Obituary of Madeline Therese Cruoglio

Madeline Therese (Sullivan) Cruoglio (94) of Litchfield, CT passed away peacefully in her sleep on November 24, 2025.

Madeline was born in East Orange, NJ on March 21, 1931 to Mary Katherine (Keaney) and John Sullivan and was raised also by Beatrice (Keaney) Sullivan. 

She graduated from Our Lady of All Souls elementary school in East Orange, NJ and Immaculate Conception High School in Montclair, NJ. She went on to complete a program in Nursing at Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, NJ and to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Philosophy, with minors in Elementary and Secondary Education, from Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ. She later earned a Master of Arts in Library Science from Immaculate Heart College in Los Angeles, CA and completed post-graduate work at Steubenville College and Duquesne University in PA and the County College of Morris and Rutgers University in NJ.

Madeline was a member of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Newark (now the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Peace), for 22 years. During that time she was known as Sister Francis Martin, and worked as a nurse, an elementary school teacher, a secondary school English teacher, a principal, and a school librarian in New Jersey, West Virginia, and California.

In 1965 she met the love of her life, Leonardo Cruoglio, and shortly after recognized a new calling. They married in 1971 in Spring Lake, NJ and in 1975 Madeline became a mother at age 44, giving birth to her daughter, Kara.

Madeline lived the next phase of her life as a wife and mother in Morristown, NJ, where she worked as a librarian at the Morris County and Jefferson Township libraries and then as an intermediate school librarian in Byram Township and Randolph Township, eventually retiring from fulltime work in 1998. Shortly afterward, Madeline moved to Manahawkin, NJ where she was an active volunteer at Southern Ocean County Hospital and Saint Francis of Assisi Parish. She spent many winters in Palm Coast, FL. In 2010, Madeline moved to Seabrook Village in Tinton Falls, NJ, where she volunteered her time with the Seabrook Catholic Council and made a treasured circle of late-in-life friends. Madeline’s final move was to Brandywine Senior Living in Litchfield, CT in 2023, which made it possible for her to spend a great deal of quality time with her daughter, son-in-law, and grandson in her last years with us.

Throughout all of her adventures, Madeline’s top priority was her family. She enjoyed telling everyone about her large Irish family that included 16 aunts and uncles and an ever-changing number of first and second cousins. She loved keeping up with all of them and with her many nieces and nephews. She was instrumental in building and maintaining the Keaney family tree.

Madeline is survived by her devoted husband Leonardo, daughter Kara, son-in-law Michael Zakriski, grandson Cormac Loughlin Zakriski, and child of her heart Patricia (DiMarzo) Green, as well as her sister Maureen Frischmann, and brother James and sister-in-law Sharon Sullivan. Madeline was pre-deceased by her mothers Mary Katherine and Beatrice Sullivan, father John Sullivan, sister Katherine and brother-in-law Charles Walsh, and brother-in-law Thomas Frischmann.

Madeline was generous, kind, and made friends and connections easily wherever she went. She will be deeply missed by her immediate family, her large extended family, and her wide circle of friends.

The family will receive visitors on Tuesday, December 9 from 4-7 pm at Dangler Funeral Home, 600 Speedwell Avenue in Morris Plains, NJ and on Wednesday, December 10 from 9-10 am at St. Mary’s Abbey, 230 Mendham Road in Morristown, NJ. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Mary’s Abbey on Wednesday, December 10 at 10:30 am. Burial to follow at Holy Cross Cemetery in North Arlington, NJ.

Throughout her lifetime, Madeline gave generously of her time and her money to many charitable causes. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages you to make a contribution in Madeline’s name to St. Joseph’s School for the Blind in Jersey City, NJ (https://schoolfortheblind.org/support-us) or simply remember her with a gift to the charity of your own choosing.