adventure, and unwavering faith.

After graduating from Pope Pius High School, he earned a B.A. in classical languages and an M.A. in psychology from Seton Hall University, and an M.A. In theology from Immaculate Conceptional School of Theology.

Father Oddo was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Newark on May 27, 1961. After his initial parish assignment, he was assigned to minister among those suffering from alcohol and drug addiction, offering them compassion, guidance, and hope.

He proudly served his country in the United States Navy, rising to the rank of Captain over a distinguished 24-year career. During his time in service, he traveled extensively around the world on the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), a U.S. Navy Nimitz-class, nuclear-powered supercarrier and flagship for the Carrier Strike Group 1. He honorably served during the Persian Gulf War. He earned the Navy Commendation Medal, two Navy Achievement Medals, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Southwest Asia Service Medal. His leadership, dedication, and patriotism left a lasting impression on all who had the privilege of serving alongside him.

Following his retirement from the Navy, Father Oddo made his home in Swartswood, NJ where he found peace and fulfillment in the natural beauty of the outdoors. He also continued to serve God tirelessly, assisting both Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Swartswood and Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Branchville, embodying the selfless charity of Christ the Good Shepherd.

Father Oddo is survived by his brother, Rosario Oddo and his wife Angela, and his sister-in-law, Mary Anne Oddo, wife of his late brother Andrew M. Oddo. He was a proud and devoted uncle to his nieces and nephews, and is also survived by five cherished great-nieces, seven great-nephews, many cousins, and extended family members.

Deacon Robert E. Thomson

A Mass of Christian Burial was held on May 23 at the Church of the Holy Rosary in Edgewater, New Jersey, for Deacon Robert E. Thomson. He died on May 16. Deacon Thomson was 85.

Deacon Thomson was born in Teaneck, NJ to the late Erwin Fred Thomson and Helen (nee Bodkin) Thomson. He was raised in Bergen County and attended Bergen County Technical High School until the age of 17, at which point he enlisted in the Army. During his time in the service, he earned his GED. Following his discharge, Robert joined New York Telephone and ultimately retired from the General Managers’ Staff of NYNEX (now Verizon) in New York City at the age of 57. After retirement, he maintained phone lines at CNBC and Telemundo in Fort Lee.

He was ordained a permanent deacon on December 17, 1978, by Archbishop Peter Leo Gerety at the Cathedral Basilica of Sacred Heart in Newark, New Jersey. Upon ordination, Deacon Thomson he was assigned to St. John the Evangelist in Bergenfield, where he and his family were living. When his family moved to Edgewater, he was reassigned to his childhood parish of the Church of the Holy Rosary, where he served until his health began to decline.

Deacon Thomson was an active member and past Commander of the American Legion in Edgewater, and he held the position of Chaplain for the Edgewater Fire Department. He was also a proud member of the Knights of Columbus and the Elks Club.

He was predeceased in 2025 by his beloved wife, Jean O’Brien Thomson, with whom he was married for 61 years. He was also predeceased by his parents, Fred and Helen Thomson; his sisters and brothers-in-law, Robert and Patricia Allison and Albert and Mildred Wollerman; and his brother, Peter A. Thomson.

Deacon Thomson is survived by his loving children, Robert B. Thomson and Laurie Mallon, Jennifer and Terence McGean, and William Thomson, along with his grandchildren, Joseph, Erin, and Morgan, and many nieces and nephews.

Sister May Jane Timmermans, SC

A Mass of Christian Burial was held on May 6 at Holy Family Chapel in Convent Station, New Jersey, for Sister Mary Jane Timmermans, SC, formerly Sister Alice Joseph. She died on April 29 at Overlook Hospital in Summit after a brief hospitalization. Sister Mary Jane was 91.

She was born in Hartford, Connecticut, the daughter of Harold and Mary Lillian (nee Sullivan) Timmermans. Sister Mary Jane entered the Sisters of Charity on September 6, 1953 and was a faithful member for 72 years.

A graduate of the College of Saint Elizabeth in Convent Station with a B.S. degree in Elementary Education, she went on to earn an M.A. degree in education and a Certificate in Student Personnel Services from Seton Hall University in South Orange.

Sister Mary Jane then taught in New Jersey, Florida and Connecticut. She served as a teacher for a total of forty-eight years at the following New Jersey schools: Saint Mary School in Dumont, Saint Mary’s School in Nutley, Saint Peter School in Belleville, and Saint Thomas the Apostle School in Bloomfield.  She also taught at Saint Francis of Assisi School in Riviera Beach, Florida, and Saint Mary School, Waterbury, Connecticut. She was known as a superb teacher. In addition to her regular teaching, Sister Mary Jane spent many summers in Princess Anne, Maryland, with other Sisters of Charity working with students who needed extra help.

The Archdiocese of Newark awarded Sister Mary Jane the Teacher Recognition Award as an Outstanding Catholic School Educator in 1992. She also received the “Project Sharing” Grand Prize for the 1993/1994 school year from Today’s Catholic Teacher Magazine for an article entitled “An Exchange Student Project.”

After retiring as a teacher, Sister Mary Jane became a chaplain at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Paterson for fifteen years, using her faith, experience, and love to assist those in the St. Joseph Hospital Maternity Department.

Sister Mary Jane was predeceased by her parents; her brothers, Harry (Betty) and Johnny, and sisters Elizabeth Tracey and Caroline Timmermans. She is also survived by many nieces and grandnieces