Michael Thor Ambrosia

Michael T. Ambrosia, 82, passed away on May 9, 2024, surrounded by his family after a battle with cancer. Born in 1941, and raised in Jersey City, NJ, Michael was a graduate of Snyder High School and later received a degree from Montclair State University.

Following in the footsteps of his father, he spent his first working years as a high school teacher in Bernardsville and Kenilworth, NJ. In 1968, Michael decided to pivot and started his 25-year career working for the New York City Department of Welfare and Child Welfare.

During his time working for the city, he built a community of lifelong friends and met his wife Jane. They married in 1974 and while living in Brooklyn, they had two children, Matthew and Elizabeth. But the siren call of the Garden State was too strong to ignore, and the family moved to Westfield, NJ, where they've lived for 34 years.

Michael was a renaissance man with varied passions and interests: He was a lover of opera and ballet. A dynamic cook who loved to prepare creative meals for his family. He was handy-he loved taking on home projects and was everyone's first call to help fix something around the house. He was a lover of animals and had a gift as a dog whisperer. He was the person that friends and family would seek out for practical matters, from tax and investment advice to driving directions to guidance on how to install drywall. His favorite and most enduring hobby was horse racing. He loved watching races from his home track Monmouth Park, visiting tracks across the country, or handicapping from afar. If you check the standings of the Survival at the Shore Contest in 2015, you will find his name singularly at the top, a testament to his skill as a handicapper.

Michael's greatest love and proudest achievement was his family. He was known for being kind, generous, and loyal, and always faced adversity with grace and equanimity.

He is survived by: wife of 50 years, Jane; son Matthew and wife Jenna; daughter Elizabeth and partner Devin; sister Sandra and brother Joseph, and many relatives and friends. He is predeceased by his sister Rhoda and parents Gertrude and Joseph.

A celebration of Michael's life will be held at a later date. To support Michael's memory and in lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network at http://www.pancan.org