In Memoriam: Longtime Sea Bright Resident, Bob Morrone, 80

Longtime Sea Bright resident, Robert “Bob” James Morrone, passed away on Saturday, Dec. 13, at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. He was 80.

“Bob was someone everyone loved to be around. Those who knew him best describe him as family-oriented, warm, loving, generous, and deeply caring, with a sincere heart devoted to those he loved most. His proudest accomplishments were always tied to his family — as a husband and father, a grandfather, and most recently, a great-grandfather.

“A passionate Corvette enthusiast, Bob could often be found driving, working on, or meticulously cleaning his beautiful red Corvette, keeping it more pristine than the day it first came home.

“His family will miss his logical mind, his clear and unbiased thinking, and, above all, his incredibly big heart. He overflowed with compassion for everyone around him, and that is how he will be remembered.”
Loved ones of Bob Morrone in his obituary

Born on May 18, 1945, in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Vincent Morrone and Antoinette (Bellino) Morrone, Bob lived in Yardley, PA before Sea Bright. He was the beloved brother of Concetta Maria “Ria” Morrone Ragusa and Thomas Vincent Morrone. On June 6, 1970, he married “the love of his life,” Mary Ann Morrone, in Jersey City, beginning a devoted marriage that spanned more than five decades.

Bob attended St. Michael’s High School in Union City before continuing his education at Columbia University. He later earned his master’s degree in Construction Management from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Throughout his professional life, Bob was a founding member and active participant of IAMFA, served as vice president of the Philadelphia Art Museum, and worked for Mobil. Beyond his career, he found deep fulfillment in serving others as a Eucharistic Minister and volunteering alongside his wife at JBJ Soul Kitchen.

“When not surrounded by family and friends, Bob enjoyed sculpting. A devout Catholic, his faith guided every aspect of his life.”

Bob was predeceased by: his parents, Vincent and Antoinette Morrone; his older brother, Thomas Morrone; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Bob dearly loved his “grand-puppies” and was also predeceased by Tybee Reece and Cash Morrone, beloved pets of his children Lisa and Rob.

He is survived by: his beloved wife, Mary Ann Morrone; his children, Lisa Reece and Rob Morrone; his grandchildren and great-grandchild, Megan, Karmen, Kristen (and her husband, Alex Day), and Katherine (and her husband, Ian Birl, as well as their new daughter Eleanor Anne), Robbie and Josie Morrone; his sister, Concetta Maria “Ria” Ragusa, and her husband, Thomas Ragusa, as well as their children; his grand-pets Hudson and Harper Reece, and Carter, Zeus, and Speedy Morrone; and many nephews and many loving family members and friends — too many to name — whose lives he touched deeply.

Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 19, at Holy Cross Church in Rumson. A funeral mass will follow at 11:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made by check to the JBJ Soul Kitchen Foundation, 207 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, NJ 07701.

— Edited obituary prepared by family via John E. Day Funeral Home