Obituary of Peter Caugherty

Peter Rowland Caugherty, 64, passed away peacefully at his home in Midland Park with his family at his side on Saturday, August 11, 2012. The loving father of four, Pete was born May 7, 1948, in Evanston, IL, the only son of Rowland H. & Barbara F. Caugherty, both of whom predeceased him. He is survived by his children, Connor Rowland Van Caugherty, Zoe Marie Van Caugherty, Bryn Olivia Van Caugherty and Madison Sophia Van Caugherty, who reside in Ridgewood. He is survived by the mother of the children, Marian Van Calbi, and his sisters Marjorie C. O'Neill (Ed) (Bradenton, FL) and Lisa C. Hahn (John) (Glen Rock), nieces and nephews Eddie and Jimmy O'Neill and Eleanor and Tim Hahn. Peter was loved by all, and will be deeply missed. Pete grew up in Midland Park, was a graduate and class president of Midland Park High School, Midland Park, NJ in 1966, and Denison University, Granville, Ohio in 1970. Peter was inducted into the Midland Park Sports Hall of Fame, and was selected to the All Bergen County Team in football and basketball. Pete was a true athlete completing 11 NYC marathons. He played rugby with Manhattan Rugby Club. He coached and played softball with the West Side Presbyterian Jammers in the Ridgewood Church league. He could be found running or walking or playing sports all over the New Jersey-New York area. As a father, Pete was a strong supporter of Ridgewood HS Athletics. It was his greatest joy to watch his son and teammates play football, basketball and baseball, and his daughters play soccer and volleyball. Pete was an award-winning salesman, having worked in Chicago,IL, Houston, TX and the Northeast. His three most recent companies were Mennen, Reckitt Benkeiser, and Nature Sweet. The Nature Sweet management understood the serious nature of Pete's illness and supported him in his battle. After surviving an earlier bout with cancer, Pete was an active supporter of The American Cancer Society. He was a co-founder of the ACS GWB bicycle ride, held annually in June. Pete, a long-time member of West Side Presbyterian Church, participated fully and attended regularly. He served as an Elder, Deacon, and Sunday School teacher. He ministered to members and others struggling with a cancer diagnosis. A memorial service will be held at West Side Presbyterian Church, 6 S. Monroe Street, Ridgewood, NJ on Saturday, August 18, 2012 at 10 AM. Visitation will take place at Vander Plaat Funeral Home, 257 Godwin Avenue, Wyckoff, NJ 07481 on Friday, August 17 from 2 to 4 PM and 7 to 9 PM. Immediately after the memorial service the family will receive visitors in the West Side dining room. Pete will be cremated and, at a later date, interred at the West Side Memorial Garden. The memorial service may be viewed via the Internet. Go to www.westside.org then click on videostreaming. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation for Peter's children be sent to: The Estate of Peter Caugherty, PO Box 1566, Ridgewood, NJ 07450.