Page 18 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • March 28, 2012 Obituaries Philip Douglas Baker of Franklin Lakes died Jan. 20. A celebration of his life is scheduled for Saturday, March 31 at 3 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church at Franklin Lakes located at 730 Franklin Lake Road. A reception will follow. Christine J. Deluca, nee Zachmann, died March 6. She was 102. She is survived by her children Frances D. Derlinga and Frank J. Deluca, six grandchildren, and 12 greatgrandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband Frank A. Deluca and her daughter Christine M. Koye. A memorial service will be held June 2 at Immaculate Conception Church, 900 Darlington Avenue in Mahwah. A celebration of her life will follow. Jack Dennis of Franklin Lakes and Naples, Florida died March 20. He was 65. Before retiring, he was the principal of Columbia Middle School in Berkeley Heights. He had been a guidance counselor in Franklin Lakes for 16 years and was a teacher in Scotch Plains. He is survived by his wife Arlene and his children Shawn and Elizabeth Dennis, Timothy and Katherine Dennis, Jonathan Kaiden, Douglas Kaiden and Samantha Feder, Amy and David Drucker, and Helene Kaiden. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren, his parents Rhea and Arthur Dennis, and his brother Bill Dennis. Memorial donations may be made to the Jack Dennis Scholarship Award Fund, Berkeley Heights Administrator’s Association, 345 Plainfield Avenue, Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922. Beth Matusow, nee Lifflander, of Ridgewood, formerly of Paramus and Manhattan, died March 16. She was 89. She taught elementary school for many years in New York City during the 1960s. She was a civil rights activist, supporting fair housing in New Jersey and was active with B’nai B’rith and the organization’s Anti-Defamation League. After retiring, she volunteered at C.A.M.P. Youth Development Program in Paterson, and was active with the Unitarian Society in Ridgewood. She is survived by her children Jay Matusow and Helen Matusow-Ayres, and four grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband, Irving Norman Matusow. Memorial donations may be made to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, 689 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139. Elizabeth “Betty” McGuire, nee Boot, of Wyckoff, formerly of Fair Lawn, died March 19. She was 91. She was a homemaker and a member of Saint Elizabeth’s R.C. Church in Wyckoff, where she had served on the Liturgy Committee, participated in the Renew Group, and was a member of the senior group. She was a former Girls Scout leader. She is survived by her daughter Pegeen Jones of Hawthorne, Philip Douglas Baker four grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and her sister Jean Bull of Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. She was predeceased by her husband George, her son Peter, and her brother Robert Boot. Arrangements were made by Vander Plaat Funeral Home in Wyckoff. Memorial donations may be made to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, NJ Chapter, 785 Springfield Avenue, Summit, NJ 07901. Paul Serekian of Mahwah, formerly of Glen Rock and Clifton, died March 16. He was 72. He graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and received a master’s degree from New York University in metallurgical engineering. Before retiring in 2007, he was vice president of advanced technologies at Stryker Corporation. During his career as a metallurgist, he made significant contributions to the development of materials used in medical implant technologies. Among his achievements was the introduction of ceramic coatings that have been used in total hip replacements and the refinement of ceramic devices used in total joint replacements. He is survived by his wife Anne, his daughter Nicole, his sister Violet, and one nephew. Arrangements were made by Van Emburgh-Sneider-Pernice Funeral Home in Ramsey. Karabet “Gary” Simonyan of Wyckoff, formerly of Franklin Lakes died March 19. He was 77. He was born in Amasya, Turkey and moved to the United States in 1954. He earned degrees from RCA Technical Institute, where he studied television; Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute, where he studied engineering; and Hofstra University, where he studied physics and math. In 1985, he founded Wireless Telecom Group, Inc., then under the trade name Noise Com. Until his resignation in 2005, he served at various times as Wireless Telecom’s president, chief executive officer, and chairman of the board. In 1997, along with his wife and son Eric, he opened the Endless Vine in Franklin Lakes. He is survived by his wife Aline Simonyan, his daughter Laura Rensel, two grandchildren, his sister and brother-in-law Arsho and Avedis Baghsarian, his motherin-law Verjin Kececi, his sister-in-law Rita Purdy, a niece, and grandnephew. He was predeceased by his son Eric Simonyan, and his parents Papken and Sirvart Simonyan. Arrangements were made by Vander Plaat-Caggiano Funeral Home, Inc in Fair Lawn. Memorial donations may be made to the Christopher Barron Live Life Foundation, P.O. Box 21, Glen Rock, NJ 07452. Marilyn E. Smid, nee Johnston, of North Haledon, formerly of Franklin Lakes, died March 14. She was 82. She had been an elementary school teacher in Massachusetts and Canada and was a substitute teacher in many local schools. She was a member of West Side Presbyterian Church in Ridgewood and was a former member of Midland Park Christian Reformed Church and Cedar Hill Christian Reformed Church (formerly Calvin Christian Reformed Church) where she was an active soloist and choir member. She was a member of Community Bible Study in Midland Paul Serekian Christine J. Deluca Jack Dennis Karabet Simonyan Beth Matusow Henry “Hank” Douma, commander of Midland Park-Wyckoff VFW Post 7086 for the past 12 years, died March 17. The Wyckoff resident was 80. Midland Park Mayor Patrick “Bud” O’Hagan and Wyckoff Mayor Christopher De Phillips ordered flags in front of their respective municipal buildings be flown at half mast in Douma’s honor. Praised as a “citizen soldier” for his involvement in the community as well as in veterans’ affairs, Douma served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean Conflict. He was proprietor of R. Douma and Son, a familyowned asphalt paving business known throughout Bergen County. Douma was a member of the Midland Park-Wyckoff VFW Post for decades and was credited with dramatically increasing the post’s membership, spearheading the sale of the post home on Woodside Avenue, and the purchase of the Faner Road post during his years as commander. He was a long-time member of the joint veterans’ color guard and designed a number of floats for the Memorial Day parades. In 2008, Douma received the newly-established Cosgrove-Marcus Veteran of the Year Award at the Annual Community Night sponsored by VFW Post 7086 and American Legion Post 130. Douma is survived by his wife of 56 years, Sharlene (nee Lewis); his children Dirk and his wife Lisa, Judy and her husband Ritch Grimes, and Janna and her husband George Higa; his grandchildren, CJ and Stephanie Grimes; and his siblings Carol Waldeck, and William Douma and his wife Carol, and many nieces and nephews. Arrangements were made by Vander Plaat Funeral Home in Wyckoff. Park for the past 30 years and a volunteer for the Franklin Lakes Ambulance Corps. She is survived by her children John B. Smid Jr. of Haledon and Karen Lyman of Midland Park, three grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. She was predeceased by her husband John B. Smid, DDS. Joan W. Williams of Midland Park, formerly of Hawthorne, died March 15. She was 75. She had worked as a secretary for Northern Propane Gas and, more recently, as a crossing guard in Ridgewood. She was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Hawthorne Caballeros. She is survived by her husband George A. Williams; her children John Carr of Kingston, New York, Kathi Fiore of Millburn, and Thomas Carr of Stewartsville; her stepchildren Wendy Williams of Blue Ridge, Virginia, and Gary Williams of Roanoke, Virginia; seven grandchildren; and two greatgrandchildren. Arrangements were made by Browning Forshay Funeral Home in Hawthorne. Memorial donations may be made to the Hawthorne Caballeros, P.O. Box 2148 Wayne, NJ 07474. Henry R. Douma Joan W. Williams Marilyn E. Smid Elizabeth McGuire