Paul Mari

Paul Mari

AGE: 54 • Toms River

Paul Mari, 54 of Toms River, won the fight yet his battle against cancer ended April 25, 2015. He fought courageously for 2 ½ years with the help of his loving wife Joan, his family, and with the many miracles performed by his doctors at Robert Wood Johnson University Medical Center, nurses on 4North, and his oncological team at the Regional Cancer Center of Somerset, NJ. Born in Jersey City, he graduated from St. Joseph's Grade School in 1974 and St. Joseph's High School in 1978, both in Toms River. He was a 1984 graduate of Johnson and Wales College, earned a nursing degree as an LPN in 2005, and was awarded the highest honor of "Clinical Award for Excellence."

He was last employed with Bayada Home Health Care. Paul also earned the rank of Eagle Scout as a boy scout and was the first high school student in New Jersey to complete a full marathon run of 26-plus miles. Paul was predeceased by his brother Joseph, his maternal grandparents, Paul and Adele Rickie, and his paternal grandparents Joseph and Mary Mari. Surviving are his parents Frank and Arlene Mari, his sister Susan M. Kearny, his nieces and nephews, Haley, Drew, Audrey, and Hunter Bloxom, his aunt and uncle John and Adele Hafner, as well as many cousins. He is also survived by his extended family of his loving wife Joan, Christine and Jayson Jennings and their children, Tobias, Kaleb, and Mikayla, Melissa and Joseph Southerland and their children, Nina, Jorden, and Charleigh, and Lara and Julian Thom.

As his last unselfish gesture, Paul donated his body to the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Medical School in an effort to help the future research of cancer and hoped to inspire others to do the same. A Memorial Funeral Mass will be said Saturday, May 2, 2015 at 2:30 p.m. at St. Joseph's Church in Toms River, NJ. Donations may be made via mass cards or to St. Joseph's Church of Toms River, NJ.