Armand "Sonny" F. De Angelis

Armand F. “Sonny” De Angelis, age 96 of Manchester, formally of Oakland, passed away peacefully on January 17, 2021.  He was born in New York City.  Sonny served in the Navy in World II for which he was extremely proud.  He met Jessie Gaffney, the love of his life, on the first night he returned to Manhattan.  They were married for 66 wonderful years, prior to her passing in 2014.   All 66 years were filled with an abundance of love, laughter, family and of course, dancing!!!

Sonny and Jessie moved to Paramus where they purchased their first home and lived next door or down the street from his parents, sister and a few brothers.  He was the last of the De Angelis siblings to pass away.

They then moved to Oakland, to a home they both cherished.  It was a wonderful home, again filled with love.  Sonny loved to play with his children and the children in the neighborhood. He would always make it fun for the kids, clearing a pond in the woods for ice skating or sleigh riding, skiing, playing ball, etc.  So much so, that the kids in the neighborhood would come and ring the doorbell, asking if Sonny could come out and play!

Sonny owned a Columbian Mutual Life Insurance Company Agency in the Bronx, NY for many years until he retired at the age of 55.  Soon thereafter, they moved to Leisure Village West in Manchester, New Jersey, where resided until his passing.

His longevity in life can be attributed to his athletic ability. Sonny loved and participated in a variety of sports, which included swimming, golf, softball and tennis just to mention a few.  He would often be seen jogging around the neighborhood, a pastime he loved!  

He loved to sing, with Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett being his favorites.  He was always up for a party and dancing was always a given.  Pretty much every family gathering and holiday ended with the family doing the Lindy Hop in a circle and Sonny playing the maracas on the side, if he wasn’t dancing with Jessie!   

He is survived by his loving children, Rose Lampson and her husband Barry, Lynn Stankovich and husband Fred, Joan Wilson and her husband Steve, seven grandchildren; Heather, Jaclyn, Jon, Lindsay, Melissa, Garrett, Max and his 7 great grandchildren; Braden, Kellen, Grayson, Oliver, Nolan, Everleigh and Parker.   

Visitation Wednesday, from 3:30 – 7:00 PM at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home, www.vpfh.com, 257 Godwin Ave. Wyckoff, NJ.  A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday at 11:30 AM at St. Mary’s RC Church, 17 Pompton Avenue, Pompton Lakes, NJ 07442.   Interment will follow at Christ the King Cemetery, Franklin Lakes, NJ.   

As an expression of sympathy, in lieu of flowers, donations to Disabled American Veterans, P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301, www.dav.org, in Sonny’s memory would be appreciated. 

Although his loss is immeasurable to his family, they are at peace knowing that their Mom and Dad are reunited in heaven.

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