Robert W. Schmeal Sr. of Vernon, N.J., passed away at his residence on Monday, May 4, 2020. He was 91.
Born in Hackettstown, N.J., to the late Harry and Sarah Schmeal, Bob grew up in the Hackettstown area and has lived in Vernon for most of his life.
He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and the Korean War. He was a founding member and past commander of the Vernon V.F.W., member of the American Legion Post 213 in Sussex, N.J., a former active member of the Grange, and a former member of the Sussex Fire Department.
He loved spending time around the house tending to his flower and vegetables gardens. He enjoyed his time with his family and close friends. Bob also loved having cats and dogs around him. He had been employed as a butcher for Acme Supermarkets in Sparta, N.J., and Middletown, N.Y., for several years and then had worked for the Vernon School System as a night-time custodian for 15 years before his retirement.
He was predeceased by his wife, Helen L. (Crouch), on May 6, 1985. He is survived by his son, Robert W. Schmeal Jr. and his wife, Linda, of Chesapeake, Va.; daughters, Patricia Ann Longfield and her husband, Alvin Leslie, of Montgomery, N.Y., and Sandra Lee Schmeal and her husband, Kenneth Englehardt, of Hardyston, N.J.; sisters, Shirley Powell and Diane Mazzela of Hackettstown; and five grandchildren.
Due to government health restrictions, private burial services have been held at Pequest-Union Cemetery in Great Meadows. The family will hold a memorial service for extended family and friends in the near future. Check the Pinkel Funeral Home website (pinkelfuneralhome.com) for updated service details.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Father John’s Animal house, 50 Father John’s Lane, Lafayette, NJ 07848.