Mary Rita Tezlaf

Mary “Rita” Tezlaf, 92, died peacefully at her son’s home in Pattenburg, NJ Saturday September 25th after a brief illness. She was born July 10, 1918 in Bayonne, NJ to her parents Valentine and Veronika Zavada. She graduated from Bayonne High School in 1935 and worked at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York. In 1955 Mary moved to Somerville, NJ with her husband and three sons and has lived there until recently. She was a devout parishioner at the Immaculate Conception Church and was a member of the Catholic Daughters for 25 years. She was also a member of the church’s Senior Leisure Club and enjoyed traveling with them. She worked at the Somerset County Library for 16 years until 1970 when she retired.

Three brothers and two sisters died before her. Mary was married to her husband William for 50 years before he passed in 1990. Her youngest son Robert died last year and she is survived by her sons Edward of Pattenburg, NJ, and Carl of Highlands, NJ. She is also survived by five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, one great-great grandson and numerous nephews and nieces.

Visiting hours will be held at Cusick Funeral Home, 80 Mountain Avenue Somerville on Tuesday September 28th from 2-4 and 7-9pm. There will be a Mass of Christian Burial on Wednesday September 29th at 9:30am at the Immaculate Conception Church, Somerville.

Her ashes will repose alongside those of her husband and son Robert at the Good Sheppard Lutheran Church Memorial Garden in Bridgewater.