Madeleine Perez

Madeleine “Lynne” Perez (nee King) passed away peacefully with family members by her side on Friday, December 27, 2024.

Born November 6, 1938, to Gaylord and Anne (Mulligan) King in Newark, New Jersey, Lynne was raised in Westwood, NJ. After attending St. Andrews grade school and Westwood High School, Lynne followed in her mother’s footsteps graduating from St. Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing in Passaic NJ.

Lynne met her husband Ed at a church dance and immediately knew he was the one, declaring it to her parents when she returned home that night. They began dating and she waited patiently as Ed completed his degree at Manhattan College and his service overseas in Germany in the U.S. Army. They married at St. Catherine’s Church in Glen Rock and moved to Fair Lawn, before settling in Wayne, where she lived for the next 50 years. Tragically, Lynne lost Ed at a very early age. While remaining strong, she was kind, gentle, and caring, and always found the positives in people and in any situation. She was a dedicated mother and spent the rest of her life helping others in both the workplace and volunteering. She taught reading skills to elementary school children and Pre-K classes at Our Lady of Consolation School in Wayne. She then returned to nursing and spent three decades at Christian Healthcare Nursing Home in Wyckoff. Lynne touched the lives of many throughout her time at CHC and made many dear friends along the way. She cherished staying in touch with friends via phone calls, letters, cards and visits when possible.

Lynne was a devout Catholic and was always actively involved in the church. She and Ed were early parishioners of Our Lady of Consolation Parish in Wayne. She was a regular volunteer at church events, an active member of the Amity Club, and later a Eucharistic Minister administering to various area nursing homes. She remained involved for as long as her health allowed.

Lynne was an avid traveler, taking many trips with her cousin Rose, dear friend Shirley, as well as the AAA traveling club. Her favorite destinations included Ireland, Alaska, Hawaii, and Arizona. While she truly enjoyed seeing the world, she was always the happiest at home with her friends and family.

Lynne took up drawing and oil painting which quickly became a favorite pastime of hers. She never met a crossword puzzle that she didn’t like or rarely couldn’t complete and was also an avid reader of all types of fiction and non-fiction. Amazingly, she still found spare time to watch sports spanning events from figure skating and gymnastics to college football and basketball, especially the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Lynne spent her last several years as a resident of Christian Healthcare. She would smile from ear to ear when a former co-worker would stop by to say hello. At times, she thought she was still an employee and would become concerned over things or even yell out orders which always brought laughter and fond memories of her earlier days as a supervisor.

Lynne was the beloved wife of Edward Stephen Perez, and pre-deceased by her mother Anne Mulligan King, and father Gaylord Berkeley King. She is survived by her son, Michael, daughter-in-law Cleopatra, grandchildren Alexandra and Aristides, brother Dennis, and nephews Tim and John.

The family will receive friends on Monday, January 6, 2:00-4:00 and 7:00-9:00 at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home, 257 Godwin Avenue, Wyckoff. Funeral mass will be Tuesday, January 7 th 10:00 AM at Our Lady of Consolation Church, 1799 Hamburg Turnpike, Wayne. Interment will follow at Christ the King Cemetery, Franklin Lakes. Memorial contributions in Lynne’s name may be made to Our Lady of Consolation Church, 1799 Hamburg Turnpike, Wayne, NJ 07470.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Madeleine Perez, please visit our floral store.