Paul Joseph Kozak Jr

We remember Paul Joseph Kozak, Jr., 76, of Pine Beach, New Jersey, who passed away on May 31, 2025.

Paul was born on October 14, 1948, in Newark, New Jersey, to Paul Joseph Kozak and Catherine (Flynn) Kozak.  He was raised in Mountainside, NJ, and attended Admiral Farragut Academy, an all-boys military boarding school in Pine Beach, NJ.  Paul later volunteered for the United States Marine Corps.  While serving in Vietnam as a combat engineer with the 9th Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, he was severely wounded by a landmine, receiving third-degree burns over the majority of his body.  After a lengthy recovery, supported by family, friends, and the local community of Mountainside, Paul persevered over his injuries.

Following a medical retirement from the Marine Corps, Paul attended Deep Sea Diving Training at the Commercial Diving Center in Wilmington, California and spent 12 years working as a dive tender for the Caldwell Diving Company of Toms River, New Jersey, on underwater construction projects in various parts of the world, including laying new cable to bring power to the Statue of Liberty.

In the early 1980’s, Paul became involved with local veterans working to promote awareness of prisoners of war still missing in action (POW/MIA) in Vietnam as well as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  These efforts led to the formation of the veteran outreach program: Vetwork, in Forked River, New Jersey.  Paul was selected to serve as Director and eventually became a certified social worker (CSW) as a result of his professional experience.  After his retirement from Vetwork over 20 years later, Paul remained involved on a part-time basis, sharing advice and ensuring institutional knowledge was preserved.

Outside of work, Paul enjoyed writing, both fiction and autobiographical accounts.  Two of his stories from his time in Vietnam were published, and he had the honor of participating in the Veterans Writing Project and speaking at the United States Navy Memorial in Washington, DC.  Paul loved taking long road trips, from family vacations up and down the East Coast to traversing the country along Route 66 multiple times, and later visiting his sons in Georgia and Texas, as well as friends all over the country.

Paul is survived by his partner of many years, Linda (and daughter Hannah) Matysek; his three sons: Paul (and Nancy) Kozak III, Andrew (and Cassandra) Kozak, and Michael (and Stephanie) Kozak; his nephew, Stanley (and Lisa) Arent; his niece, Heather (and Dimitri) Vorona; his many cherished cousins; and his many dear friends.  He was preceded in death by his father, Paul; his mother, Catherine; and his beloved sister, Kathleen (Kozak) Arent.

A viewing will be held at Higgins and Bonner in Westfield, NJ, on Friday, June 6, from 3 to 7 PM.  A brief service will be held on Saturday, June 7, at 9:30 AM at the funeral home, with burial to follow at Immaculate Conception Cemetery in Montclair, NJ.  Friends and family are invited to join in remembering Paul.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Vetwork (vetwork.org) in Paul’s memory.