Barbara Rose Kadada

Barbara Rose Kadada was born on Friday, November 26, 1948 in Newark, New Jersey – the day after Thanksgiving (her favorite holiday). She was the daughter of John and Stephanie Kadada and lived most of her growing up and adult years on South 10th Street in Newark. She was of the Catholic faith. Barbara passed from this earth on Sunday, January 21, 2024 in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee at the age of 75.
Barbara came from a hardworking family. Her mother Stephanie, in addition to maintaining the home worked a variety of jobs and her father John, was a talented mechanic and was also a member of the Bakery Drivers Union. Her maternal grandparents, Honora and Adam Janusz emigrated from Poland in the early 1900's raising a family of 8 daughters and 1 son in the Ironbound section of Newark. Honora worked lovingly in the home where family and friends were always in great supply and welcomed. Adam worked in the leather tanning business. On her paternal side, though Barbara was not as well acquainted with them, she also came from very hard working stock out of Hell's Kitchen in NYC. Her grandparents came from a long line of canal boat captains who operated transporting cargo from NY harbor up the Hudson River to the Erie Canal helping to develop the waterways and transportation system of our nation.
Barbara was a 1967 graduate of West Side High School in Newark. After high school, she started her career at the flagship Bamberger's Department Store in Newark doing clerical work for the Benefits Department. Those years and friendships she enjoyed during that season were some of the most treasured of her life with a photo of the store even hanging in her bedroom at the nursing home where she last resided. She remained with the company when it was bought by and rebranded as Macy's only leaving employ with them after 26 years of service when the store was closed in 1992.
Barbara and her parents enjoyed doing activities together including going down the shore to enjoy the beach and boardwalk at Seaside Heights, shopping at Willowbrook Mall, going to Chucky Cheese Pizza with the younger cousins, and dropping by to visit family members. Some of Barbara's favorite things included butterflies, roses, lasagna, deep fried cauliflower (essential on Thanksgiving), and McDonalds. She loved game shows and the old sitcoms and had a healthy knowledge of all things Hollywood. She said her favorite Christmas memory was getting to sit on Santa's lap. Though she tended to be a more private person and a homebody, she always had a grasp of what was happening in the world around her and enjoyed good conversation.
Barbara loved animals – particularly dogs. She had a poodle and a few German Shepherds growing up. Later in her life, she was devoted to Charley who became her true buddy. She was an ardent supporter of the ASPCA because of this affection for them. She was also proud of our country and supported our veterans and the Wounded Warrior Project. She had compassion for those hurting and the needs of sick children and thus supported St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Any memorials in her honor should be sent to one of these organizations.
After the death of her parents, Barbara moved in with her Aunt Wanda who had been her primary caretaker in her childhood. She lived in Orange, New Jersey with her for about 8 years before following her down to Tennessee when her Aunt relocated in 2015. She lived in a small town south of Nashville called Columbia for the last nine years of her life. She found a good and faithful friend in her neighbor Nancy and once she became homebound, her caretakers Karen and Claudette became treasured friends that stuck by her till the end.
Barbara is survived by her dedicated and loving Aunt Mary Januse of Martinsville, New Jersey as well as many cousins spread out throughout the country. Her service and internment will be held in the Mausoleum Chapel on January 31, 2024 at 1PM at Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery, 1500 Stuyvesant Ave, Union, New Jersey