Wayne Conlon

Wayne Conlon passed away at the age of 62 on Friday, April 3, 2020 after a battle with pneumonia. He is survived by his wife of 24 years, Ita, his two daughters, Allison (21) and Caitlin (19). Beloved brother of Alfred (Shirley), John (Cara), Dennis (Jean), Adele (Michael), Michael (Terri) and brother in law to John (Julie), Tim (deceased), and Kathy. Beloved uncle of Matthew, Christopher, Brian, Sharon, Janice, Steven, Jason (deceased), Tony, Jared (deceased), Jamie, A.J., Sean, Jack, Ryan, Finley, Danielle, John, Robert and Thomas. He is predeceased by his parents John and Alice Anne. Wayne was born and raised in Englewood, NJ on November 27, 1957. He is the second youngest of six children. He graduated St. Cecilia Elementary School and attended St. Cecilia High School before earning his GED. At an early age, Wayne understood the value of money. After losing his mother when he was 5 and watching his father work hard to put food on the table while raising 6 kids, Wayne knew he needed to work to get the things he wanted. “Cash in the pocket,” he said, “was key.” He started working for Party Rentals in Englewood and moved into their vending business. He continued in this field for almost three decades, moving between companies and promotions. He retired in 2004 to take care of his daughters. Wayne was an outstanding athlete and loved to play sports. He was a top safety with the Englewood Saints football team and an ace pitcher on the Bobanelle’s softball team in the 1980s and ‘90s. Basketball was his true love. He played in various leagues and loved the pick-up games at Upper School in Englewood Cliffs with his friends. He always said he saw some of the best talent around up there. As he got older, he took on a new sport: golf. He loved to play with his brothers, nephews, and friends. One of his favorite memories was meeting Tom Watson in the Ballybunion Pro Shop when he was on a trip to Ireland. Wayne’s favorite teams were the New York Yankees, Boston Celtics, New Jersey Devils, and Oakland Raiders. His favorite college team was Notre Dame. March Madness was always a big time of the year for him, but it took second place to Yankee playoff baseball. He started dating his wife, Ita, in 1992, although they knew each other for years from interactions at Saints and local gatherings. They were married in 1996. He asked his father, John, to be the best man. They sped up the wedding date because they were not sure how long “Pop” had to live. Shortly thereafter, they had Alli, and then Caity. When it came to sports, Wayne was a better coach than player. He instinctively understood whatever game he was a part of. He saw the basic moves needed for success and could teach his players how to apply them. He tried to break the game down to its purest fundamentals so that his players could perform at their best. He coached in Maywood/Rochelle Park Softball and Maywood Basketball leagues, both on the recreational and travel programs, from 2006 to 2015. Wayne loved watching his daughters play sports. Alli excelled in softball and pitched a no-hitter for Hackensack High School. Caity was a top guard for Paramus Catholic High School and won the USJN/Nike 17U National Championship in 2018 while playing for New Jersey Freedom. Wayne will be deeply missed by his family and friends. Staying within the COVID-19 restrictions, a small private graveside funeral will be held for him at George Washington Cemetery. A memorial service will be held in the future when permissible. Donations in Wayne’s memory can be made to: MYAA (Maywood Youth Athletic League), P.O. Box 832, Maywood, NJ 07607.