Wendy Jan Riccio

Wendy Jan Riccio, age 63 years, of Tewksbury Township, NJ, died unexpectedly on Friday, February 17, 2017 at her home.

Born in Nyack, NY, January 13, 1954, daughter of the late Charles and Betty Challacombe Drumm, Wendy was raised in Nyack, NY before living in North Bergen, NJ, Bedminster, NJ and settling in Tewksbury Township in 1997.

A gentle and sweet soul, Wendy had a voracious appetite for life. Her spiritual faith and upbringing helped instill a set of values which taught that every person was equal in Wendy’s eyes. She was the person whom when you met her, you became instant friends; and the friendship was not superficial. In all her relationships, Wendy was the glue of light and humor that made the tough times bearable and the good times even better.

She was retired from Anadigics in Warren, NJ where she served as a Finance Manager. She also worked for many years as a buyer for Microstamping in Somerset, NJ.

A lover of music and the arts, one of Wendy’s more comforting places to be besides anywhere with her loving family, was her church, St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, Bridgewater, NJ. There, she served as an Acolyte, was a member of the Vestry and an overall extremely active volunteer for many years.

Although her time on this part of her journey was short by today’s standards, Wendy’s legacy of love and gentleness will continue for generations to come as so many will carry her spirit of light forward into what is sometimes a dark world. As one of Wendy’s favorite poets Alberto Rios wrote, “We give because someone gave to us. We give because nobody gave to us. We give because giving has changed us. We give because giving could have changed us. We have been better for it. Giving is, first and every time, hand to hand, mine to yours, yours to mine.”

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two brothers, Russell and Charles Drumm, her mother-in-law, Ronnie DiSanza and her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Nicholas and Emilie Riccio.

Surviving are her loving husband of twenty-seven years, Robert V. Riccio, with whom she joined hands in marriage at St. Martin’s Church on July 15, 1989; her cherished son, Andrew Joseph Gualeni; her caring sisters, Pamela Drumm, Cynthia Sawyer, Gail Love, Lisa Randall, Karen and Nina Drumm; many nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family; and many dear and devoted friends.

A celebration of Wendy’s life will take place on Saturday, March 4, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. in Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ, 08822.

This will be preceded by a gathering of family and friends from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

The Funeral Requiem Service will begin on Sunday, March 5, 2017 at 1:30 p.m. in St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, 1350 Washington Valley Road, Bridgewater, NJ 08807. The family will receive friends beginning at the Church on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

Interment will follow in the memorial garden at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church.

Everyone is invited to visit Wendy’s permanent memorial site at www.wrightfamily.com to send a public or private message of condolence and to share stories and photographs of her life.

In the spirit of Wendy’s love for children and her philanthropic endeavors, in lieu of flowers those wishing to make a memorial contribution may do so to the Shriners Hospitals for Children, 2900 N. Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, FL 33607.