Obituary of Richard R. Hanlon, Sr.

Richard Robert Hanlon, Sr., 84, of Madison, New Jersey, died peacefully at Morristown Medical Center on Saturday, December 19, 2020. His death was not due to the COVID-19 virus. Richard was the beloved husband of Ann (Gilgallon) Hanlon of 53 years. He was born on June 2, 1936, son of the late Vincent Joseph and Alice Marie (Rawley) Hanlon, and was raised in Orange, N.J. Richard was named after a family friend, Father Richard D. Wall, who baptized Richard at Our Lady of the Valley Church in Orange, N.J. During his youth, he especially enjoyed being a Boy Scout and playing with his dog, Pal, one of the six dogs he owned throughout his lifetime. In high school, he worked part-time as a route aid for Western Union Telegraph Company, and graduated from Our Lady of the Valley High School in 1955. After high school, he continued to work at Western Union in the telecommunications department as a teleprinter operator. He later went on to become a supervisor in the Newark, N.J. location. In 1969, he was transferred to Western Union’s New York City office, and later worked as a supervisor for Nabisco in the telecommunications department at both the New York City and East Hanover, New Jersey locations from 1975-2000. Richard also served as a volunteer Madison Auxiliary police officer, whose role was to assist the Madison Police Department on patrol, from 1969 to 1973. Richard was a devout husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend. In 1967, Richard married Ann at St. Vincent Martyr Church, and they resided in Madison throughout their 53 years of marriage. He was the beloved father of Ruth Foerster and her husband Scott, Richard R. Hanlon, Jr., and Tara Mack and her husband John, who all reside in Florham Park. He is survived by his 6 grandchildren, Eileen, Mark and Kevin Foerster, Anthony, Brian and Sean Mack. He is also survived by his dear brothers, John M. Hanlon and his wife, JoAnn, of East Hanover, N.J. and Thomas J. Hanlon, Sr. and his wife, Anna, of Merrimack, N.H. and his loved sister, Margaret (Peggy) Bohsen and her husband ,Thomas, of Murrells Inlet, S.C., his brother-in-law, Edward (Gil) W. Gilgallon and his wife, Francine, of Palm Beach Shores, F.L., his sister-in-law, Mary Gilgallon, of East Dorset, V.T. and his cousins, Robert J. Rawley and his wife, Madeline, of Doylestown, P.A. , Anne (Rawley) Saldich , San Mateo, C.A., and several nieces and nephews. Richard was predeceased by his sisters, Mary McLaughlin and Alice Marie Hanlon and his brother, Vincent J. Hanlon and his wife, Helen, his brother-in-laws, John J. Gilgallon, Jr. and John (Jack) J.McLaughlin, Sr., his sister-in-law, Susan (Sue) Gilgallon, and his cousins, William P. Rawley and Joseph F. Rawley, as well as his niece and nephews, Colleen (Bohsen) DeFranco, David B. Gilgallon, Kevin C. Hanlon and John J. McLaughlin, Jr. Richard was an active parishioner of St. Vincent Martyr Church in Madison. He was a Boy Scout volunteer for Troop 7 of St. Vincent Martyr parish from 1981 to 1988 and a money collection counter for the church. Following his retirement in 2000, he was immersed in the lives of all 6 of his grandchildren, and appreciated spending time with them. He also enjoyed taking candid photos of his family, especially during his grandchildren’s birthday celebrations. Richard was an experienced and avid gardener, who enjoyed working on his backyard garden during his free time. He and his wife, Ann, memorably enjoyed their numerous trips together to Ireland and the Holy Land. His wake and funeral will be restricted to immediate family only due to the COVID-19 virus. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Burroughs, Kohr & Dangler Funeral Home in Madison. The Funeral Mass will take place on Wednesday, December 23, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Vincent Martyr Roman Catholic Church, Madison. Please go to the church’s website, www.svmnj.org, to view the Mass virtually. Interment will directly follow after the Mass, at the parish’s cemetery in Madison. Memorial contributions can be made to the Monastery of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, 189 Madison Avenue, Morristown, N.J. 07960. The family (4 generations) has a very special devotion to this monastery.