Obituary of Thomas E. Halloran

Thomas E. Halloran, 83, died peacefully on Monday, November 10, 2014 in the Hospice Unit of St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston. Tom was second youngest of ten children born of Joseph A. Halloran and Josephine (Fitzhenry) Halloran in Scranton, PA. He is a 1950 graduate of West Scranton High School. He is a veteran of the US Marine Corps, serving during the Korean War from 1952 until 1954. He also attended Farleigh Dickinson University. He was married to Mary Pauline O'Connor from 1955 until her death in 1987. They had three wonderful children and an active life with the Middlesex Elks and other community organizations. Subsequently, he married Eileen Hauck Sexton of Westfield, NJ. He loved to travel and to sing. He also particularly enjoyed good meals at restaurants. He was a dedicated father and loving grandfather. As "Pop Pop", he devoted countless hours walking children to school, sharing breakfasts, taking them on vacations, watching them for their parents and supporting all their activities. His bedroom was the secret hiding place as he let the grandchildren control the TV, and introduced them to fun of singing polkas, the bravery of Bat Masterson and his love of westerns. Tom was a creative and prolific engineer throughout his professional career and home projects. His specialty was plant relocation and building machines to enhance quality and output. Tom worked at Foster Wheeler, Airco, General Cable, J.L. Prescott, North American Reiss and in later years had his own engineering firm specializing in equipment for picture frame fabrication. Predeceased by his first wife, Mary Pauline O'Connor; his parents Joseph A. and Josephine (Fitzhenry) Halloran; his brothers John, Edward and Gerard Halloran; his sisters Mary Wyzykowski, Ann Taylor, Kathleen Rees, Theresa Moran, Beatrice Halloran. Surviving are two daughters Kathleen Gasparri and her husband Paul of South Plainfield, Susan Housel and her husband Jim of Union; a son Frank and his wife Catherine of Westfield; a wife Eileen Halloran of Westfield; stepdaughters Donna Hauck, Lori Hauck Smith and Coleen Sexton; a stepson Dan Hauck; a former daughter-in-law Maureen Halloran; a sister Rita Gallagher Fitzgerald; sisters-in-law Shirley Halloran and Nan Halloran; grandchildren Morgan Halloran, TJ Halloran, and Liam Halloran; step-grandchildren Alison Smith, Emily Smith; and many beloved nieces and nephews Visitation will be held on Thursday, November 13, 2014 from 2-4 & 7-9Pm in the McCriskin - Gustafson Home for Funerals, 2425 Plainfield Avenue, South Plainfield, NJ 07080. Family and friends are invited to his funeral mass on Friday, November 14, 2014 at Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel in Scranton , PA., at 12:00 PM. Committal services will take place immediately following mass in Cathedral Cemetery under the direction of the Kearney Funeral Home of Scranton, PA. www.kearneyfuneralhome.com In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, 322 Eighth Ave., 7th fl., New York, NY 10001 or online at http://www.alzfdn.org