Renee Ann Pink (nee Irene Ann McNary) of Mahwah and formerly Upper Saddle River passed away peacefully on November 7, 2018, at Villa Marie Claire Residential Hospice, Saddle River, days before her 96th birthday. Born in Jersey City, NJ, on November 12, 1922 to Herbert and Anna (nee Butler) McNary, she graduated from Emerson High School in Union City in 1940. It was there that she, as Secretary of the History Club, met the love of her life, Bill, who was the club’s President.
On July 9, 1949, Renee McNary and William Pink were married at St. Michael’s Monastery in Union City. They settled first in North Bergen, then New Milford and ultimately Upper Saddle River. Renee worked as a secretary for several corporations in New York City, including the British Purchasing Commission, The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company and Colgate Palmolive.
After staying home with her young children, Renee went back to work years later as a legal secretary at Weber, Muth & Weber in Ramsey. During the 1950’s she was a repeat first place winner at the annual Colgate Palmolive Christmas doll contest, winning “Most Original Design” year after year. Among her winning dolls were Betsy Ross, Uncle Sam, Man from Mars, Little Bo Peep and others.
Many of her dolls were sent to the Colgate Palmolive Doll Museum. In the 1960’s, her creativity shifted from making doll costumes to Mardi Gras costumes for the annual Mardi Gras celebration at Ascension Church in New Milford, where Renee and Bill’s costumes were always the highlight of the evening. She was also extremely proud of her perfect penmanship, which won a state penmanship contest when she was in grade school.
Renee is survived by four children, Bill and Linda Pink, Steve and Barbara Pink, Candace and Roy Larson and Kelly and Robert Royce, ten grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents, and brothers Herbert and Edward McNary. Her husband of 57 years passed away in 2006.
Over the years, she was an active parishioner of Ascension Church, Church of the Presentation in Upper Saddle River and Immaculate Conception Church in Mahwah. She also volunteered for the Upper Saddle River Ambulance Corps. She will be profoundly missed and forever remembered for her deep faith, sense of humor, and love of family, Scrabble, crossword puzzles and dogs.
Her avocations included reading, sewing, writing poetry and antiquing. Visitation will be held on Sunday, November 11, 2018 from 2-4 PM at the Van Emburgh-Sneider-Pernice Funeral Home, 109 Darlington Ave, Ramsey, NJ. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Monday, November 12, 2018 at 11 AM at St. Gabriel’s R.C. Church in Saddle River, NJ.
(PLEASE MEET AT CHURCH) Interment will follow at Maryrest Cemetery in Mahwah, NJ. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Renee’s memory be made to Villa Marie Claire Residential Hospice, 12 West Saddle River Road, Saddle River, NJ. Please sign the online guestbook and share your memories of Renee on this memorial.
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