Adolph John Gottstein Jr. passed away peacefully on June 22, 2022, at the impressive age of 92.
Most knew him as John, but he was also known throughout his life as Sonny or Gus to friends, A. John to colleagues, and finally AJ to those who met him in Memory Care at Winchester Gardens in Maplewood, NJ.
He was born in Woodbridge, NJ and graduated from Woodbridge H.S., then attended Sampson College in NY and Rutgers University in NJ before graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1951. In 1953, he was discharged as a Captain from the U.S. Army. He spent his bachelor years following his passions in Europe, skiing the Alps and working as a professional opera singer in Italy. He then returned home to NJ where he drove his beloved 1960 Corvette, spent free time on his sailboats, Rhapsody and then Abbondonza, and met Julie, his future wife of 50 years with whom he lived in Edison until 2020. He retired from his career as a Pension Actuary at American Home Products in 1997.
John is survived by Julie Gottstein, daughter Erika Parker and her husband Mike, son John Gottstein and his wife Kristen, grandchildren Jackson and Sadie Parker as well as Alex and Lucy Gottstein, sister Jean Kearney and her husband Bill, and nephews Scott and David Kearney. He was predeceased by his parents, Adolph John Sr. and Antonia (also known as Gerry), nephew Christopher Kearney and grandson Maxwell Gottstein.
Viewings will be held from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. on Friday, June 24 at Gosselin Funeral Home in Edison, NJ. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 25 at 9:45 a.m. at the Funeral Home, immediately followed by Mass at St. James Roman Catholic Church in Woodbridge at 11:15. Burial will be at St. Gertrude Cemetery in Colonia.
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