John “Rocky” Gianvito, One of Rutgers ‘ Greatest Baseball Players; formerly of Brooklawn

John Gianvito, age 86, passed away on May 1, surrounded by his family at home. He was born on October 24, 1939 in Punxsutawney, PA, and later moved with his family to West Philadelphia, before settling in Brooklawn, NJ. He proudly served his country in the United States military, demonstrating a lifelong commitment to duty and service. Following his military service, he built a long and successful career in administration with the Haddon Township School District,

A graduate of Gloucester High School, he attended Rutgers University–Camden and was later inducted into the school’s Sports Hall of Fame, an honor that reflected his talent, dedication, and athletic achievement.

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CNBNews Digital Archives: Gloucester City Officials Meet With Developers

William E. Cleary Sr.| CNBNews

Gloucester Catholic opened in 1926. (Photo courtesy of the Gloucester City Historical Society)

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (CNBNewsnet)(September 13, 2022)–Throughout the next several weeks, officials in Gloucester City will meet with several builders. One wishes to develop the former Gloucester Catholic Boys building into apartments. Developer number two is interested in the Southport acreage, which, for the most part, has been nothing but a barren plot of ground for over 30 years.

(CNBNews photo credit)The historic Saint Mary’s High School, aka the Gloucester Catholic Boys Annex, Monmouth, and Burlington Streets, opened in the late 1920s. (Photo above)

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Joan Gianvito, of Medford, formerly of Brooklawn

CNBNEWS DIGITAL ARCHIVES:

(CNBNews)(May 4, 2026)–Joan G. Gianvito (nee Lane) passed away peacefully on Monday, January 10, 2022. Born at Cooper Hospital to John A. and Grace M. Lane, Joan was 79 years old. She was a resident of Medford for the past 47 years and a former resident of Brooklawn, NJ

Beloved wife of 58 years to John R. Gianvito. Loving mother of Todd (Nicole) Gianvito, Lori Coffey and Brian (Donna) Gianvito. Cherished grandmother of Nolan Coffey, Ty Gianvito, Brynn Coffey, Ryan Gianvito, Austin Gianvito and Addison Gianvito.

Joan enjoyed trips to the beach, traveling the country and the world with her husband John, spending time with friends, especially spending time with her grandchildren and of course Johnny Mathis.

A gathering of family and friends will be held this Friday, January 14, 2022, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Givnish of Marlton Funeral Home, 398 East Main St., Marlton.
Her funeral service will follow at 1:00 p.m.

Entombment was at Park View Cemetery at Kirby’s Mill, 25 Fostertown Rd., Medford.

Memorial donations may be made to: The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America

To share your fondest memories of Joan, please visit www.givnish.com.

Gloucester Catholic Fr. Sullivan Alumni Golf Tournament June 15th

This year’s tournament will be held at the Pitman Golf Club on Monday June 15th. Registration will begin at 12 noon. A putting contest will precede the 1:30 shotgun start.

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Remembering Al Carelli: A GCHS Alumnus Lost in the 1970 Marshall University Plane Crash

William E. Cleary Sr. | CNBNews

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (April 25, 2026)(CNBNews)—In 2007, Gus Danks—Gloucester Catholic Class of 1963 and a classmate of mine—reached out to tell me about a film he had just seen, We Are Marshall. The movie recounts the devastating 1970 plane crash that claimed the lives of 75 people connected to the Marshall University football program. Among those lost was Al Carelli, (photo) Gloucester Catholic Class of 1961.

According to Wikipedia, We Are Marshall (2006), directed by McG, dramatizes the aftermath of the crash of Southern Airways Flight 932, which killed 37 Marshall football players, five coaches, two athletic trainers, the athletic director, 25 boosters, and the five‑member flight crew.

On the night of November 14, 1970, the chartered DC‑9 was returning the team to Huntington, West Virginia, after a 17–14 loss to East Carolina University. Just one mile short of the Tri-State Airport runway, the aircraft clipped trees on a ridge and crashed into a gully, killing everyone on board.

A South Jersey Native on the Rise

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Gloucester City Little League to Induct Inagural Wall of Fame Class April 24

William E. Cleary Sr. | Cleary’s Notebook News

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ(CNBNews)(April 23, 2026)–The Gloucester City Little League (GCLL) will celebrate a major milestone on Friday, April 24, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., when it inducts the inaugural class into its newly created Wall of Fame. The ceremony will take place at the Johnson Boulevard and Nicholson Road complex and will honor five longtime contributors whose dedication shaped the league and the community it serves.

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Ronald T. Henefer Sr., PSE&G Retiree, GCHS Alum

A 1960 graduate from Gloucester Catholic HS. He was a talented football player, who married in 1965, his high school sweetheart, Donna Hoffman, a cheerleader from Gloucester City HS, class of 1961.

They proudly had three beautiful children, Nancy Lynn (Rob Perry), Ron Jr. (Lorraine) and Tommy.

He worked for PSE&G for 42 years. Ron loved to travel the world-Europe, Hawaii, Alaska, and many other beautiful states. He purchased homes in Wildwood, Pocono Mountains, and Davenport, Florida, to share with his loving family and many friends!

He loved boating, fishing, and golf, he enjoyed his pool and beautiful Koi pond in his own yard. Most importantly, he was a devoted Philadelphia Sports fan.

He was an exceptionally caring and devoted husband, father, and grandfather to Malia, Lindsay, Ronnie III, Eliana and Shea.

He was one in a million! He truly was an angel on Earth, and now, the “Big” Ron is an angel in heaven!

He will be missed by so many loved ones. May he rest in peace.

We will be celebrating his life with a Mass on Saturday, April 18th, at 10:30am at St. Mary’s of the Pines Church in Manahawkin.

A private gathering of the immediate family will follow.

To leave online condolences and fond memories of Ron for the family, please visit www.shinnfuneralhome.com

Thos L. Shinn Funeral Home, 10 Hilliard Dr., Manahawkin, was entrusted with the arrangements.

TIPS AND SNIPPETS: Growing Up In Gcity, Cleanup of Junk Yard? Train Blocks Traffic

By William E. Cleary Sr.

REMEMBERING THE “GOOD OLD DAYS” — Howard “Butch” Shaffer rolled up from Hilton Head, South Carolina, to meet a few of his childhood buddies at the Brooklawn Diner on Thursday, April 2. For a moment, it felt like Gloucester City in the 1940s and ’50s all over again — a town where everyone knew your name, your father’s nickname, and which streetlight you were supposed to be home by.

Back then, our little community ran on corner stores, church bells, and the kind of front‑porch gossip that traveled faster than any newspaper. World War II was winding down, the Korean War was starting up on the other side of the world, and kids like us were more worried about stickball games, jukebox music, and whether we had enough change for a Coke.

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Gloucester Catholic Yearbooks Added to Historical Society Archive

By William E. Cleary Sr.

GLOUCESTER CITY, NJ (March 25, 2026)(CNBNews)–Doing research we found a treasurer trove of Gloucester Catholic yearbooks posted on the Gloucester City Historical Society’s website. The first known yearbook begins with 1936. The Historical Society has every yearbook except 1937, 1938 & 1943. The Gloucester City Library may have those which the Historical Society does not have.

(photo property of George F. Cleary Jr., 1959 GCHS graduate)

The very first person in the front row is my brother George F. Cleary Jr., next to him is Vernon “Buddy” Myers. The photo is of members of the typing class that graduated in 1959, which was copied from George’s personal yearbook. Our mother, Mazie, insisted that George and I learn how to type. Those lessons paid off throughout my life, as it was a necessary skill for a reporter. George became a Morse code expert in the Army. He was stationed in Frankfort, Germany, during the time the Berlin Wall was being built by the Communists in East Germany. He and the pilot of a small airplane would fly over the Wall; George’s job was to decipher the Morse code messages being transmitted between the enemy. He would type those conversations and submit the information to his superior officer.

The Historical Society released the following remarks about the use of the data: “Below are links to yearbooks that have been digitized to date. The copyright status of these books is unknown. Access is provided for personal use only. These yearbooks may contain personal messages. Should you find anything that may be too personal or hurtful, please let us know, and we will attempt to edit out or omit those pages.

Click Here for Gloucester Catholic Year Books Online

Gloucester Catholic Years Books Flipbook

PDF versions of the Gloucester Catholic Yearbooks can be found below.

https://drive.google.com/embeddedfolderview?id=1B68uIO3FEq-klo9MLbHeRY0DpdzCBLG6#grid

The Gloucester City Historical Society is located at 34 N. King Street, Gloucester City NJ 08030

PPD to Host Department-Wide Blood Drive

Philadelphia Police Department personnel – including both sworn officers and civilian staff,
Representatives from the American Red Cross

The Philadelphia Police Department will host a department-wide blood drive, with more than 50 members of the department scheduled to donate. This initiative marks the return of a longstanding tradition, as the department resumes hosting department-wide blood drives in partnership with the American Red Cross for the first time since 2017.

DETAILS:
Members of the Philadelphia Police Department will come together to support a critical public health need by donating blood – an act that helps save lives across the region every day. Blood donations are essential for trauma victims, surgical patients, individuals undergoing surgery, battling cancer, and those with chronic illnesses.

This blood drive reflects the department’s ongoing commitment to service beyond public safety. Whether on duty or off, PPD officers and staff continually seek meaningful ways to support the communities they serve. Partnering with the American Red Cross to revive this initiative underscores that commitment and highlights the importance of giving back.