Obituary of Joseph P. Strelec, Sr.

Joseph P. Strelec, Sr., a longtime Madison resident, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, October 1, 2023 surrounded by the love of his family. He was 88.

Joseph is survived by his beloved wife of 68 years, Loretta Strelec (née Sandello); three sons, Joseph Strelec, Jr., Robert Strelec and his wife Jill & Andrew Strelec and his wife Lynn; one daughter, Jacqueline Pisciotto and her husband James; eight cherished grandchildren, Jonathan Strelec (Emily), Alyson Feuerstein (Mark), James Pisciotto (Samantha), Dominick Pisciotto (Abbie), Juliana Pami (Joe), Joseph Pisciotto, Sydney Strelec & Jason Strelec; six great-grandchildren, James, Grace, Owen, Jack, Vera & another great-grand baby on the way; and many loving extended family members & dear friends.

Joseph was predeceased by his infant son, Ralph Strelec and his six siblings John Strelec, Bobby Strelec, Loretta Strelec Sanford, Joan Strelec, Tony Strelec, & Frankie Strelec.

Joseph was born in Morristown on November 22, 1934 to the late Joseph and Mary Strelec. He was raised in Boonton with his six siblings in a very close knit, loving family. He married his beloved wife Loretta in 1955 and the couple settled in her childhood home in Madison where they raised their family.

Joseph had a long career in the perfume and fragrance industry. He was an expert compounder of fragrances and knew countless formulations by memory from his decades of experience in the industry. He was a manager at Norda/Adron Incorporated of East Hanover for many years prior to retiring. He was well respected by his colleagues and mentored many people over the years. Joseph forged many long friendships and remained close with several of his colleagues well into his retirement.

Family was everything to Joseph and everything he did in life was for his family.  He was a man of great pride & integrity who made sure everyone in his life felt special. Joseph took interest in how everyone was doing and listened to people, always ready to help others. He truly put everyone before himself.

When his children were young, Joseph was very involved in their sporting events and was a longtime member of the Madison Huddle Club. He took his family on countless camping trips in addition to many historic places throughout the east coast, including Niagara Falls. Joseph made frequent Sunday trips back to his childhood hometown in Boonton for “dinner at grandma’s house” and spent every Christmas eve there with the entire family. He loved Christmas and seeing the joy in his children, and later his grandchildren.

Joseph was well-versed in many skills outside of his career and could fix anything. In his younger years he assisted as a mechanic on his father’s stock cars in Boonton. He loved US history and teaching his grandchildren all he knew. Joseph was a prolific collector of historic memorabilia from Boonton, most notably a vast collection of historical postcards depicting old photos of Boonton, which have been cataloged on a dedicated website.

Joseph was an avid card player and member of the South Boonton Field Club where he played cards regularly. He imparted his passion for card games onto his entire family, who played cards with him up until days before his passing. He frequently went to garage sales, not for himself but to look for memorabilia and items for family members and friends that had certain interests or hobbies. He was also a big fan of professional wrestling for many years. Joseph hand-crafted his own spirits such as Sambuca which was well-known by family and friends as “Madison Magic”.  

Joseph adored his grandchildren and they adored him. He was so proud of all of his grandchildren and their many accomplishments, and he was thrilled to be a great-grandfather.

In his later years he was often seen roaming the streets on Madison with his electric scooter. Joseph remained sharp-minded till the end. Though he will be missed beyond measure, Joseph’s legacy and memory will be carried on by his family for generations.

 Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend the visitation for Joseph on Wednesday, October 4, 2023 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Madison Memorial Home, 159 Main Street, Madison. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, October 5, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Vincent Martyr Church, 26 Green Village Road, Madison. Those who wish may attend the mass virtually by visiting www.svmnj.org

Interment will follow at St. Vincent’s Cemetery, Madison.