Hopatcong Child, 9, Unexpectedly Passes Away In His Sleep

HOPATCONG, NJ — The parents of a 9-year-old Hopatcong boy who unexpectedly died in his sleep late last month are asking for the community’s support for his funeral expenses.

Mario Musolino’s father, Paul Musolino and his mother, Tammy Dunn, are “absolutely devastated by Mario’s passing and are struggling to find the funds to cover the cost of the service.”

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Musolino and Dunn, who said their son was their “beloved and only child,” passed away at home on Sept. 28. They held a visitation on Oct. 8 and funeral on Oct. 9 for him at Newton’s Smith-McCracken Funeral Home, with his burial at the Newton Cemetery Mausoleum on Oct. 10, according to his obituary.

Born on Feb. 6, 2012, Mario Musolino was in the third grade within the Hopatcong Borough Schools, who “loved animals, especially dogs” and was “a special young man who enjoyed music and loved being with his family.”

His parents indicated in the GoFundMe drive, they owe all funeral expenses to Smith-McCracken by Oct. 31, which includes $5,000 in cemetery costs including the mausoleum, as well as $12,000 to the funeral home for his casket and “all other professional services.”

As of Tuesday, a GoFundMe drive has raised about $13,000 of their $17,000 goal.

"We are so very grateful for every donation during this difficult time," his parents wrote.

To view the GoFundMe drive for Mario Musolino’s funeral expenses, visit www.gofundme.com/f/donations-for-mario-musolino-funeral-expenses.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.