Stacy Strobel-Melvin, 54, of Oradell, N.J., went home to the Lord on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020.
At her side were her children Ryan, Kayleen, Erin and Thomas, her fiance Jim Ponczek and his children Linnea and Eric.
She is survived by her parents, Richard and Jean Strobel of Monroe, and her brothers, Timothy of Montgomery, Matthew and his wife Millie of Kissimmee, Fla., Jason and his wife Erika of Salisbury Mills, and Daniel of Dundee, Fla.
Stacy was born Feb. 22, 1966, in the Bronx, where she attended Sacred Heart School in the Highbridge section.
She passed through Beacon, Montgomery and eventually spent the rest of her childhood in Monroe. She attended Monroe-Woodbury Schools and went on to Pace University in Pleasantville, where she earned a BS in Nursing.
She loved basketball and played it since middle school and into college where the Lady Setters reached the NCAA Division II quarter finals. Thanks to Steve and Harry for helping her sharpen her skills to achieve this.
She was the first female to play in the men’s summer basketball league in Smith’s Cove Park which today is a standard at some schools. They use boys in practice with the girls to sharpen their skills. She was a pioneer in this.
A nurse for more than 30 years, she had spent the majority of that time in the pursuit of a cure for Multiple Sclerosis while involved in clinical research at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, N.J.
She loved her patients, many of which were with her for many years. They loved her caring and loving attitude.
In light of that and in lieu of flowers, please honor Stacy’s request to help pay forward her work and memory by making a gift to The Stacy Fund, a scholarship for Holy Name School of Nursing, so the next generation of nurses may pick up where she left off.
Donations can be made online at: https://www.holyname.org/foundation/donation.aspx or by mail to: The Holy Name Foundation, Stacy Strobel-Melvin Scholarship Fund, 718 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666.
Friends and family were received on Aug. 20 at Becker Funeral Home in Westwood, N.J. A Funeral Mass was held August 21 at St. Joseph’s R.C. Church in Oradell, N.J.
Interment will be in St. Anastasia Cemetery after cremation.