Alfonso A. DeRosa, WWII Vet and Retired Rahway Postmaster, Dies at 89

Alfonso A. DeRosa of East Hanover died Nov. 10 at Morris Hills Center in Morristown. He was 89 years old.

Funeral services will begin 10AM Thursday at Hancliffe Home for Funerals, 222 Ridgedale Ave., East Hanover, NJ 07936 with an 11AM Mass at St. Ann RC Church in Parsippany. Burial will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery. Visiting hours are Wednesday 2-4 and 7-9PM. 

The Orange native lived in East Orange, West Orange, Bloomfield and at Cedar Crest in Pompton Plains before spending the past four years at Sunrise Assisted Living in Morris Plains.

DeRosa served as a member of U.S. Army Company A, 1286th Combat Engineers Btalion in France and Germany as a staff sergeant during World War II. Afrter leaving the military, he spent a long career with the U.S. Postal Service, working his way up from letter carrier to Rahway postmaster. He retired in 1983 as the postal system's district director of finance.

He is remembered for his love of music. DeRosa was a trumpet player in high school and after his military service performed with the Hawthorne Caballeros Drum and Bugle Corps. Later, he was bugle instructor for the Garfield Cadets. Most recently, he served as a judge in drum and bugle competitions throughout New Jersey.

He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Marie and Edward LaDuca.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Alfonso A. DeRosa can be made to The Community Food Bank of New Jersey, 31 Evans Terminal, Hillside, N.J. 07205.