Sonja Hanlon, nee Bysarovich, age 68, of Oradell died suddenly December 7, 2010, after a brief illness.
Deeply beloved mother of Melissa Hanlon and Andrea Hanlon, both of Oradell, loving grandmother of Alexander and Grace. Former wife of John Hanlon of Haworth.
She was the devoted daughter of late Joe and Josephine Bysarovich of New Cumberland, WV. The youngest of eight children, she is predeceased by brothers Stanley, Laurence, Joseph, Chester, and Eugene; and sister Laura Bysarovich Binkoski She is survived by sister Dolores Bysarovich Clovis. She is also survived by her brothers and sisters-in-law Paul Clovis, Marty and Bobbie Hanlon and Horace and Barbara Shaw along with many loving nieces and nephews.
She attended WVU where she was a member of Kappa Delta Sorority, and received a BA in English from William Paterson University. She later completed most of the work towards her Masters in Theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary.
Sonja taught theology at Paramus Catholic Girls High School for a number of years. For the last 28 years, she has been a real estate agent in Oradell and throughout Bergen County.
As an active member of the community in Oradell, Sonja was dedicated to maintaining and improving the quality of life in the borough. She was an Oradell town councilwoman, Chair of the Oradell Republican Club for 10 years, an elected Republican County Committee person, and active in the Bergen County Republican Organization. She was a member of the Book and Needle Club of Oradell, a former charter member of the Rotary Club of Oradell-Emerson, served on the Oradell Public School Board of Ed, was president of the OPS PTA for two terms, lead girl scouts, cheerleading, and headed and contributed to various other organizations. She was an active member at St. Joseph Church for nearly 50 years, having served as a lector, a Eucharistic minister and on the Board of Ed for St. Joseph School.
Of all her activities, she was happiest when spending time in Chatham, MA surrounded by her family.
Family and friends are invited to visit Thursday and Friday 2-4 & 7-9PM at the Volk Leber Funeral Home, 268 Kinderkamack Rd., Oradell. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday at 9AM at Sacred Heart RC Church in Haworth. Interment will be held in her hometown of New Cumberland, WV. Donations in her name are appreciated to the Daniel and Gloria Blumenthal Cancer Center, 1 Valley Health Plaza, Paramus NJ 07652.