Obituary of Richard Peter Kalwa
Richard Peter Kalwa, 70 of Lafayette, NJ, formerly of Lake Hiawatha, passed away on Monday, March 3, 2025.
Please join the family in honoring Rich’s life on Friday, March 7th from 4:00 to 7:00pm at Dangler, Lewis & Carey Funeral Home, 312 W. Main St, Boonton. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, March 8th at 11:00am in Sts. Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church in Boonton, followed by the interment at Sts. Cyril & Methodius Cemetery.
Rich was born in Nottingham, England in April 1954 to Jozef and Krystyna (Borkowski) Kalwa. He came to the United States in 1962 aboard the Queen Mary and moved to Rainbow Lakes. Rich graduated from Newark College of Engineering (of NJIT) with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering. Through the years he worked at Riverside Hospital, Fritszche Dodge & Olcott, Ciba-Geigy, and others, before retiring from SeaBreeze in Towaco as Safety & Regulatory Lead.
In early adulthood he met his lifelong partner, Janet Pyontek, and they married in Boonton. They settled in Lake Hiawatha and raised their three children there.
Rich carried his British roots with him throughout his life, a connection often expressed through his enduring fascination with trains. Music, however, was the very essence of his being. He found boundless joy in playing the guitar, piano, and drums, and shared that joy by dancing with his wife. Rich attended countless concerts throughout his life and could happily lose himself for hours watching live music videos. Beyond his love of music and his heritage, he cared deeply for the environment, showing compassion for even the smallest of creatures.
Rich is survived by his beloved wife, Janet; his cherished children, Jason and his wife, Jessica; Christopher and his wife, Jennifer; and Kaitlyn and her partner, Daniel; his adoring grandchildren, Ethan, Alana, Connor and Myla; his loving siblings, Liz Geraghty and Andrew Kalwa; his dear friend, Mark Eng; as well as many others.
Services were arranged by Codey & Mackey Funeral Home of Boonton. To share condolences or memories with the family, please visit CodeyMackeyFH.com.
Please note that Visitation will be held at Dangler Lewis & Carey Funeral Home.