All Obituaries

Wife and mother whose ‘bright smile will be missed by all’ Melissa Marie Santiago Martin passed away on Saturday, September 8, 2018, after valiantly and fiercely fighting breast cancer since last December.  She was 37 years old. Melissa grew up in Rahway, New Jersey, and graduated from Rahway High School in 1999.  She earned her bachelor’s degree at Drew University and went on to complete her graduate degree at Columbia University, beginning a career as a...

Lorenzo “Rennie” Wilbur Harris, III was born on July 31, 1953 to Dr. Lorenzo Harris, II and Gertrude Missouri Harris. He transitioned at the age of 65 on September 5, 2018. Rennie was born in Philadelphia, PA and raised in Asbury Park, NJ.  He attended Asbury Park public schools, Hampton University, then joined the US Army. Rennie was stationed in Germany and then later Kansas where he settled and married Barbara Davis Harris. He was the proud father of his pride and joy...

Our Beloved, Ora Lee Harris, was born to the late Lee and Martha House on February 1, 1926 in Columbia, South Carolina. Ora peacefully transitioned from labor to reward at her home in Neptune, NJ on August 29, 2018. Ora received her formal education in the Neptune Township School District and attended St. Stephen AME Zion Church throughout her childhood. While attending St. Stephen AME Zion Church, Ora discovered her love for singing. Although she participated in several auxiliaries...

Dorothy Mae (Aunt Dot) Keyes, 91, of Atlantic Highlands, NJ passed away on Thursday, August 9, 2018, at Home. She was born on February 10, 1927 in Plainfield, NJ to Calvin and Alneda Tunison. In her early years after school, Dorothy, or Dot, as her friends called her, was employed as a seamstress by several clothing manufacturers in the Essex and Middlesex County area. She retired from working as a factory seamstress when she moved to Atlantic Highlands, NJ. Even in retirement from factory...

James Abner Jenkins, of Neptune, New Jersey, departed this earthly life on Friday, August 3, 2018, at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Jimmy, so affectionately called by his family, was born on October 12,1947, in Bethel, North Carolina.  He was the ninth eldest child borne to the late Harold and Martha Keel Jenkins. As a young child and man, Jimmy attended school in Boston, Massachusetts. He served in the United States Military Armed Forces and was deployed to Vietnam for an...

After several years of valiantly fighting the challenges of Alzheimer's disease, Wilhelmina “Billie” Pearl Steele Johnson Gillem passed away on June 8, 2018, at Brandywine Assisted Living in Wall Township. She lived a rich life deeply embedded in the love of God, family, friends, education and service. There’s an adage that says, “Mondays child is fair of face…”, and that was certainly true for the beautiful Wilhelmina who was born on Monday, May 21,...