Michele Annette "Mickey" Brindle

Michele Annette "Mickey" Brindle
October 18,1947 -July 17,2024
Michele Brindle passed away peacefully on July 17, 2024, with her husband Richard holding her hand.
Michele was Born in Jersey City, New Jersey but moved to Gillette, New Jersey in 1957. She graduated grade school from Saint Vincent de Paul Catholic School and high school from Bayley Ellard Catholic High School. She was a typical Jersey girl, hanging out with friends and her very large, active family.
In 1966, while working at a grocery store in Warren, she met the guy she would marry, Richard Brindle. Now she lived in Gillette and Richard lived in Stirling, 2 towns separated by 2 or 3 miles but because she went to catholic school, and he went to public school they had never met. She remembered better than I did that we watched the first Super Bowl together at my parents house in 1967. Now it almost didn't happen. For those of you from that time will understand, she drove a Ford Mustang and I drove a Chevy Belair and Ford and Chevy people didn't talk to each other except to argue which was a better car.
Fortunately, we got past it and were married January 10, 1970, in St. Vincent RC Church in Stirling N.J. We started a life together which would last for 54 years. We were fortunate to buy a small bungalow in Berkeley Heights where we lived for 46 years. Now the house was basically a small, converted summer home and as we welcomed our 3 sons, Chris, Jon and Jason, over the years we quickly outgrew the house, but because of the quality of the town and school system didn't want to move. So, with the help of family and friends we tore down the original house in sections and built a new 4-bedroom house. The boys all pitched in and learned a lot from the work we did. We traveled and camped with a travel trailer and spent time at the Jersey shore and just did all the family things with school, sports and family.
Michele was the steady hand in the family and was a wonderful mother and wife. She raised our sons to be honest hardworking men. From the early years to adulthood, she challenged them to be their best. She also taught them how to cook and clean and take care of themselves. But mostly she taught them love and good manners and respect for others and kindness.
As my wife, love of my life, partner, friend and voice of reason she was everything any man could hope for. We worked hard together but always made time for ourselves. We made a good life for ourselves and our sons and as the years went by, we traveled and started taking cruises on Holland America and on our 50th anniversary took a 31-day round trip from Fort Lauderdale to San Deigo and back and just relaxed and enjoyed ourselves. We also traveled in our motorhome and the year before covid spent 3 months on the road just exploring and being together. We were just planning to start traveling again and were looking to move to Tennessee when health concerns took over.
Michele will be laid to rest in Saint Vincent Cemetery in New Jersey after a Mass in Saint Vincent church, the church we were married in.
Michele is survived by her loving husband and partner Richard, son Christopher and his wife Dawn and son Jonathan and his girlfriend Sara. The ashes of our son Jason who passed away in 2022 will be laid to rest with her.
Services in New Jersey will be from Valley Memorial Funeral home in Gillette New Jersey. Please see their web site as arrangements have not yet been finalized.