Obituary of John E Nicolich

John E. Nicolich, 93, of Hackettstown, NJ and previously of Little Ferry, NJ passed away on December 11, 2021 at Heath Village Retirement Community. John was born on April 27, 1928 in New York, NY to the late Rudolph and Anna Nicolich. As a young man John served in the US Maritime Service, then began a long career as a longshoreman, working many years in the ports of NY and NJ. John retired in 1989. He instilled his love of travel and nature in his entire family via numerous camping adventures throughout the US and Canada, culminating in a grand road trip to Alaska with his wife, Margaret. John relished his time outdoors, and shared the bounty of his extensive vegetable garden, fig trees and grapevines with friends and neighbors. John was also a skilled, self-taught craftsman. Long before the time that recycling became popular, he repurposed salvaged items and turned them into furniture and functional household and garden items for his family and friends. John was an active member of St. Margaret of Cortona RC Church in Little Ferry, where he served as a dedicated Bingo worker and church usher. As a resident in Heath Village, John quickly established affectionate repute with his neighbors as the unofficial sidewalk sweeper of Pioneer Corners. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Margaret, and daughters; Susan Nicolich, Joanna Nicolich, and Jane Chandler (Mark). John also leaves behind daughter-in-law Ana Maria, granddaughters; Cecilia and Ana Maria Nicolich, half-brothers; Rudolph and Charles Nicolich, and many nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, John is preceded in death by his son, John A. Nicolich, a sister, Anna Nicolich, and half-brothers; Norbert and Edward Nicolich. A memorial mass of Catholic burial will be held on Thursday, December 16, 2021 at 11:00 AM at Our Lady of The Mountain Catholic Church, 2 E. Springtown Rd., Long Valley, NJ 07853. Inurnment at George Washington Memorial Park, 234 Paramus Rd., Paramus, NJ 07652 will be held at 1:30 PM. In lieu of flowers donations can be made in John's name to a charity of your choice. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Warren Hills Memorial Home, 234 West Washington Ave., Washington, NJ 07882. To send online condolences please visit www.warrenhillsmemorialhome.com.