MARY TESSARO BOLCIK, of Hackensack , formerly Fairview , at age 81, on Friday, January 18, 2008, died peacefully surrounded by her loving family. Mary was born in the mountains of northern Italy in 1926. She often told us of her first memory of coming to America at 3 years old and seeing her father at the boat pier waving a chocolate bar to Uncle Gino, Mary’s big brother, Nona and herself. The family reunited in New York City with Nono, where Uncle Ernie was born a few years later. In the late 1930’s, the Tessaro family moved to Fairview , NJ where Mary spent most of her life. In her early teens, Mary met her life long best friend, Flavia. Mary and Aunt Florie spent many hours laughing, discussing life and remembering movie actors and entertainers of the past. They married young men from Fairview and raised families together.

          Mary and Paul (Midge) Bolcik were married in 1950 and spent a few months shy of 50 years together when Paul passed away in February 2000. On many Saturday evenings, they could be found at dinner-dances with family and friends. They loved to travel and especially liked visits to seashore destinations. Together they cooked and baked family favorites, especially during holiday seasons. They raised two daughters before picking up their roots in Fairview and moving to Hackensack where they spent their final years close to their grandchildren.  Mary could be found tending the garden vegetables and flowers during summer months and cooking her specialties with the current harvest. An extremely talented seamstress who spent many working years in the garment industry, Mary was always making new curtains or an outfit for her many family members and friends. One of her many passions was buying fabric that she would use ‘someday’  As Mary joins her beloved husband Midge, who has been waiting in the car to take her shopping, she leaves behind daughter Paulette Bolcik Nardi of Neptune, NJ and Paulette’s many “grand-cats’; daughter Veronica (Ronnie) Bolcik and husband Kerry McKenna of Hackensack; grandsons Christopher and Ryan McKenna also of Hackensack and step granddaughter Dr. Meaghan McKenna of Belmont, MA. Also missing Grandma Mary is Petey, the family dog and her constant companion. We will always be grateful to Sandra Mercedes, the angel who came into our lives to help ease Mary’s final months of her decline and the caring staff at Wellington in Hackensack .

Predeceased by husband, Paul Bolcik in 2000; mother and father, Giovanna and Ernesto Tessaro and brother Gino Tessaro. In addition to her children and grandchildren, Mary leaves behind her brother and sister-in-law, Ernest and Jeanette Tessaro of Virginia, many sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews and special friends Mary V and Laura.  The Mass of Requiem will be offered on Monday, January 20th,  at St. Anthony of Padua Episcopal Church at 11:00 AM  Reverend Brian H. Laffler officiating.Visiting will be  on Sunday from 2 - 4 & 7 - 9 PM.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the St. Anthony Memorial Fund, 72 Lodi Street, Hackensack, NJ  07601 would be appreciated.