Obituary of Jerome J. Stephans

Jerome J Stephans, Sr., known to many as Duke, age 82, died on Monday, January 26, 2015 of colon cancer after a short illness at his home in Warren. Mr. Stephans was born in Linden where he grew up and graduated from Linden public schools. He has resided in Warren for the past 42 years. Jerome was a graduate of Bowling Green State University where he received a B.S. in Political Science. Mr. Stephans was drafted by the U.S. Army in August 1956 and was assigned for basic training at Fort Hood, TX. Upon completion of this phase he volunteered for Airborne Training at Fort Bragg, NC and upon graduation was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg until his discharge in August 1958. It was during this time that he decided to legally change his name from Szczepaniak to Stephans. Jerry worked the majority of his career in Operations for Sea-Land Services, Inc. in Elizabeth and Baltimore before retiring in 1990. He was predeceased by his son, Gregory Stephans (1982); parents Stephen L. (1966) and Felicia (1973) Szczepaniak; his brothers William L. (1942) and Stephen G. (2001) Szczepaniak; his sisters Patricia Eichhorn (2006) and Irene Weilandics (2013). Surviving are his wife Marianne Paraskevas Stephans formally of Roselle; his children, William Stephans of Woodstock, GA and wife Tracy, and their three children Brittany, Gregory, Carly, and great-grandchild Sophie; Susan Stephans of Phoenix, AZ and her two children Jessica and Ashley of Warren; Teri Multon of Paris, France and husband Olivier, and two children Stephane and Nicolas; Paul Stephans of New Hope, PA and his son Gregory; Jerome J Stephans, Jr. of Hermosa Beach, CA and his wife Elizabeth; Marcella Paraskevas and her husband George of Linden, NJ. We wish to thank Atlantic Health Home Care Hospice and nurse Kathy Brown. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 31, 2015 at 9:00 am at Higgins Home for Funerals, 752 Mountain Blvd., Watchung, NJ. Followed by a Mass of Resurrection at 10:00 am at St. Vincent de Paul Church, Stirling NJ. Interment will follow at Somerset Hills Memorial Park, Basking Ridge. Visitation will be held on Friday, January 30 from 5-8pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Jerome's name to the Make a Wish Foundation or the Wounded Warrior Project.