William Clement "Bill" DeVine

SUSSEX -- William 'Bill' Clement DeVine, 90, husband of Julia (Case) Devine, passed away Sunday, Aug. 15, 2010, at St. ClareÕs Hospital in Sussex. Born in Franklin, William was the son of the late John and Mary (Berrigan) Devine of Franklin. He was a graduate of Franklin High School.

Mr. DeVine was employed by the N.J. Zinc Co. and U.S. Mineral Wood Products. He owned and operated a confectionery and retail store in Franklin between 1942 to 1959. Mr. DeVine retired in 1965 from BASF Wyandotte Corp. in South Brunswick as a research specialist in Styropor Product Department.

Known as Bill, he was a very active amateur radio operator with an extra class license for many years using the call sign WB2PXJ. He was a graduate of the National Radio Institute. Mr. DeVine was a member of the American Radio Relay League, the High Point Amateur Radio Association, a lifetime member of the Sussex County Amateur Radio Club, and a FCC Amateur Radio License Testing Volunteer Examiner. He was a member of the Franklin Fire Department and the oldest member of the Franklin Exempt Fire Department.

Mr. DeVine enjoyed serving many years for the winter Special Olympics. He was a member of the Sussex-Wantage Over 50 Club, the Sussex Borough Board of Health and served as chief communications officer for the Sussex Borough Emergency Management Office and holder of 1C Engineers License as well as a holder of a Stationery Gold Seal Engineer License. Over the years, he received many trophies as a chess and ping pong winner. He still enjoyed playing chess and checkers over the computer up until his demise.

Mr. DeVine is survived by his wife of 67 years, Julia; his son, Thomas G. Devine, Ph.D and his wife, Julianne, of Jackson; his granddaughter, Jeanine Dilling and her husband, Robert, of Califon; his grandson, Gregory and his wife, Kathleen, of Toms River; and three great-granddaughters, Allison and Rachel Dilling and Madelyn Rose Devine; his two sisters, Mary Marigton of Caldwell and Joan Stevens of Ogdensburg; and his two brothers, Robert and his wife, Betsy, of Wantage and Joseph and his wife, Inez, of New Bern, N.C.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, Aug. 19, at 9:30 a.m., from Pinkel Funeral Home, 31 Bank St. (Route 23), Sussex. Mass of Christian Burial will follow at St. Monica R.C. Church in Sussex at 10 a.m. Interment will be in North Hardyston Cemetery. Friends may pay their respects to the family Wednesday, Aug. 18, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Fireman services will be held Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations may be made to the Sussex Fire Department and First Aid Squad, 25 Loomis Ave., Sussex, NJ 07461. Online condolences may be offered to the family at www.PinkelFuneralHome.net.