Obituary of John Sakac

Sakac, John J. Jr., of Oakland, NJ passed away on February 25, one week after turning 85. Though John was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 1993, he never let the disease dictate how he lived. To his last days, he made the most of each day with his wife, Jean Sakac who he met in 1955 and wed in 1956. John said “She was the sunshine of his life” and together they were devoted to their five children and seven grandchildren. John was born on February 18, 1930 in Passaic, NJ and lived in Wallington NJ until 1961, when he moved to Oakland, NJ with Jean and their first three children, Carol Tarlo, Daniel Sakac and Geralyn Sakac. One month after their move, Thomas Sakac joined the family and 5 years later, their youngest son, Matthew Sakac was born. John anchored the family with a quiet dependability, never missing a family celebration of which there were many or the opportunity to attend a grandchild’s sporting event. His grandchildren, Harrison Tarlo, Eric Tarlo, Amanda Sakac, Andrew John Sakac, Gareth John Sakac, Madison Tarlo and Benjamin Sakac, all hold these memories in their hearts. John is also survived by his sister, Sr. Anne Sakac, O.P., past President of Mount Saint Mary College. Not only was John’s commitment to his family ever present, he also demonstrated loyalty to his peers and colleagues: John began his career in 1945 at Central Engineering & Supply working there after school and during the summer and joining the company full time after graduating from high school. In 1951, John enlisted in the army and was discharged as a sergeant in 1953. In 1954, he returned to Central Engineering & Supply for a couple of years prior to joining the Port Authority Police Department in 1956. While working at Port Authority, he earned a degree from Seton Hall University in 1960. He retired from Port Authority and once again, returned to Central Engineering & Supply until he retired in October 2014 at the age of 84. John was a member of the Pavlick Koster Post VFW 2640, Retired Port Authority Police Association, Port Authority PBA, and the NJ State Retired Police Association. With the same generosity of spirit he exhibited throughout his life, he chose to give back by donating his body for medical education. A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, Feb 26 at 10:00 am at Saint Mary’s Parish, 17 Pompton Avenue, Pompton Lakes, NJ. Visitation will be held at Oakland Memorial Home 330 Ramapo Valley Road Oakland, NJ 07436 from 5:00 – 9:00 pm on Friday, Feb 27. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Valley Hospital Foundation. For additional information, directions or condolences please visit Oaklandmemorial.com