Obituary of Anthony J. Waclawski

Anthony J. Waclawski, 91, of Pompton Lakes, passed away on November 12, 2022, with his family by his side.

He and his wife Vilma were high school sweethearts, raising their family in Pompton Lakes, NJ. Tony loved gardening and fishing and was an excellent and creative cook.  He loved to read, building a wide range of knowledge on diverse topics.  Tony loved to talk with family and friends, sharing the observations from the day, and his life experiences.  Tony and Vilma were partners in weekly pinochle games with friends that became a Friday night routine.  Later, they were ever-present grandparents, and enjoyed travel and visiting with family.

Tony worked over 35 years as a lineman and then a repairman for New Jersey Bell and later, ATT.  He took great pride in his work and had a sense of duty to his customers. Tony routinely worked two jobs to support his family as a generous and selfless father and husband. He had a great admiration and respect for creativity and innovation in the workplace.  He was skilled at solving mechanical challenges and could fix almost anything.

Tony was a dedicated parishioner at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. He was an active participant in the Church, volunteering as a Eucharistic Minister. He lived a life guided by his faith and values, as a quiet example of sacrifice and love.

Tony is lovingly survived by his wife of 70 years, Vilma; his children, Kathleen McCauley (Mark), Marie Welsh (Seamus), Anthony P. Waclawski (Dianna), Donna Phillips (Richard), and Joanne Bakerian (Robert); his siblings, Barbara Spangler, Mary Ann Madajewski, 16 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his daughter, Christine Kallio, and his brothers Timothy Waclawski and John Waclawski.

Visiting hours will be held Monday, November 21 from 10:00 -11:30 at the M. John Scanlan Funeral Home, Pompton Plains. A funeral mass will be celebrated at 12:00 noon at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Pompton Lakes.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Anthony's memory to Feeding America (https://give.feedingamerica.org) would be greatly appreciated.