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Andrew Semen of Cranford, NJ passed away peacefully on April 29th, 2022 at the age of 84.
Andy, as he was known amongst his family and friends, is predeceased by his parents, Alexander and Mary, his sister Anne and husband John Tomasula, and his two brothers George and John. He is survived by his loving wife Margaret Donovan Semen, his son Andrew Seman and wife Allison of Aberdeen, NJ, his son Peter Seman and wife Jessica of Reading, VT and their children Aubrey and Calvin, his grandchildren whom he cherished dearly. He is also survived by his sisters in law, Joan and Debbie, as well as many loving cousins, nieces and nephews.
Andy was born on August 11, 1937 in Elizabeth, NJ to Ukrainian immigrants. He grew up in the port section of Elizabeth and graduated from Jefferson High School. After graduation he went on to work as a Research Laboratory Technician in the Polymers Division of Exxon (then Esso) Chemical Company in Linden, NJ and celebrated a long and successful 42 year career there. It was there that he met Margaret Donovan, who was then living in Linden but was originally from Bayonne, NJ. The two enjoyed time spent together in the company bowling league and started dating. They fell in love and on June 3, 1967 the two would marry and go on to spend the next 54 years happily married to each other.
The two bought a house on Riverside Drive in Cranford where they would raise their family and where he would reside along with Margaret until his death. He, along with Margaret, loved the town of Cranford and were blessed to be surrounded by so many kind and caring neighbors throughout the years. As his boys started playing hockey, he spent countless hours bringing them to clinics and practices at Warinanco Skating Center and driving all over the state for games. The gift of his time was given freely and with great love. He volunteered his time as a team manager and later served many years as Treasurer of the Cranford Hockey Club.
Andy was selfless, generous and kind. As a member of St. Michael Roman Catholic Church, he served the church community as a Eucharistic Minister and for many years would videotape the masses each week so they could be shared on the local television channel. He cherished time spent with his wife and his two boys, from summer vacations hiking and fishing in the Poconos to weekends at the Cranford Pool. He served proudly in the NJ National Guard. He was proud of his heritage and was a member of various Ukrainian organizations and social clubs. He also enjoyed meeting with fellow retirees of the Exxon Retiree Club.
Andy enjoyed many hobbies throughout his long life. As a young man he loved bowling and participated in a number of leagues with his brother George and friends from work. He was an avid woodworker and loved spending time in his garage workshop building furniture and other handcrafted items. A true handyman, he could fix virtually anything. He loved gardening and each summer would plant his backyard garden, sharing his prized tomatoes and vegetables with neighbors and friends. He loved photography, taking pictures, developing film and printing pictures "the old fashioned way", back in the day before digital. He also loved fishing, from surf fishing and party boats down the shore in his younger days to river and stream fishing for trout as he grew older, a love he passed on to his two boys.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday May 4th from 3-7pm at Higgins and Bonner Echo Lake Funeral Home, 582 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, NJ.
Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday May 5th at 10:00am at St. Michael Church, 40 Alden Street, Cranford, NJ, immediately followed by burial at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to the American Heart Association (heart.org) or the Ukrainian Red Cross (redcross.org.ua/en)
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