Obituary of Joseph Albert Wells (Wegrzynowicz)

Joseph Wells (Wegrzynowicz), age 77, of Franklin Lakes, passed away on Tuesday, October 30^th, 2018. Joseph was born in Jersey City and lived in Wyckoff for 12 years before moving to Franklin Lakes in 1984.

Joseph graduated from St. Peter’s College in 1963 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics. As a member of the ROTC program, upon graduation, Joseph served as a Lieutenant in the United States Army, Company B, 1^st Battalion, 77^th Armor Division. He would later attend St. John’s University and earn Master’s Degrees in Marketing and Quantitative Analysis.

Following a career in marketing, Joseph worked as a certified Math Teacher in Belleville High School. For the past 15 years, he was a Math Teacher in Rutherford High School where he was recognized as Teacher of the Year. Perhaps best known for his sense of humor and fishing prowess, Joseph was also well known in the area for his SAT tutoring, having tutored more than 2,000 college-bound students in Bergen County.

He was a loving, caring and patient husband, father and grandfather, and a dedicated teacher to all.

He is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Barbara; his son, Stuart and his wife Jenny; his daughter, Michelle and her husband, Timothy Higgins. Also surviving are four grandchildren – Tate, Griffin, Brody, and Madison. He was predeceased by his parents, Joseph and Jean Wegrzynowicz, and sister, Carol Wegrzynowicz.

The family will receive friends on Monday, November 5^th from 6-9pm at Vander Plaat Funeral Home, www.vpfh.com, 257 Godwin Ave, Wyckoff, NJ. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, November 6^th at 10am at St. Elizabeth’s RC Church, 700 Wyckoff Ave, Wyckoff, NJ. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Joseph’s memory may be made to Joseph Wells Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Rutherford Board of Education, 176 Park Ave, Rutherford, NJ 07070.