William J. Rumaker Sr.

William J. Rumaker Sr. of West Deptford, New Jersey, passed away on Feb. 23, 2026, at home with his family. He was 96 years old. A generous and loving man, his first impulse was to be of service. He rarely missed an opportunity to ask, "Do you need anything?" and "Can I get something for you?" Bill was predeceased by his wife, Marie (née O'Connor). They shared 61 years of marriage and raised five boys.

Bill served as a corporal in the U.S. Army from 1951 to 1953 during the Korean Conflict. Deaf in his right ear since childhood, he remained stateside serving his country as a cook at Camp Polk, now Fort Polk, in Louisiana.

Known as Deacon Bill by the parishioners of St. Matthew's Church in National Park, he was an active member of the parish for over 85 years. He was ordained as a permanent deacon on Oct. 15, 1988, and he served St. Matt's in that role from that point forward. Among his many responsibilities as a deacon, he presided at the baptisms of numerous parish children as well as some of his grandchildren and several members of his extended family. He officiated at two family weddings.

Bill was a consistent and dependable volunteer throughout his life, showing up for everything from selling 50-50 tickets to support the parish to driving patients to their appointments for the American Cancer Society.

After attending Woodbury High School, Bill worked as a pressman for the Curtis Publishing Company from 1945 to when the company closed in 1969. That same year, having recently earned his GED, he began working at Shell Chemical in West Deptford as a boiler operator. In 1987, the plant was purchased by Huntsman Polypropylene. Bill retired from Huntsman in 1996.

In addition to Marie, Bill was predeceased by his sister Mary and her husband Titus, and his brothers, Joseph and his wife Norma, George and his wife May, Michael, Robert and his wife Maryann, and John, who is survived by his wife Patricia.

He is survived by his brothers Paul (Elaine) and David (Dorothy).

He leaves behind five sons, William Jr. (Theresa), John Sr. (Victoria), Thomas (Diane), Patrick (Charles), and Matthew (Kimberly). He is survived by seven grandchildren, William III (Colleen), Alicia, John Jr., Daniel (Holly), Justine (Zach), Molly, and Christopher. He is also survived by three great-grandchildren, Kaylee, William IV, and Connor. He leaves behind dozens of nieces and nephews.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend Bill's viewing on Friday, March 6, 5-8 p.m. and Saturday, March 7, 9-10 a.m. at the McGuinness Funeral Home, 34 Hunter Street, Woodbury, NJ 08096. His funeral Mass will follow at St. Matthew's Roman Catholic Church, 4th and Monument St., National Park. Interment at New Saint Mary's Cemetery, Bellmawr, New Jersey.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Bill's memory to Samaritan (https://www.samaritannj.org), which provided palliative and hospice care to Bill.