A twice monthly column about recently deceased South Jerseyans and how they lived
Mark David Eisenberg
Mark David Eisenberg’s body was progressively weakened by Duchenne muscular dystrophy that struck him before the first grade.
It hampered his movement, robbed him of a career despite a college degree and shortened his life. Mark was so fragile, he could be knocked over by a strong wind.
But his mind would have none of that. It not only thrived, it soared, powered by what Mark’s obituary described as his “boundless curiosity.”
“He did more with illness than most kids do in a lifetime,” said his mother, Theresa Armstrong. “And he was so creative.”
Mark was 31 when he died last month. But here’s what the Burlington County resident accomplished in his too brief, but impactful, life: He earned a degree in astrophysics at TCNJ while living on campus with necessary aides and nurses. Taught himself German, French, Spanish, Russian and Mandarin, “because he could,” wrote his sister, Morgan, in Mark’s obituary. Learned piano, clarinet and violin.
Mark knew the capitals not just of the states, but world countries. He didn’t just watch “Jeopardy,” he studied for it. He wrote poetry and music. He founded the Society for Treatments and Awareness of Neuromuscular Diseases (STAND) to support others who suffered as he did.
And Mark was funny, realizing his dream of doing a standup set in a Philadelphia club, what Morgan wrote was an achievement, but also a metaphor for how her brother lived: with an active mind and “disarming wit.”
“He excelled,” Theresa recalls, even after Mark could no longer walk. “He still excelled.”
He also excelled at love. For his sister, for a rescue dog named Roxxy who “isn’t doing well” since Mark’s death, for his mother. She and Mark – Morgan wrote – “were two halves of the same celestial soul.”
“He was like my other half,” Theresa recounts. “He was always concerned that it was too hard for me to take care of him. People talk about having that connection with their spouses; I had it with my son.”
Through STAND, Mark also had a connection with people near and far.
“He really helped a lot of people around the world,” Theresa noted. “He made a lot of good friends. And when people told him how much he had helped them, that was big for him. Everybody who knew him loved him and was inspired by him.
“He just had a gift,” she added. “And not only because he was my son: He was just amazing.”
Sources: Legacy.com, Mount Laurel Home for Funerals
Euloranette “Lorie” Matthews
Euloranette “Lorie” Matthews was a woman of style who carried herself with elegance and confidence, her obituary notes. Her cakes, pies and cookies were showstoppers, too.
The Williamstown resident, who died last month at 69, was happy to share her culinary talents with those she loved.
Known for her impeccable sense of fashion, Lorie’s work uniform was decidedly more low-key as a longtime officer in the New Jersey Department of Corrections. But as a teen, she dressed to be a debutante at her Trenton high school.
A mother to one and grandmother to three, Lorie was a person of great faith, says her obituary, who took part in church revivals and gave time to charity. And she excelled at storytelling.
“She was the family historian and could tell you everything you wanted to know about our family’s history,” remembers a cousin, Michelle May, who has a three-plus-hour recording of Lorie telling some of those tales.
“She was a wealth of information,” May added. ”I know her love and legacy will remain forever.”
Sources: Bell-Hennessey Funeral Home, Legacy.com
Francis D’Ambrosio
Francis D’Ambrosio of Marlton was known as Frank the barber, a trade he learned at an early age and did well enough at to open his own business.
Barbers, you could say, are a captive audience for customers who want to share – their stories, their disappointments, their pleasure at a fresh cut. Barbering was Frank’s legacy, his obituary notes, and a career the father of two continued into his mid-80s.
How many heads is that? Tough to say, but a lot of people can claim Frank was the “gentleman” who gave them their first haircuts. Many of them would call him a friend.
“He was one of the few barbers who gave me a haircut my wife liked,” recalled Dennis Sandole.
Frank was a member of the Merchantville Country Club for more than a quarter century. He graduated from Merchantville High School, where he was known as the “class dancer.” His passions included golf, bocce and pinochle, and he was thrilled to see the Eagles win the Super Bowl before he died earlier this month at 86.
Frank was also devoted to his family, with whom he enjoyed all of life’s “wonderful blessings,” his obituary says. It also says there is now a void in that family.
“Frank was a great guy and a good friend,” Sandole noted, “who will be missed by all.”
Sources: Bradley Funeral Home, Legacy.com
