John M. Mikolay, a long-time resident of Rutherford, New Jersey, passed away on Sunday March 1, 2020 at the age of 65 after a brave battle with cancer.
Born in Manhattan in 1954 and raised in Bronx, New York, John was a self-made man. He graduated from Cardinal Spellman High School and worked to put himself through college at Pace University, New York, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration – Finance degree. John joined Morgan Guaranty Trust Company’s Corporate Trust Department in New York in 1972. Adhering to Morgan’s well-known dedication to excellence and company loyalty, John rose through the ranks to become Vice President in Private Banking. He remained with JP Morgan for nearly 40 years.
John will be remembered for his quick wit and generosity. He loved family gatherings, garage sales, old Hollywood movies, books, history (he was especially knowledgeable on Abraham Lincoln), country music, and a good cup of coffee. Master of trivia, John was replete with facts, old and new, which he lightheartedly referred to as “common knowledge”, and he often regaled his family and friends with funny one-liners and humorous anecdotes. Family was paramount to John; he devoted his life to his wife, daughter, and granddaughter, the very lights of his life. John was the heart and soul of the Mikolay family and will be profoundly missed.
Predeceased by his parents, Joe and Betty Mikolay, John is survived by his wife, Diane DiGirolamo Mikolay, his daughter, Andrea Mikolay, and his grand-daughter, Amber, and by his siblings, Elizabeth Mikolay, Dennis Mikolay, and Michael Mikloay. He is lovingly remembered by sisters-in-law Anne Mikolay, Joy Mikolay, Marie DiGirolamo Vasquez, and brother-in-law, Steve Vasquez, and by nieces/nephews, Emily Mikolay, Sarah Mikolay, Matthew Mikolay, and Dennis Mikolay, as well as by Christine Sullivan (Dennis Mikolay’s fiancé), Stephanie Jou, and Christopher Bagnato.
Family will receive friends Thursday from 4:00 to 8:00pm in the Calhoun-Mania Funeral Home, 19 Lincoln Ave., Rutherford. Funeral 9:30am from FH for 10:30am Mass of Christian Liturgy in the Church of Saint Mary, Rutherford. Entombment Clover Leaf Memorial Park Mausoleum, Woodbridge.
In lieu of flowers, the Mikolay family would appreciate donations to The American Cancer Society, PO Box 22478, Oklahoma City, OK 73123.