A Tribute to Maria J. Cartagena-Molner: UPDATE
UPDATE: Flooding from Hurricane Henri this weekend caused a major break in the Molner’s drain system, and the cost of replacing the system so they have running water in the kitchen is estimated to exceed $5000, so your generosity is now more needed than ever!
We are hosting this GoFundMe page to help our dear friends, the Molners, in a time of need. Maria—Dennis’s lovely wife, Kasey’s devoted mother, Feliciano and Ramona’s adored daughter—passed away Friday, August 20, and we want her legacy for them to be one of celebration, joy, and remembrance, not one of financial hardship.
Maria’s battles recently have taken their toll on the family, and for everything the Molners have done for the community of Clifton (Dennis is the guy with the videocamera volunteering at community events, and bringing apples to the band at halftime; Maria was a marching band parent volunteering at all the car washes and dances; Kasey is the one dedicating her time as assistant marching band director, and immunizing people against COVID for the health department), they never have asked for anything in return.
We celebrate Maria’s spirit and energy. She battled renal failure in 2018; faced and defeated breast cancer in 2020; recovered from quadruple bypass surgery earlier this year; and took on her latest challenges in 2021 with her indomitable spirit and sense of humor.
One of Maria’s former EMS coworkers, Tracey Loscar, wrote this recently about her:
“I spent the earliest days of my career navigating the streets of Newark and Irvington with some of the most remarkable women I have ever met. Maria was one of those women. My partner for much of those first couple of years, I'd say we met the challenges with grace and dignity, but what we were was passionate about succeeding when we were told we could not. We learned to be resilient, to laugh instead of cry (unless crying was the only option), and together we made each other brave…. She went on to become an amazing nurse, wife, and mother.”
Maria loved to laugh and make others laugh, and was generous to a fault. She was deeply in love with her soulmate, Dennis, and fiercely proud of her daughter Kasey. She survived chemotherapy and a mastectomy in the past two years, and was looking forward to getting her new kidney so she could see more of the world. In between, she enjoyed the simple things like a trip to High Point to view the world from God’s perspective (with a cup of iced coffee!), and a sausage sandwich at The Midway in Seaside Heights.
Please consider making a donation for a family that has shown so much love for their community. One hundred percent of the funds collected will go toward the expenses accumulated in the past few years, including Maria’s medical and funeral costs.
