John Mortensen, Former Little Silver Councilman, Pilot, Dies At 78

Courtesy of John E. Day Funeral Home:

John Mortensen passed away peacefully on April 20, 2016.

He was born on May 13, 1938 in the Bronx, New York to John Mortensen and Sylvia Brendel (Damora). He resided in Little Silver for 46 years.

John was a great man, loved by all. He knew how to enjoy life and follow his passions. John was an inventor, a thinker, a contrarian and an eternal student with insatiable curiosity. He was a true storyteller, captivating a crowd with tales of the famous pilots he had met, his adventures at home and around the world and hilarious accounts of embarrassing moments.

After Roselle Park High School, John put himself through school with scholarships and fellowships, graduating from Philadelphia University, Institute of Textile Technology at University of Virginia and Princeton University. He achieved two masters degrees, one in textile engineering and another in mechanical engineering.

He began his career at Johnson & Johnson and retired from C.M. Offray as head of the Specialty Narrow Fabrics division. Throughout his career, John created and had 30 patents. He was a former councilman in Little Silver (1975-1977), a member of the Bicentennial Committee, a licensed pilot and a member of Monmouth County Flying Club, a leader of the Irate Shore Commuters, awarded an honorary lifetime membership in Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) and a member of the Root Beer and Checker Club.

He was a classic car enthusiast and restored his 1970 classic Corvette. He was proud to excel as a wrestler at RPHS and continued to enjoy getting together with his high school classmates through the years and ran his 50th high school reunion. John was predeceased by his father John and his brother Richard.

He is survived by his beloved wife Darlene, his mother Silvia, his daughters Heidi of Brooklyn, NY and Holly of Morristown, NJ. He is also survived by his sisters Joan Dietrich and Gretchen Mann, and his many loving nieces, nephews and friends.

Visitation will be from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.on Saturday April 30, 2016 at the John E. Day Funeral Home, 85 Riverside Ave, Red Bank, NJ 07701. The service will be held at 2:00 p.m. at the same location. The burial will be held on Sunday, May 1, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. at the Mountville United Methodist Church, 303 Mountville Drive, Lebanon, PA. I

n lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to Pulmonary Hypertension Association https://phassociation.org/Donate, phone: 301-565-3004. Please visit John's memorial website at www.johnedayfuneralhome.com.