Nancy Catherine (Erbal) Voccola died comfortably at home after a short illness Nov. 17, 2022, with her family by her side.
Nancy was born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1946 and, in the late 1960s, met her husband Harry while working at a computer software company in Silver Spring, Maryland. They married in 1970 and moved to New Jersey shortly thereafter.
Nancy loved and was so very proud of her family, which she raised in Middletown. Marriage and family were the joys of her life. Nancy loved spending time at the beach both in Seaside Park and Miami Beach, Florida, with her husband Harry, her three children, six grandchildren, and their “extended” family of dozens of close friends who all came to see Nancy as a second mother.
Whether it was driving her children to every possible activity all around the state, with their friends in the car rocking out to the “golden oldies” of the ’50s and ’60s (single handedly ensuring that an entire generation of Middletown kids could sing along with any Chuck Berry, Doobie Brothers or Everly Brothers song) or being the person the neighborhood kids went to when they needed an adult’s perspective or help, Nancy was always there to ensure everyone was taken care of and happy.
Nancy was a lover of all people, getting to know them. Nancy was well known as someone who loved to engage in long and energetic conversations, taking the time to learn all about people’s lives, interests and families. Whether they were strangers or close family, Nancy loved to talk, as well as listen, learn and advise. Nancy took a real interest in people, their interests and doing all she could to make their lives just a little better.
Being the mother of three boys, Nancy learned to LOVE sports, particularly the sports her children and later grandchildren played. She was always looking for ways to help, being the team mother, team cook and, without question, their biggest cheerleader. Nancy became an encyclopedia of sports facts and history for every sport each of her three children played, as well as for all the professional teams the family followed. Her knowledge of sports resulted in her being named the official judge in all family sports debates.
Nancy worked at Oak Hill Academy in Middletown from 1994-2002 and volunteered for several charitable organizations. Nancy’s continuing effort to help and comfort others, in particular young single mothers, projected her virtue and generosity.
Nancy was predeceased by her two brothers, Frederick Collins Erbal and Richard Collins Erbal.
Nancy is survived by her husband Harry and their three children, Mark, Fred and John, along with her six grandchildren, Grace Elizabeth, Rose Angela, William Kane, Kathryn Mary, Delaney Mairead and Morgan Naelen, and her favorite family dogs, Phoenix, Cooper, Britany and Summer.
Nancy is also survived by her sister-in-law Janet (Voccola) Sturk and her husband Rudy, along with their children Rudy Sturk and his wife Susie and Chris Sturk, as well as her sister-in-law Susan (Voccola) Richardson and her husband Harry and their children, Brian Richardson and Karen (Richardson) Iassogna.
Visitation was Nov. 21 at the John E. Day Funeral Home, Red Bank. A funeral Mass was held Nov. 22 at The Church of the Nativity, Fair Haven, with burial services following at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Red Bank.
Our family would like to send a special thank you to all of the staff at Riverview Hospital, the Hackensack Meridian hospice team, and especially all of the excellent nurses from Bayada who assisted with the care of Nancy through her final days and did a tremendous job of making her and her family as comfortable as possible.
Please visit Nancy’s memorial website at johnedayfuneralhome.com.
The article originally appeared in the November 24 – 30, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
