Obituary of Janet F. Crisafulli

Janet Felicia (Kirschner) Crisafulli passed away peacefully on September 26th, 2022, after a short battle with cancer, in her home in White Township. She was born in the Bronx, New York, on October 5, 1939, to Louis and Elizabeth (Adams) Kirschner and grew up in Brooklyn. Janet had one brother Louis H Kirschner (Butch) who she loved dearly.

Janet attended James Madison High School with Bernie Sanders, Carole Klein King, and Judge Judy. A talented mezzo-soprano, she was a member of All-City Choir, along with Barbara Streisand and Neil Diamond.        

She married Anthony Nicholas Crisafulli in 1957 and moved to northern New Jersey. Janet worked for Weichert Realtor, but together with her late husband Anthony, were an entrepreneurial force and established A&J Machine Shop in Hackettstown, New Jersey. Throughout her life, she devoted herself to charity and the community. She was an active member of the Order of the Eastern Star for over forty years, and served as Worthy Matron and Grand Representative. Other charitable and non-profit organizations include, the Board for Boy Scouts of America, NORWESCAP, and Community lunch program; she belonged to three church groups. When her children were young, she could be seen blowing the whistle while refereeing basketball games, being a Girl Scout leader, judging cakes at the 4-H booth at the County Fair, raising seeing eye dogs, and more recently, sleeping with the homeless at the Belvidere Presbyterian Church.

Her greatest passion was theater. She was an active member of Country Gate Theater, where she performed, sewed costumes, ushered, and helped young actors and actresses fulfill their dreams. She loved to attend any theater and vocal performances, from Broadway to local youth productions.  

She was affectionately known as “Grandma,” not only by her grandchildren, but by scores of youth and grown adults in the community. Her mission was to bring joy and positivity to every person and every situation she encountered. Her greatest gift was that she believed in others, in their goodness, ability, and right to pursue their happiness. She often reminded us: “It’s good to be happy…it’s nice to laugh…don’t let anybody steal your joy.”

She is survived by her four children, daughter Elizabeth and husband Charles Makatura of Blairstown, New Jersey, daughter Dorothea (Dee) and husband Craig Spencer of White Township, New Jersey, son Anthony Crisafulli and wife Anne of Easton, Pennsylvania, and son Louis Crisafulli and wife Renee, of White Township, New Jersey, sixteen grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. She will also be deeply missed by her work family at D Gillette Industrial Services where she was currently employed. She leaves a legacy of love and laughter.

Order of the Eastern Star service will be held 10:00 AM at Mac Fadden Funeral Home, Belvidere, New Jersey, on Friday, September 30, 2022 with visiting hours from 9:00 AM -11:00 AM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Patrick R.C. Church, 327 Greenwich Street, Belvidere, NJ at 11:30 AM. Burial to follow in Belvidere Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Janet's memory to Country Gate Theater, 114 Greenwich Street, Belvidere, New Jersey, 07823.