Obituary of Ernestine Campanelli
Ernestine Campanelli, 97, passed away on Friday, March 1, 2024, at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ.
Born to the late Joseph and Caterina DeMarco, in Plainfield, NJ, Ernestine was a member of the 1944 Plainfield High School graduating class. Following her high school graduation, she went on to attend nursing school at St. Peter’s Hospital in New Brunswick, becoming a Registered Nurse.
Ernestine proudly worked at Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center in Plainfield for over 30 years. Here she worked on various floors, including the surgery recovery floor, helping a wide variety of patients. She later went on to work for SurgiCenter in Watchung, NJ, before retiring.
A long-time parishioner of Sacred Heart RC Church in South Plainfield, Ernestine was also a member of the South Plainfield Senior Center, and in her younger years, a member of a local gardening club. She also enjoyed knitting, reading historical books, gardening, and cooking for her family. She could also often be found playing a game of Yahtzee.
Predeceased by her husband, Michael Campanelli, and siblings, Joseph, Alfonse, Genevieve, and Vincenza, Ernestine is survived by her three children, Frank Campanelli and his wife JoAnne, Mary Ann Grundman and her husband Chip, and Cathy Pompilio and her husband Anthony. She will also be missed by her nine grandchildren, Melissa Perone, Christopher Grundman, Catherine Jara, Sarah Connors, Michael Campanelli, Angela Mollet, Christine Polite, Daniel Pompilio, and Kyle Pompilio and their spouses; her 18 great-grandchildren, as well as a host of extended relatives and friends.
A visitation will be held at the McCriskin – Gustafson Home for Funerals, 2425 Plainfield Avenue, South Plainfield, NJ, on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, from 3 PM to 7 PM.
A funeral mass will be held at Sacred Herat RC Church, 149 South Plainfield Avenue, South Plainfield, NJ, on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at 10 AM. Family and friends may gather at the funeral home prior to mass beginning at 9 AM.
Burial will follow at Holy Redeemer Cemetery, 1734 Clinton Avenue, South Plainfield, NJ.
In lieu of flowers, the Campanelli family has requested donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, in Ernestine’s name.