FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP – A Funeral Mass for a former chairwoman of the Freehold Township Education Foundation was held at the Co-Cathedral of St. Robert Bellarmine, Freehold Township, on Feb. 9.
Denise A. Bartone, 48, was a former chairwoman of the foundation which supports activities and programs in the Freehold Township K-8 School District.
The Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office said Bartone was found dead in her Koster Drive home on the morning of Feb. 4. The prosecutor’s office classified Bartone’s death as suspicious, but did not release any details regarding what may have occurred.
Later on the morning of Feb. 4, a vehicle registered to the Bartone family was discovered parked on the Thomas Edison Memorial Bridge in Woodbridge, above the Raritan River, according to law enforcement authorities.
Kenneth Bartone, the husband of Denise Bartone, was found floating in the river that afternoon, dead of an apparent suicide, according to the prosecutor’s office.
The prosecutor’s office said there is not believed to be any further danger to the public.
On Feb. 8, a spokesman for Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said the investigation is active and ongoing. The spokesman, Christopher Swendeman, said the prosecutor had no further comment.
An obituary for Denise Bartone was posted on the website of the Clayton and McGirr Funeral Home, Freehold Township. The obituary states she is survived by her children, Alexa, Jenna and Camryn. Entombment was at Saint John Cemetery, Middle Village, N.Y.
An obituary for Kenneth Bartone had not appeared online as of Feb. 11.
On Feb. 11, Monsignor Sam Sirianni, the pastor of St. Robert Bellarmine, said the family was active in the church.
“The Bartones participated in Mass on a weekly basis and Denise was very involved in projects involving the church,” Sirianni said. “She helped coordinate the altar servers and helped with not just the scheduling, but also the training. She was a very kind, loving and wonderful person.”
To assist the Bartone family, whose daughters were altar servers and members of the Youth Group at the church, Sirianni made note of a Go Fund Me page that has been created for the family. The Go Fund Me can be found at www.gofundme.com/the-bartone-family-fund
As of Feb. 11, the fundraiser reported that $91,156 toward a $100,000 goal had been raised.
A message on the Go Fund Me page states that, “As classmates and friends of the Bartones, we are reaching out for prayers, strength and donations for the Bartone family. Any donations will help alleviate this terrible situation and will directly go to the Bartones. Please keep them in your prayers during this challenging time.”
