Mitchell Erceg

1923 - 2020

Mitchell Erceg

Edison - Mitchell Erceg, 96, of Edison, NJ passed away on June 10th, 2020. He was born in what was then called Hell's Kitchen in NYC, in 1923. He was raised in Avenel and attended Woodbridge High School where he met then married his high school sweetheart Norma Christensen. In 1949, they moved into the brick house he had built with his father. It was in Edison but was called Menlo Park at that time. That home is where they raised their three beloved daughters - which they both considered to be their greatest accomplishment.

When WWII started, Mitch proudly enlisted. With his lifelong love of airplanes, he had hoped to become part of the US Airforce but was rejected due to an unrepaired, broken nose he had gotten as a child. The US Navy was where he ended up and luckily it was, because while out on the USS Hamblen, traveling to the islands of Japan, not only did Mitch catch the travel bug and make a new lifelong friend - it also allowed him to come back home alive.

Mitch was a natural and gifted artist who never had gotten any formal training. His love for drawing, painting, hand lettering, and nature was apparent throughout his entire life and served as an inspiration for the birdhouses that he created in his later years. He drew the original Edison Memorial Tower logo when he was a volunteer fireman and chief in his early years in Menlo Park. While in high school, after entering a drawing contest, he was offered the prize of becoming a cell animator for Walt Disney. Disney was still alive then. To his immigrant parents becoming an artist was not a viable path to be able to support a family, so he followed in his father's footsteps instead. He became a carpenter. As a proud member of his union: Carpenters Local 715, he continued attending their monthly meetings through 2019. He had the unique pleasure of being honored for his 75+ years of service to his union. He worked for Mohawk Construction of Linden, where he built the foundations for bridges, buildings, oil refineries and high tension power lines all over NJ. His last project was building the addition onto the Budweiser plant across from Newark International Airport in the 1980s. He loved his job, and regardless of either frigid weather, toxic work environments, or dangerous working conditions, he never once complained about it. Although he had the opportunity to advance beyond being a foreman, he not only loved being outside, but he also loved "his guys" and preferred being around them to any promotion. To use his words, they were "his kind of people". He offered his skills freely and generously to countless people over the years by building stairs, handrails, decks, sheds for those in need, and sometimes he helped friends build additions or even their houses.

Once retired, he discovered a whole new passion, building beautiful, unique birdhouses. He was known as the BirdHouse King. He sold his creations at art and craft shows developing a loyal following. They are in collections and countries around the globe. He shared his gift by doing presentations for school children and garden clubs. He donated his birdhouses to Habitat for Humanity, his church and many other organizations for fundraisers.

He loved New Jersey but he also loved to travel. Different cultures and places fascinated him. He had a passion for geography and could answer any Jeopardy question correctly in this subject. When Norma went to work for Eastern Airlines they traveled the world exploring many of the places he had dreamed of visiting or had read about in National Geographic Magazine. His love of geography and airplanes now could be realized in a whole new way. Some of his journeys included visiting the childhood homes of both of his parents - his mom's in Vienna, Austria and his dad's in the fishing village of Sucaraj, on the island of Hvar in Croatia.

He was preceded in death by his mother and father Mitzi and Jack Erceg and also his dear sister Gloria Grau. He is survived by his beloved daughters Michele Erceg, Jacqueline Markel and Janine Apruzzese and their husbands Bob Giordano, Kenny Markel and Joe Apruzzese. His joyful spirit, zest for life and love of people will be dearly missed by anyone who ever knew him. Services will be private, however, there will be a public memorial service to celebrate his life, once it becomes safe to gather again. Details will be forthcoming when that time comes. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to any of these charities that support causes that Mitch deeply cared about: The National Audubon Society: https://www.audubon.org/, Preservation Hall Foundation: www.preshallfoundation.org, or Disabled American Veterans: www.dav.org

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the Flynn and Son Funeral Home, 23 Ford Ave., Fords, NJ 08863. To send a message of condolence, please visit our website at www.flynnfuneral.com