Obituary: Monica Orloff, 63

Monica Orloff, 63, of Lawrence Township, died at her home on Thursday, Mov. 10, surrounded by her loving family. She was kind, smart, hard working, selfless, genuine, funny and unbelievably strong.

Born in Cranford, and a former resident of Pleasanton, Calif., she resided in Lawrence since 1985.

Monica graduated Class of 1970 from Arcadia University with her bachelors degree in education. She parlayed this into 22 years of teaching within the Lawrence Township school system, earning the honor of Mercer County Teacher of the Year in 2004.

She retired this past June as a third grade teacher at Ben Franklin Elementary School, and it is in the children that passed through her classroom that her spirit and energy endures.

Monica was very active in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. She was also the founder for the Lawrence chapter of Turn the Town Teal, an event for Ovarian Cancer Awareness month. When not shaping students’ lives, or building awareness for an important cause, she enjoyed golfing, traveling, spending time with friends, sipping an occasional wine or cosmo and of course, watching her New York Yankees.

Daughter of the late John and Monica Conlon Varley, she is survived by her husband, John E. Orloff Jr.; her daughter Megan Orloff; her son Darren Orloff; her sister Marianne Colangelo and her husband Edward; her sister-in-law Susan Nicholson; her namesake Sabina Monica Colangelo and several nieces and nephews.

A devoted and loving wife. The consummate loving mother. A loving little sister. A supportive friend. An inspiring teacher. For everything you are, we love you and miss you, now and forever.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Monday, Nov. 14, at in Lawrence. Burial followed in the Lawrenceville Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made in Monica’s name to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, 2501 Oak Lawn Ave., Suite 435, Dallas, Texas, 75219, www.ovarian.org/donate.php, or to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tenn., 38105, www.stjude.org/donate.