Honestly, losing someone in a tight-knit place like Nutley isn't just a private family matter; it’s a community event. You’ve probably noticed how the vibe changes at the local Bagel Boy or along Franklin Avenue when a long-time resident passes away. Nutley is one of those rare "everyone knows everyone" towns in Essex County where the history is literally written in the names on the street signs and the booths at the diners.
Finding Nutley New Jersey obituaries used to mean just grabbing a copy of the Nutley Sun and flipping to the back. But things have changed. A lot. Now, information is scattered across funeral home sites, legacy archives, and social media. If you're trying to track down service details for a friend or doing some deep-dive genealogy on your Italian-American roots in the Third Ward, you need a roadmap.
Where the records actually live now
Most people start with a Google search, which is fine, but it can be overwhelming. In Nutley, two main funeral homes handle the vast majority of local services. If the person lived in town, their life story is almost certainly hosted on one of these two websites.
S.W. Brown & Son Funeral Home on Centre Street is a staple. They’ve been around forever. Their online obituary listings are updated constantly. For example, just this January 2026, they've posted notices for locals like George V. Kuiper Jr. and Rose Bongo. Their site is usually the most "current" because they upload the info the second the family approves the draft.
Then you have Biondi Funeral Home over on Franklin Ave. They handle a huge portion of the community’s services too. If you can’t find a name at Brown’s, check Biondi’s "Recent Obituaries" section. I’ve noticed they tend to include very detailed life histories, mentioning everything from the local trucking businesses people ran to their favorite pews at Holy Family Church.
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The shift from print to digital
The Nutley Sun is still the "official" paper of record, but let’s be real: its frequency has changed over the years. Most families now opt for digital notices because they can be shared on Facebook or via text in seconds.
If you are looking for historical records—say, an uncle who passed in the 90s—you aren't going to find that on a funeral home website. Those sites usually only go back about 10 or 15 years. For the old stuff, you’ve basically got two choices:
- GenealogyBank or Newspapers.com: These are paid, but they have digitized archives of the Nutley Sun going back decades.
- The Nutley Public Library: Seriously, don't sleep on the local library. They have microfilm and digital archives that are lifesavers for local history buffs.
Why Nutley New Jersey obituaries feel different
There is a specific "Nutley style" to these tributes. Because the town has such a heavy heritage of public service and multi-generational families, you’ll see certain themes pop up constantly.
You'll see mentions of the Nutley Volunteer Emergency Rescue Squad. Or the Elks Lodge. Or long careers at Hoffman-La Roche (even though the physical campus has changed so much). These obituaries aren't just a list of dates; they are a record of how the town itself functioned. When you read about someone like John J. Petrucci Sr., who ran a local trucking business for 30 years, you’re reading about the literal backbone of the local economy.
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How to write one that doesn't sound generic
If you’re the one tasked with writing one of these, the pressure is high. You want it to sound like the person, not a template.
Start with the facts—full name, age, date of passing. That’s the "data" part. But the "human" part comes next. Don’t just say they "loved gardening." Say they were "a five-time winner of the local Garden Club competition who swore the secret to her tomatoes was just a bit of Nutley soil and a lot of Newark-style attitude."
Specifics matter. - Mention the specific parish (Holy Family, St. Mary’s, Grace Episcopal).
- Include their favorite local hangout. Did they spend every Friday at the diner? Mention it.
- Use nicknames. If everyone knew him as "Butch," put that in there.
Finding the service details
Usually, the obituary will end with the "arrangements." In Nutley, the routine is pretty standard but important to follow. Most visitations happen in the afternoon and evening (like 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM), followed by a funeral mass the next morning.
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Common spots for the final send-off include Glendale Cemetery in Bloomfield or Immaculate Conception in Montclair. If the obituary mentions "interment is private," that basically means the family wants the burial to be just for them. Respect that.
Actionable steps for finding information
If you are currently looking for a notice, here is exactly what you should do:
- Check the funeral home sites first. S.W. Brown & Son or Biondi. This is where 90% of Nutley obituaries land first.
- Search Legacy.com. They aggregate notices from the Star-Ledger and other NJ papers. If the person moved out of town later in life, they might appear here instead of the local Nutley sites.
- Set a Google Alert. If you’re waiting for a specific notice to be posted, set an alert for "Name + Nutley NJ Obituary." It’ll ping your email the second it’s indexed.
- Look for the "Tribute Wall." Most modern Nutley obits have a section where you can "plant a tree" or leave a digital candle. It’s a nice way to show support if you can’t make it to the wake in person.
Nutley is a place that remembers its own. Whether it’s through a plaque in a park or a well-written obituary, the legacy of its residents tends to stick around long after the last service is over.
To stay updated on the most recent departures in the community, your best bet is to bookmark the local funeral home "current services" pages and check them every few days. This ensures you never miss a chance to pay your respects to a neighbor who helped make the town what it is today.