Obituary of Clara M. Ayres

Clara Margaret Ayres (nee Lepore) passed away peacefully on Christmas morning, December 25, 2025 at Holly Manor Nursing Home in Mendham. She was 92.  

A lifelong resident of New Jersey, Clara was born in Jersey City to the late Angelo and Mary (nee Micco) Lepore and was raised in North Bergen. She met her love, Raymond W. Ayres while living there, and the couple were wed on June 25, 1955. They recently celebrated 70 years of marriage before Clara's passing. 

Following their marriage, the couple lived briefly in Morristown and Whippany before purchasing their current home in Denville Township in 1966 where they raised their family of five children.  Clare was a doting wife and stay-at-home mother whose home was a place of comfort and love. Once her own children flew the nest, she cared for her grandchildren and worked in child care outside of her home. In her later years, she also worked in the deli department at the Denville A & P Food market.  

She was a former member of the Denville Senior Citizens. 

Clara was preceded in death by her beloved daughter, Angie Ayres in 2015; as well as her parents and eleven siblings. 

Survivors include her devoted husband, Raymond W. Ayres; four loving children, Jeanette Vislocky and her husband. John of John's Island, SC, Marysue Sagi and her husband, Zsigmund of Mount Olive, NJ, Nancy Dagostino of Denville, NJ and Daryl Ayres and his wife, Dorothy of Dingman's Ferry, PA; a sister, Florence Pomers of North Bergen, NJ; eight grandchildren and their spouses Johnny Vislocky and wife Hayley, Rachel Howie and husband Miles, Matthew Dagostino and wife Meaghan, Jennie Cianci and husband Mike, Anthony Dagostino and wife Rachael, Amanda Menegakis and husband John, Kellie Sagi and fiancé Juan, Cara Sagi and fiancé John; and twelve great-grandchildren Lukas, Fiona, Michael, Theo, Cameron, Nico, Max, Leo, Miles, Connor, Noah and one on the way. 

Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Visitation on Monday, December 29, 2025, 2:00-4:00 & 7:00-9:00pm at S.J. Priola Parsippany Funeral Service, 60 North Beverwyck Road, Lake Hiawatha, NJ.  The Funeral Service will be celebrated on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, 10:00am in the funeral home.  Interment will follow at Restland Memorial Park Park, East Hanover, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial gift in Clara's honor to either the Alzheimer's Association (https://donorservices.alz.org) or the National Breast Cancer Foundation (https://nationalbreastcancer.org).