Obituary of Eugene J. Tylenda

Eugene John Tylenda passed away peacefully Sunday morning, November 26, 2023 at his Parsippany, NJ home in the presence of his loving family. He was 94.

Born in Fornetka, Poland, Gene immigrated to the United States with his family as an infant. His family settled in Jersey City, NJ. He later lived in Lyndhurst, NJ before moving to Parsippany, NJ in 1960.

Mr. Tylenda graduated from Don Bosco Preparatory High School of Ramsey, NJ in 1946. He earned a B.S. (cum laude) in chemistry from Niagara University in 1950, and a M.S. in chemical engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology.

He was self-employed as a chemical engineer before his retirement in 2001 and held 9 patents in his field. Previously, he had worked in the same capacity with Abbott Labs of Chicago, IL, and Okenel Co. of North Arlington, NJ.

Mr. Tylenda was a longtime member of St. Peter the Apostle R.C. Church of Parsippany, and the Society of Plastic Engineers.

While at Don Bosco Prep, Gene was a true scholar-athlete, excelling in basketball as well as baseball. He was on the Junior Varsity basketball team his freshman year, and 1st string on the Varsity basketball team his sophomore through senior years. He graced the Sports section of the Bergen County Record countless times and was a prolific scorer and an excellent defender. He was an all-State selection in his junior and senior years, and an all-County player in his junior year.

In 1944 (his sophomore year), his team won the State Championship (having won two championship games within a span of five hours)—and earned them the affectionate informal title of "Ironmen," by a local sports editor. Following this win, the name "Ironmen" was adopted by Don Bosco as the nickname for its athletic teams, and was formalized 15 years later.

In 1946 (his senior year), his team again won the State Championship. In his senior year, Gene averaged 24 points per game. His athletic skills were not confined to basketball—he also played three years varsity baseball (1st string) for Don Bosco. This included being selected to the all-County baseball team as an outfielder, and some of his baseball records at Don Bosco still standing up through today.

After graduating from Don Bosco Prep, Gene went on to attend Niagara University where he played for their basketball team, the Purple Eagles, and later, playing basketball for the Canadian Basketball league in his final years at Niagara. In 1995, Don Bosco Prep honored Gene by inducting him into their Hall of Fame as an integral part of their 1944 Ironman Basketball Team. Three years later, in 1998, he was again honored by Don Bosco when they inducted him into their Hall of Fame for his individual performance as an outstanding athlete in basketball and baseball.

Gene was smart, hard-working and a man of faith. He was optimistic and philosophical by nature, yet practical and analytical in his daily routine; charitable in his giving to others but frugal in his own daily living. He had a breadth of interests, hobbies, and talents. His hobbies included being: the family genealogist, an unwavering Mets fan, a Jets fan, a meticulous stock market investor, a scientist-gardener of tomatoes, a birdwatcher, an amateur painter, a Turner Classics Movie fan, a mystery novel reader, a chess player, a crossword puzzle aficionado, and an author of essays on dark matter and black holes. His raw talents included being a basketball Phenom and an excellent baseball player, as well as being conversant in five languages and having a remarkable memory for figures and statistics. He was a big personality with a hearty laugh who loved his family.

His family was always paramount in his mind! While he worked hard to provide for his family, he did find time to spend time with his kids. He flew kites and taught his kids how to ride bikes. There were trips to the drive-in on Route 46 to take in a double feature. He enjoyed the theatre and took his "girls" to see Broadway musicals, whether it was in New York City for a matinee or an evening show at the Papermill Playhouse or the Montclair Operetta Club. Sometimes, it was just a short trip to Pine Brook Auction to "look around" but it always included an Italian ice as a treat on the way out. He was happy if any one of his kids watched a Mets game with him or an old, classic movie. There were walks in the neighborhood to pick flowers, short trips to Denville to feed the ducks, watercolor painting in the kitchen, a chess match in the living room, a marathon Monopoly game at the dining room table, or the regular routine of a story read before bedtime.

He was there for tutoring in school subjects or for advice on life. His favorite tips were: (1) stay out of the sun and use lots of sunscreen to prevent aging; and (2) never share your social security number with anyone—both tips were long before each was a commonly held belief.

It was not uncommon for Gene, after coming home from work, to put an LP on the record player of one of these musicals —the King and I, Carousal, Music Man, Oklahoma, South Pacific, Camelot, or Fiddler on the Roof. Then he would sing along at the top of his lungs, sometimes with a glass of wine in one hand.

In his later years, Gene also enjoyed spending time with his four grandkids. They brought him great joy (and often brought out his hearty laugh) and he was an excellent role model to them. Whether it was attending soccer matches, shooting hoops in the backyard, watching Disney movies on VCR tapes, having them sit piggyback on his shoulders, playing games of chess or war, explaining the stock market, talking about baseball, or just having one-on-one talks, he really cherished these moments. He especially loved giving envelopes filled with cash and those special $2.00 bills.

Most especially, he was over the moon to have "Lorrainecha" as his devoted and ever faithful wife and to share in their marriage for 70+ years.

Gene is survived by his loving wife of 70 years, Lorraine M. (nee Gutkowski) Tylenda; five beloved children, John R. Tylenda and his wife, Dianne of Bigelow, AR, Barbara Tylenda and her husband, Scott Ogilvie of Worcester, MA, Maryann Tylenda and her wife, Caroline Masden of Norfolk, VA, Theresa Zarra and her husband, John of Hardyston, NJ, and Carolyn Tylenda and her husband, Kamran Moattar of Scarsdale, NY; four cherished grandchildren, John Vincent Zarra, Matthew Karpas and his wife, Sheila, Kristina Zarra, and Alex Moattar; his sister, Lucy Tullio; and numerous nieces and nephews. Gene was preceded in death by his parents, Vincent P. and Adela (nee Baranowska) Tylenda and two siblings, Stanley Tylenda and Richard Tylenda.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit Friday, Dec. 1, 4:00 pm-8:00 pm at S.J. Priola Parsippany Funeral Service, 60 North Beverwyck Road, Lake Hiawatha. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated Saturday, Dec. 2, 10:30 am at St. Peter the Apostle R.C. Church, Parsippany. Entombment will follow at Holy Cross Chapel Mausoleum, North Arlington. In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to the Macular Degeneration Association http://macularhope.org.