Marie J. Meyer

Marie (Sissy/Nana/Biggie) was born on the 12th of November, 1937, in Newark, New Jersey to the late Joseph Studer and Anna Vaillancourt (Flatley). She was the youngest of four children; she was preceded by her brother Dave Vaillancourt and her sister,Ilene Heller and she is survived by one sibling, Ann Gelpke. The nickname Sissy was given due to a number of reasons, not only was she was the youngest of four children, she also provided loving support to her sister Ilene in helping to raise “The “Twins”, Richardand Arthur. For a number of years, “The Twins” thought that Marie was their big sister until their mom made them stop calling her that. However, the name still stuck, especially since Marie would answer when that name was said. She eventually met and married her first husband, Frank Salimbene, who preceded her in death; they had two children, Grace Ann and Frank Joseph Salimbene; who preceded her in death. While raising her family, she owned and operated the Lucerne Restaurant on Broad Street in Newark, New Jersey. Due to a fire destroying the restaurant, Marie then found employment at Engelhard where she was a mineral analyst. Even though Marie didn’t have the opportunity to complete her education, she would astound people on any given topic. She then met and married her second husband, Robert (Bob) Meyer, who preceded her in death. They enjoyed traveling, dancing, singing karaoke, cooking, and spending time with family. Marie was a member of the Ladies Auxillary, and became an avid supporter of Veterans Affairs and New Jersey Blind Citizens Association. Marie was an addict to any kind of puzzle; whether it was a jigsaw, word search, or crossword puzzles. She could play Solitaire for hours, she enjoyed going to Bingo, plus a variety of TV shows, such as Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, Walking Dead, and AmericaSays. Marie was a social butterfly. She enjoyed meeting and talking to people and she especially enjoyed volunteering for anything that involved children or animals. Along the way, Marie “adopted” a number of children. A special shout-out to Elaine and Jose Figueroa, who have proven to not only, be a joy to Marie, but an invaluable addition to the family thru the years with their loveand support. She leaves behind to cherish her memory the following: (Nana) Grandchildren: Carlotta Marie Rodriguez, Ursula Yolanda Rodriguez, Frank Joseph Salimbene, Sheryl Lucy Salimbene, and Silvia Ann Rodriguez. She was preceded by Anthony Philip Salimbene. (Biggie) Great-grandchildren: Daniel Joseph Mercado, Charles Edward (Tre) Gladney III, Frank Joseph Salimbene, Jr., Deja Maria Ilene Gonzalez, Naomi Starks, Julian Miguel Starks, Yvonne Loretta Starks, Ellizabeth MacKenzie Salimbene, Billy Englund, Nadine Grace Starks, Jacob Steven Salimbene and Jericho Cain Bowling. Plus a host of nephews, nieces, great-nephews, great-nieces and friends. In lieu of flowers, in Marie’s memory, monetary donations can be sent to New Jersey Blind Citizens Association, 18 Burlington Avenue, Leonardo, NJ 07737.

Marie J. Meyer

November 12, 1937 - January 30, 2020