Assunta Cornell

Assunta Cornell (Quagliariello), a beloved matriarch, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, after a long life filled with laughter and love. She was 97 years old.

Born on August 22, 1928, in Brooklyn, New York, to two Italian immigrants, Assunta was the youngest of four girls. She married the love of her life, James H. Cornell III, on May 5th, 1951, after meeting at a dance. Together, they spent most of their lives in Brooklyn and Floral Park before moving to East Brunswick over 20 years ago.

Assunta (Sue) had a boisterous laugh that could be heard from the next room. She loved celebrating any holiday, especially Christmas, and she almost never passed up good food or a sweet treat. She enjoyed crafting, watching her “soaps” and Netflix shows, baking (especially banana bread to gift to those in her life), and shopping anywhere there was a good deal. She never let Kohl’s Cash go unspent and knew how to find hidden treasures.

Sue found joy in the little things and never took life, or herself, too seriously. She didn’t sweat the small stuff, and she never spoke badly of or judged others. She led her life with immense kindness, compassion, and wisdom and remained sharp until the very end.

More than anything, Sue loved her family. She was an exemplary wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and person. Her family will miss her deeply but know it is time for her to be reunited with her husband, Jim.

She is survived by her cherished son, James H. Cornell IV of Shirley, NY; her adoring daughters, Kathy Laferrera (Anthony) of Basking Ridge and Doreen Haney (Kevin) of East Brunswick; and her sister in law, Marilyn Berglund of Syosset, NY. Assunta was blessed with a loving lineage, including her beloved grandchildren, AJ Laferrera (Jamie), Alyssa Soriano (Nick), Justin Laferrera (Jess), David Hardy, Scott Hardy, Sean Haney, Ashley Haney, and Karen Hardy, as well as her nine great-grandchildren, Juliana, Cecilia, Leo, Dominic, Charlie, Abigail, Grady, Cody, and Gavin. The family expresses profound gratitude to her dedicated caregiver, Geraldine, for the loving care and support she provided in Assunta’s later years, along with heartfelt thanks to her more recent caregivers Debbie, Joy, Marcia, Rowena, and Roxanne, whose kindness illuminated the path of her final days.

Assunta was predeceased by her daughter-in-law, Debra Cornell, and by her husband, James H. Cornell III, who passed away in 2024.

Services for Assunta will be held on February 15, 2026, at The Crabiel Home For Funerals in Milltown, NJ, where visitation will take place from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. A Mass will follow on February 16, 2026, at Our Lady of Peace RC Church in North Brunswick Township, NJ, at 10:00 AM, leading to her interment at Holy Cross Crematory in Jamesburg, NJ, at 11:00 AM.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Jude’s Children's Research Hospital or the The Daisy Foundation. St. Jude’s treats and researches childhood cancer, and The Daisy Foundation enriches the lives of individuals with disabilities, including one of her cherished grandsons. https://the-daisy-association.square.site/product/general-and-in-memoriam-donations/41?cs=true&cst=custom

As we bid farewell to Sue Cornell, we are reminded to laugh often, lead with kindness, and to love as she did.