Obituary of Bridget Saggese

Bridget (Giuseffi) Saggese, Pompton Plains, formerly of Oakland NJ, was born on December 11, 1929 in New York and died at 94 on June 13, 2024.  Bridget was the youngest of 9 children to Joseph and Angela Giuseffi (m. 1900) who were 63 yo and 52 yo when she was born.  Bridget was the last surviving member of the family, beloved Vito (d. 1966), Bridget (d. 1926), Frank (d. 1905), Florence (d. 1933), Frank (d. 1978), John (d. 1985), Michael (d. 2003), and Louise (d. 1992). 

She lived in East Harlem, New York and had very fond memories of her early life there, highlighted by her frequent visits to the Paramount Theatre to see Frank Sinatra.   Both of her parents died when she was young and she lived with her siblings and spouses in New York and  eventually moved to Passaic, NJ as a teen.   She graduated from Passaic High School in 1948 and began a long career over the years bookkeeping and office administration well into her 70’s.

In New Jersey, she lived with her brother Michael and his wife Angela (Saggese) where she became very close with the entire Saggese family, including her husband Vincent (d. 1993).  They married in 1950, thus connecting the Giuseffi and Saggese families through two marriages.  They settled in Garfield, New Jersey where they had Vincent (b. 1954), Diane (b. 1959), Michael (b. 1961) and then Steven (b. 1965) after moving to Oakland NJ, where she made a home for the next 54 years raising a family and enjoying the community.  

She was always younger than her age, very social and a bit competitive.  After retiring in her 70’s she became very active at the Oakland Senior Center and, over the last 5 years, lived at the Cedar Crest Senior Living Facility in Pompton Plains.  Well into retirement and until very recently, she was swimming regularly, exercising and had a daily schedule of playing card/board games with her friends.  She had a sarcastic sense of humor and a competitive nature which has flowed down to her children and grandchildren, and enjoyed that family get-togethers were active and loud.  She loved and was very proud of all her grandchildren.  

She is survived by her four children, Vincent (Nancy), Diane (d. Michael 2004), Michael (Bridget), and Steven (Karen) and seven grandchildren, Vincent Paul, Gabrielle (Tom), Steven, Jaclyn, Jessica, Michael and Ryan, along with numerous nieces and nephews.