In
Memoriam
Some of the faithful who
have made major contributions to the
Union County
St Patrick's Day Parade
They
are together now and are part of the
Eternal Parade
"St. Patrick & St.
Brigid Pray for us (all of us)"
__________________________
DENNIS COGAN
James Dennis Cogan was born and raised in Newark. His parents were
James Cogan and Rose (Coleman) Cogan. He graduated from St.
Benedict’s Prep in 1960. Dennis joined the Newark Fire
Department in 1970, retiring in 1998 with the rank of Captain.
While a member of the Union County St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Committee, Dennis served in a variety of different roles, including the
Grand Marshal’s Investiture Committee, Board of Trustees, Chief
of Staff for Marilyn Ryan 2002 Grand Marshal and Vice Chairman of the
Parade Committee, culminating in his selection as Parade Chairman for
the 2007 Parade.
He was honored by The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick with their 2003
Distinguished Service Award. Dennis volunteered his time for
a
number of local organizations, as well as to his parish, St.
Helen’s Church in Westfield. Dennis was also a Founding
member of Board of Directors of Sister Pat’s Kids Camp for
Children with Cancer.
Dennis is survived by his wife, Peggy, and their three children -
Daniel Cogan; Laura Cogan Cerria and Christopher Cogan, as well as five
grandchildren, Kelsey Cogan, Jack Cerria, Annie Cerria, Brigid
Cogan and Fiona Cogan , and his sisters, Rosemary Cogan,
Marie Manalo and Kathleen Cogan.
__________________________
FATHER
CHARLES HUDSON
Charles
Hudson was born on March 9, 1935 in Jersey City, the oldest son of
Charles and Mary Hudson. His boyhood was typical for an Irish
Catholic growing up in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty.
He
went to Sacred Heart Grammar School and Saint Aloysius High
School. He entered the Immaculate Conception Seminary after
High
School. He was ordained a priest on May 26, 1962.
In 1968, Father Hudson met Peggy Coloney who was a nurse at Saint
Elizabeth’s Hospital, Elizabeth, NJ. They both could see
that the emotional and spiritual needs of the sick and dying were not
being addressed. They took it upon themselves to do more and
in
1983; they founded the Center For Hope Hospice.
As 1997 began, Charlie was asked to be the Grand Marshal of the Union
County’s first Saint Patrick’s Day to be held that
March. Drew University in Madison, NJ had named him as the
recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian of the Year
Award. He was thrilled with both honors. On January
21,
1997, the morning after he received the honorable award at Drew
University, he died of a heart attack.
At his Funeral Mass, his long time friend and mentor, Father Frank
McNulty, gave the homily and said, “Charlie knew who he was, and
he certainly knew who Christ was. He, Charlie, was
Irish.
How thrilled he was to be named Grand Marshal of the St.
Patrick’s Day Parade.”
__________________________
JOSEPH
B. SULLIVAN
Joseph
B. Sullivan was one of the founders of our parade, one of the people
whose reputation among his peers gave validity to our parade and who
put their time and their hard work into creating the best parade in the
State of New Jersey. He was a man dedicated to serving his community,
his family, his heritage and his faith, “a man of words and
deeds.” Joe
took great pride in his Irish heritage, and was a 50 + year member of
the Daniel O’Connell Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians,
and
was a Division, State and National Officer of the AOH. He was
well known in New Jersey and beyond for his involvement in the
Irish-American world and for his 40 years of service to the Elizabeth
Fire Department, where he rose to the position of Fire Director. Joe
spent 16 years as FMBA Local 9 President. He served in the US Army
during WWII, and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Joe
remained
true to his alma mater, Saint Patrick’s in Elizabeth, and, along
with
his wife Anne, was recognized by them with a lifetime service award in
1983 and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 1995. In 2000 the Joseph
A. Nugent Association chose Joe as the recipient of the Greta Sheridan
Memorial Service Award. He was a member of many, many civic
organizations, and took his role in those organizations to heart. He
was active in pursuing the goals of those groups, usually in a
leadership role, and was always ready to lend a helping hand.
For
many years Joe had the role of host for the Irish Flag Raising at City
Hall in Elizabeth. The Elizabeth AOH and LAOH continue that tradition
each year. In the 1980s he and his fellow Hibernians began the
tradition of a Saint Patrick’s Day Mass at Saint Pat’s,
where Joe was a
Trustee, each March 17th. The Mass was moved to the Saturday before
Saint Patrick’s Day, beginning in 1997, and each year we begin
our
Parade Day with Mass at the church named for our Patron Saint.
Joe’s
grandest day was in 2001, when he was chosen to lead our parade as the
Grand Marshal. Joe marched in many parades and received many awards
and accolades over his long life, but nothing compared to his
experience that day. To finally have a Saint Patrick’s Day Parade
in
Union County, and to be honored as its Grand Marshal, was a
dream-come-true for Joe and his family. His wife Anne, their 6 children
and 5 grandchildren, along with their extended family, continue the
tradition as they march each year, celebrating his life, his memory,
and the wonderful example of service that he passed he passed on to
them.
