Obituary of Michael Cassidy

Cassidy, Michael Owen age 57 of Wyckoff died Monday, May 9, 2011. Born in Jersey City, NJ, he lived in Kearny for many years before moving to Wyckoff in 1993. Mike was a graduate of William Paterson College in 1977 with a BA in Geography and History and later received his MA in Administration and Supervision. He began his teaching career as a Social Studies Teacher in the Rutherford School System, teaching grades 7 and 8 in Union School and then teaching in Rutherford High School until he became Assistant Principal in 2001, retiring in 2010. While at Rutherford he was the Assistant Varsity Football Coach, and was also Assistant Coach in Baseball and Track. Mike received the Governor's Teachers Recognition Award 1994-95. He was a Student Council Advisor at Union School, Academic Decathlon Advisor, and End Racism and Sexism Everywhere (ERASE) advisor. Mike began the RHS chapter of the state wide peer mentoring group, Heroes and Cool Kids. He was a member of the NJPSA (New Jersey Principal and Supervisor's Association), a member of Gamma Theta Upsilon Honor Society, and the Bergen County Audubon Society. He was an avid outdoorsman, he loved to mountain bike, kayak, fish, and bird watch. In the early 1990's he ran the NYC Marathon twice, and in 2006 he climbed Mt. Rainier in Washington State. Surviving is his wife Marilyn (nee Russo) Cassidy of Wyckoff, his daughter, Marissa Cassidy of New York City, his sister, Kathleen Holevinski of Toms River, NJ and his 2 brothers, Patrick Cassidy of Satellite Beach, FL and Philip Cassidy of Carteret, NJ. Visiting Thursday 2-4 and 7-9 pm from the Vander Plaat Funeral Home, www.vpfh.com, 257 Godwin Ave., Wyckoff, NJ 07481. Funeral Mass Friday 10 am at St. Elizabeth's R.C. Church, 700 Wyckoff Ave.,Wyckoff, NJ 07481. Private Cremation will be held. In lieu of flowers donations to National Brain Tumor Society, 124 Watertown St. Suite 2D, Watertown, MA 02472 (www.braintumor.org) or Holy Name Hospice, 718 Teaneck Rd.,Teaneck, NJ 07666.