Marie B. Rufo (nee Sabbak) passed away peacefully in her sleep on New Year’s Eve, 2022 in Toms River, New Jersey. She just celebrated her 89th birthday. She was born in Phillipsburg and was raised by her Aunt Jennie and Uncle George Sabbak in Totowa and Paterson, New Jersey, with her three brothers, Basil and Joey who predeceased her and John Sabbak.

Her longest memory is working in her uncle’s grocery store throughout her school years. She married Nicholas Rufo (deceased) and moved to Wayne, New Jersey, where she raised four children, Rosemarie (Brian Armstrong), Anthony (Kathryn Smith), Linda (Thomas Crowe) and Thomas (Karen Serle-Rufo, deceased). She was blessed with six grandchildren, Christopher and Jessica Crowe, Courtney and Billy Leader, Karla and Nick Soto, Kimberly Armstrong, Vanessa and Buddy Finn, and Anthony and Jennifer Serle; and seven great-grandchildren; Mason, Isabella, Marlee, James, Hannah, Evin and Anthony. Marie also has many nieces, nephews and grandnieces/nephews on the Sabbak side.

Marie worked as an executive secretary for various companies (Ricoh, Toshiba), but her passion was to plan family events and socialize with clubs like UNICO where she was a vice president and handled fundraising events that were hugely successful. She was known for her “coffee clutches” in her Wayne home where the neighborhood wives convened regularly. She was constantly cooking Syrian and Italian food and her cheesecakes were given to friends, family, and restaurant owners on a regular basis. In the early 90s, she moved to her retirement community in Toms River and socialized with new friends, attended bingo, and cruised and traveled with Nick until his passing. A highlight in travel was visiting family in Italy with her two daughters.

*All obituaries are submitted by family and friends of the deceased.

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