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OBITUARIES
Howard ‘Howie’ EARL JR.
Howard “Howie” W. Earl Jr., 80, passed away peacefully on Sept. 4, 2022. He was born to
the late Howard and Florence (née Holland) Earl of the Bronx, N.Y. on Oct. 19, 1941. He was a proud veteran of the United States Navy as a sonarman from 1959–1963, and served on the U.S.S. Brownson (DD-868) and the U.S.S. Albert T. Harris (DE447).
He worked as a video engineer and truck driver for the National Broadcasting Company, New York, for 33 years. He also served as an EMTfor the Westwood Volunteer Ambulance Corps in the 1970s.
He was predeceased by his parents Howard (Mary) Earl and Florence (John) Hornung, his sister Constance Bildhauer, and niece, Ursula Bildhauer.
Howie is survived by his wife of 59 years, Rosalie (née Ricca) Earl. He is survived by daughter Elisabetta Ricca and son John (Angela) Earl.
Howie had five grandchildren, whom he adored: Michael and David Ricca, and Emma, Jeremiah, and Daniel Earl. He also is survived by several nieces and nephews.
Howie loved the Giants and family relocated to Roswell, Kyle continued to immerse himself in baseball and scouting, forming friendships with teammates and classmates alike. Kyle’s sense of humor was rivaled only by his warm smile and his sensitivity and willingness to help others, without drawing attention to himself or betraying a confidence. He was blessed to have so many dear friends and developed close relationships with his peers and their families. Kyle’s genuine care and kindness for others will live on in all who knew him.
While his time with us was brief, please honor his life and
the Mets and all things NASA. He enjoyed golf, NASCAR, and spending time with his grandchildren.
Amemorial service for Howard will be announced.
Billie M. SAGER REISSNER
Billie M. Sager Reissner, 81, a longtime resident of River Vale, passed away following a brief illness, and with her son and husband at her side, on Sept. 4, 2022. Billie was born in New York City, the daughter of William Sager and Katherine (Davila) Sager. The family moved to Tenafly when Billie and her sister, Priscilla, were young. She is a graduate of Tenafly High School and attended MontreatAnderson College.
Billie met the love of her life, George Reissner, in grade school. Married for 58 years, together they raised two children: Laura and Wayne.
Billie’s favorite activities were traveling to visit family, daily chats with her daughter, helping her son with his business, watching her five grandchildren in whatever activity they were involved, texting, FaceTiming, and Snapchatting with her children and grandchildren, cheering for the New York Yankees with George, playing bridge with her favorite ladies over many decades, volunteering at the Closter library, and visiting with special friends George and Judy Lohman and Donald and MaryAnn Farrell.
Billie was the glue that held her family together. Her quick sense of humor, kindness, and willingness to stop anything she was doing for family will be greatly missed. She says she was an introvert, but there is ample evidence to the contrary.
Billie had diverse work experiences, from General Radio in New York City to working in retail for many years, as well as serving as manager for faculty and field services for Pearson Education. We all know she was more than a manager at Pearson.
Billie is predeceased by her parents, her sister, Priscilla, and brother-in-law, Norman Fridlund, and her nephew, Erik Fridlund.
She is survived by George; her daughter, Laura Reissner, of Marquette, Mich.; her son, Wayne Reissner, of Montvale; her five grandchildren: Sam and Jax Reissner; Abbie, Heather, and Tyler Reissner; her nieces Alexis Fridlund-Vins and Amy Fridlund; and her nephew, Christopher Fridlund.
Visitation was Thursday, Sept. 8 at Becker Funeral Home 219 Kinderkamack Road, Westwood. In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity of your choice in her memory.
Kyle J. SMITH
Kyle James Smith, 17, of Roswell, Ga., passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022. He is the beloved son of Nancy (née Caggia) and Scott Smith, formerly of Montvale and of New City, N.Y. He is survived by his parents, as well as his brothers: Matthew Smith, of Englewood; Frank Smith and Bradley Smith, both of Roswell; grandmothers Janet Caggia and Luanne Smith; his aunt and godmother, Renee Caggia; his aunt Ashley Smith; and many cousins.
Kyle spent his first 10 years in suburban New York state. He was an avid football and baseball player and a member of the Boy Scouts. When his
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memory by carrying out your own acts of kindness. Nothing can dim the light which shines from within — Maya Angelou.
Memorial visitation is 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 18 at Robert Spearing Funeral Home Inc., 155 Kinderkamack Road, Park Ridge, rsfhi.com. Visitation and funeral Mass were held in Georgia earlier in the week.
In lieu of flowers, the family appreciates donations in the name of Kyle James Smith to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Georgia Chapter, 1920 Dresden Drive #191591, Atlanta, GA31119, afsp.org.
Woman, 88, ID’d in WW train strike
Boyd A. Loving
Responders and investigators,led by New Jersey Transit Police,work a tragic situation Monday morning, after Cecile Archer,88,of Westwood,was struck and killed at the intersection of Broadway and Jefferson Avenue.
WESTWOOD
Authorities identified the pedestrian stuck and killed by a New Jersey Transit train Monday, Sept. 12 near the downtown station as Cecile Archer, 88, of Westwood, bearing a wheeled walker.
Records indicate she lived at the nearby Madison Apartments and had lived in Park Ridge. In the days since the communityʼs loss, condolences have flowered on social media.
Archer was felled by a Pascack Valley line train at 9:47 a.m. in the area of Broadway and Jefferson Avenue, a New Jersey Transit spokesman told Pascack Press in the aftermath of the tragedy, Sept. 12.
The incident remains under investigation. According to NJTransit, the train was en route to Spring Valley, N.Y. from Hoboken. Service was suspended for about three hours and substitute bus service was provided.
A spokesman for NJ Transit said that Pascack Valley line train 1605 departed Hoboken at 8:56 a.m. and was scheduled to arrive in Spring Valley, N.Y. at 10:10. There were no reported injuries to the crew and 30 customers on board, the spokesman said.
He added that line service was temporarily suspended in both directions between Spring Valley and New Bridge Landing.
New Jersey Transit police are leading the investigation.
Perusing our archives weʼre reminded an Emerson man survived a glancing blow by a commuter train in February 2020. In June 2019, New Jersey Transit police said a Nutley man, 38, took his own life by collision with a commuter train in Park Ridge. And that April, a man, 46, in Westwood survived a hit by a train downtown, emerging badly injured.
In July 2018, an 87-year-old Westwood man was struck and killed by an NJ Transit train in the borough during an overnight thunderstorm.
— John Snyder
BY MICHAEL OLOHAN OF PASCACK PRESS
Borough consulting engineers discussed a proposed Centennial Field Athletic Complex, and Borough Council members praised the project, at the Sept. 13 meeting of the governing body.
Members described it as a long-needed recreational facility upgrade. Itʼs now estimated to cost more than $4 million and scheduled for a September 2023 grand opening.
To begin the project site design, environmental, bidding and construction oversight, members voted, 5-0, to approve a contract for $374,250 with Colliers Engineering & Design.
The engineering costs were not part of the approximate $4 millionplus project estimate, said the engineers.
Originally, the project was estimated at nearly $3.5 million
Improvements will include artificial turf on an expanded central field that will be used for multiple sports and also artificial turf on one Little League baseball field, together with improved drainage on all fields, energy-efficient lighting, newfencing, new bleachers, protective netting around the central field, and additional parking.
The complex includes a large central field and two nearby baseball fields. Borough Engineer Craig Zimmermann, of Colliers, and engineer Carl OʼBrien, of Colliers, spoke about the extensive field upgrades and answered council questions.
Zimmermann said that the total cost was “just shy of $4 million” and OʼBrien called the $4 million estimate “a safe number to go with for now.” They said the estimate did not include engineering “soft costs” of $374,250, which council later approved in hiring Colliers for the project.
Zimmermann said once the project design is completed, the figures would be revisited.
OʼBrien said that as the Centennial Field complex was built on a closed landfill, the firm hoped to work with the boroughʼs prior licensed site remediation professional (LSRP) who handled the landfillʼs closure, capping and pollution mitigation plan.
The landfill area is tested annually for methane emissions, said the borough business administrator, David Troast.
OʼBrien said if it was not possible to enlist the prior LSRP who closed the landfill, the project would be delayed. An LRSP is an NJDEP-certified environmental professional who manages regulatory statutes and rules related to a siteʼs pollution remediation and cleanup.
He said the prior LSRP would have all the information related to the landfillʼs cap, including the depth of the soil layer covering the contaminated soil.
He said sometimes orange snow fencing is used to demarcate where the soil cap ends and the contaminated soil begins.
The upgraded Centennial Field layout include expanded parking to the north, where about 35 spaces will be added, and another area on the south side where room for a food cart and extra spaces will bring the total new parking spaces to 50–55.
New bleachers will be on the central fieldʼs south side, and a sixfoot fence will enclose the perimeter of the recreational complex.
Another shorter 4-foot fence for spectators to lean on will be on the central fieldʼs north side. In addition, the upgrades will include a maintenance shed, additional dugout areas, and a new scoreboard.
A proposed Colliersʼproject timeline shows: • October 2022 to February 2023: Colliers does design/permitting requirements; • February–March: Bid queue and anticipated contractor award; •April Final contract and contractor mobilization; • April–September: Project construction; •September: Ribbon cutting — “play ball!”
Council approved the Colliers proposal for an expanded Centennial Field Athletic Complex concept plan in April — $44,500 for initial engineering costs. Council anticipated a concept plan by June. It was not clear why the plan was delayed.
As part of its $374,250 contract, Colliers estimated half would be for geotechnical design work and half (about six months) for construction administration and inspections.
Colliers is designing a sepa-
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rate community center at Stonybrook Pool. Several council members said the topic was likely to be discussed at the Sept. 20 council meeting.
What do you think? Sound off with a letter to the editor!
