Find Your Daily Voice
Heather Owens, Marlton School Worker Battled Cancer, 40
Heather Marie Owens died on May 17 after a courageous two-year battle with breast cancer, according to an obituary published by Bradley Funeral Home. She was 40 years old.
She departed peacefully at Samaritan Voorhees surrounded by loved ones, her obituary said.
"Throughout her life, Heather was as prime example of selflessness, generosity, kindness and compassion," her obit said.
She was a native of Voorhees. Growing up a military brat, Heather had lived in several states, coming full circle back to her home state of New Jersey. She attended the Maple Shade school system until high s…
Tammy Tobitsch, Outdoor Enthusiast From New Providence, Dies At 47
Tammy Tobitsch, a New Providence resident, died of breast cancer at the age of 47 on Friday, Sept. 29 according to her obituary.
A native of Summit, Tobitsch graduated from Summit High School and developed her love for the outdoors at the Frost Valley YMCA in the Catskills.
She enjoyed camping, hiking, biking, kayaking and sailing, her obituary reads. Her outdoor excursions took her to Winnipeg and Sweden, according to her obituary.
Tobitsch, a diehard New York Rangers fan, spent the last 14 years working for Recreational Equipment Inc. as a programs specialist for merchandising options,…
Newtown Woman Who Hit, Killed Meghan Raveis In Fairfield Had 3 Kids In Jeep, Warrant Says
The Connecticut woman who hit and killed Meghan Raveis, a member of the William Raveis Real Estate Company family, had three children in her car when the crash occurred, according to authorities.
The arrest warrant for Fairfield County resident Meghan Rice, age 51, of Newtown, describes the incident which took the life of the 45-year-old mother of three on Friday, June 23 on Redding Road in the town of Fairfield as she was out for a walk.
When Fairfield Police arrived on the scene, they found a neighbor performing chest compressions on Raveis who had been thrown out of her shoes more t…
Leesburg Mom Erika Serna Dies After Valiant Breast Cancer Battle, 40
Leesburg mom Erika Gudalupe Serna died on Saturday, May 13 after a valiant breast cancer battle. She was 40 years old.
Born in El Paso Texas, Erika lived in Leesburg with her husband of 17 years, Jeremias Serna, and their two daughters.
A GoFundMe for the family had raised more than $22,000 as of Wednesday, May 24.
"She was one of the most energetic, positive, and gracious people we’ve ever known," writes campaign founders Christi Johnson.
"For anyone who has met Erika, you would immediately feel her warmth and kindness surrounding you, even on some of her hardest days. Erika w…
Beloved Trumbull Paraeducator Dies At Age 55
A beloved paraeducator from Fairfield County has died after a 10-year battle with breast cancer.
Robin Bova, age 55, of Trumbull, died Sunday, May 21, just weeks after being named Trumbull Early Childhood Education Center's Paraeducator of the Year.
Known to all as Miss Robin, Bova was known for her personality, which according to a GoFundMe, was "as big as her hair."
"Her sense of humor was even bigger," said Gail Kay, who organized the fundraiser. "She was wholly dedicated to her three boys and husband Kevin."
According to the fundraiser and TECEC's principal Matthew Wheeler,&…
Support Surges For Marblehead Artist, Mother Diagnosed With Cancer
A Marblehead artist and photographer wanted her 40th year of life to be "vibrant," but was instead delivered a breast cancer diagnosis.
Danielle Wehunt, a single mother of two, received her diagnosis, an experience she called "traumatic," on February 22, 2023, according to her website and a GoFundMe created by her friend.
"I did not expect to be in this situation I am in," Wehunt wrote on her photography and art website. "I did mostly everything and as much as I could the right way. I don’t really drink. I don’t smoke... I’ve been a good girl. And now…. well, now I have breast cancer." …
Fund Launched For Children Of Deceased Retired Washington Township Detective
As the time for final goodbyes nears, many of those who knew and loved retired Washington Township Police Officer and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Heather Castronova are trying to do what they can for her two children.
Toward that end, Laura Padilla has launched a GoFundMe campaign.
Castronova, 44, died unexpectedly at her home in Allendale on Feb. 8, apparently as the result of a medical condition, those who knew her said.
The Hackensack-born-and-bred Heather Cumming served in the Marines in Okinawa, Japan, as well as at Twenty Nine Palms, CA and Quantico, VA.
She began a public service car…
Support Pours In For Popular UPS Driver In Maryland, Wife Both Battling Cancer
A popular UPS driver with routes in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, is seeking the public’s assistance as he and his wife both wage a battle against cancer.
UPS employee Jason Ellis, 47, and his wife Shauna, 43, who have been married for 14 years and share two teenage children in Fort Washington, Maryland, now share something more ominous: a cancer diagnosis.
In May 2021, Shauna was diagnosed with breast cancer and later went through a double mastectomy and multiple reconstruction surgeries in the past year, according to her husband.
While his wife was recovering from the second surg…
Tears Flow For NJ Mom, Non-Profit Founder Who Fought Fiercely For Kids With Disabilities
North Jersey single mom Joanne Bastante-Howard worked tirelessly for years to help provide critical resources for kids who, like her young son, John, have Down syndrome.
Bastante-Howard, a former advertising and marketing whirlwind, was personally responsible for raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to help obtain critical medical, education and therapeutic services for those in need through the non-profit she founded, America's Special Kidz (A.S.K.).
Parents of children with a wide range of circumstances -- including autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, and mitochondrial disease…