Wall of Champions

Alice McSpadden was born May 23rd, 1930 in Passaic, NJ, and lived in Sayreville for many years. Alice was a graduate of St. Michael’s Nursing school and worked as a nurse at East Orange VA Medical Center.

She was a communicant of Our Lady of Victories RC Church in Sayreville. She proudly served in the US Navy with the Nursing Corp and was stationed in Camp Pendleton in San Diego, where she met her husband of 59 years, Robert.

A loving mother and grandmother, Alice passed March 6th, 2021.

My dad fought Alzheimer’s for over 15 years. Throughout the struggle, he always loved music, reading the newspaper, his Beagles and cats, and his family, especially his wife of 65 years!

After retiring, there wasn’t anything he couldn’t repair around the house. He also enjoyed traveling. But his favorite pastime was sitting for hours on his bench holding his beloved dogs.

We’ll always remember him and feel his love in all we do. Alzheimer’s took him, but it can’t ever take all he gave us!

Xenia loved her 2 boys (and me). She loved acting, photography, music and art. She painted, wrote poetry, great cook.

She would always be passionate over a beautiful flower and she was nuts about animals. At one point we had 18 of them..10 cats and 8 dogs.

She taught me all these things and when she passed after 11 years fighting this awful disease, a big part of me passed with her.

The patriarch of the family, Grandy was an all-around nice guy with an easy laugh and a friendly manner. He loved his family, golfing, skiing, and running his business.

He was a self-made man, going from surviving on boiled potato sandwiches during the Great Depression to co-founding a successful family business, employing dozens of people to this very day.

Bob is a retired dentist who previously enjoyed fishing, skiing and playing golf. He has a great sense of humor, just like his mother, Hazel, who passed away from Alzheimer’s. Bob is easy going and enjoys time with his dog, Lulu.

He is battling the disease at home with his wife Ellen as his caretaker. His five children cherish the time they still have with him.

Tom grew up in the San Fernando Valley, was an Eagle Scout, played football and graduated from Reseda High School, then chose Stanford University for Electrical Engineering and spent many years at Digital Equipment Corp. in Los Angeles CA and Maynard MA before retiring in Tucson AZ.

He was an avid skier, bicyclist (cycled across America) and Porsche owner; additionally, Tom and his wife Connie traveled the world, visiting more than 90 countries prior to the onset of Alzheimer’s.

Virginia (Ginger for short), was a wife of 42 years, a mother of 3, and a grandmother. Family was the most important thing in her life. She loved her family with all of her heart, and in turn we loved her with all of ours.

Nature and being out in the sunshine working in her flowerbeds was a favorite pastime, and she adored hummingbirds and watching them at the feeder outside her kitchen window.

She passed away from Alzheimers, peacefully, surrounded by her husband and children in May 2018.

Jerome Olson was a kind wonderful man with a charismatic smile and manner. He preferred to be called “Jerry” by his wife and friends, “Daddy” by his children, and “Papa” by his grandchildren.

Alzheimer’s disease took so much from Jerry Olson, but not his love and devotion of family. He told his children “I know this doesn’t make much sense…I love you more than life itself, but I don’t know who you are.”

It made perfect sense to us, he was our daddy, the greatest man we have ever known

Gerry has lived most of her life enjoying the fine art of conversation. She used to play bridge weekly and was always a card game winner at our family gatherings.

Her illness in her later years has been tough, but our GG is tougher and still fighting. She will celebrate her 93rd birthday January 14th.

Cynthia was a loving and caring mother of 6 children and many grandchildren- not an easy task but she did it well and with style.

I married into the family and was welcomed with open arms – a true indication of this wonderful mother and family. She is truly missed but we carry on and honor her love of family.

Betty Joyce McGough, she was a diehard Alabama Football Fan(Roll Tide!) and avid racing fan. She enjoyed bowling with friends, family and co-workers, and winning their money in poker games or darts. She loved living on Logan Martin Lake, and having folks over for boating, fishing, good food and fun. She was a much beloved daughter, sister, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt and friend.

Jane was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She cherished her family and especially her grandchildren. She was patient, gentle, kind and extremely caring. Unselfish and genuine to her core, she will remain forever in the hearts of all who knew her and loved her.

Gary loved his family, farming, teaching and cars. He spent thousands of hours teaching students to drive both on the street and the track. His quiet, supportive way was very effective and he enjoyed it so much. Gary taught me so much, he was the best big brother anyone could ever ask for. He also was a fantastic high speed driver and his footwork was unmatched and something he took so much pride in. RIP brother, always my hero.

Nicholas was truly a Renaissance man… he was an artist, a musician who played both violin & piano, a pilot, an historian, & had the ability to fix almost anything.

He was a former Marine, & taught his 2 year old daughter how to sing the Marine Corps Hymn when other kids were learning Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. He spoke Greek & French, & spent time abroad in Europe after getting his BA at UCLA.

His word of honor meant everything, & he always gave his all. He was my Dad.

Mimi has been my wife for 45 years. She is a caring, loving, artistic and creative soul.

There is nothing that has given her more satisfaction than being mother to Katy, Meredith and Peter. An extraordinary mother, she is.

My grandparents were the heart & soul of our family.

Strong in their faith, resolute in their care of their family and more than generous in the TLC they showered on their grandkids, we all strive to live up to their example.