Lucille Olcheski, nee Collalto, of Gainesville, FL, formerly of East Hanover, NJ, passed away peacefully on June 30, 2020. Lucille was a devoted wife, mother, aunt and sibling, who selflessly put others first. Her greatest joy was knowing that everyone else was happy and well-cared for – her own happiness was inextricably bound to that of others. She enjoyed seeing her children flourish, and was always there for friends and family. Her sense of responsibility was forged during hard times; the lessons learned never left her, and she shared her wisdom generously.
She left a successful career as a manager at RCA to start her family, and eventually moved to Florida for a new adventure and new career at the University of Florida, department of Library Science. Upon retirement, she spent many happy days taking care of a posse of rescue dogs, traveling and spending time with family.
She is survived by her husband of nearly sixty years, Raymond, her daughters, Karen Streiff and Tina (Jeff) Allen, her sister Josephine Collalto, a cadre of nieces and nephews, and her dear friend Frances White and her late husband, George. She is predeceased by her parents, Frank and Matilda, her stepmother, Rita, brothers Patrick and Frank, and her sisters, Frances DeJesso, Constance Bessmer, Carmelina Bellina, and Antoinette Black, and her constant companion, Floppy the cocker spaniel.
A devoted Catholic, a full mass of Christian burial will be held at Queen of Peace, Gainesville, Florida at 9:00am on Friday July 3, 2020. A graveside service and blessing will be held at Gates of Heaven RC Cemetery, East Hanover, NJ has been postponed due to illness; we will update as soon as we can. Due to CoVid, a memorial mass and reception will be held at a future date.
Donations, in lieu of flowers, may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, www.stjude.org or North Star Animal Rescue, Inc. PO Box 284, Boonton, NJ 07005 www.northstarpets.org.
