Obituary of Michael F. Monica

Dr. Michael F. Monica, DMD, 78, of Farmingdale passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Thursday, June 3, 2021 at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune.  Dr. Monica was born and raised in Orange and graduated from Orange High School.  He received degrees from Monmouth University, Seton Hall University, and U.M.D.N.J. (now Rutgers University).  Dr. Monica proudly served his country as a Captain in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War.  He had lived in Omaha, NE, Edison, Freehold, and Howell. Along with his wife in 2012, Dr. Monica moved to the Equestra Community in Farmingdale where they were very active community members.  He was a private practice dentist in Metuchen and Edison for over thirty years retiring in 2005.  Dr. Monica was a member of both the American Dental Association and New Jersey Dental Association.  He was a member of the NJ Sharing Network and a heart transplant recipient, just recently celebrating his tenth anniversary.  Dr. Monica was a man of faith and was a parishioner and sang in the choir at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, Farmingdale. He had an illustrious career as an extra actor in film and television creating many friends (some famous and some not) along the way.  Dr. Monica had a passion for the game of golf (just three weeks ago playing in the Equestra Annual Golf Tournament) and an affection for the music of Elvis Presley.  He was a member of the American Wine Society and grew his own grapes in which, he turned into wine.  Most of all, Michael was a loving husband, adoring father, caring stepfather, devoted brother, affectionate uncle and doting Dziadziu.

Dr. Monica is survived by his loving wife of 29 years, Dr. Lucinda M. “Cindy” Monica; three children, Michael Charles Monica of Monroe; Kimberly Anne Ferruggia (who was born on his first day of dental school) and her partner, Steven Weill of Warren and Kristin M. Van Etten and her husband, Glenn of Mendham; step-children, Philip Seares and his wife, Joyce of Brooklyn and Jessica Seares and her husband, Kevin Friend of Atlanta, GA; six grandchildren, Bella, Kaitlyn, Kelsey, Kendall, Emily and Jack; step-grandchildren, Jacob, Honor, Lucian, and Malaika; Steven’s children, Julia and Charlie; a sister, Victoria “Cookie” McCauley of Old Bridge; his former wife and mother of his children, Karen S. Monica of Monroe; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws and countless friends.  The family would like to thank all the doctors, nurses, and staff at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Heart Transplant Center in New Brunswick and Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune.

A visitation will be held at the Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home, 100 Elton-Adelphia Road (Route 524), Freehold Township, on Monday, June 14, 2021 from 3:00 to 7:00 PM.  Relatives and friends are invited to gather at the funeral home on Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 11:30 AM for the procession to his 12:30 PM Funeral Mass at St. Catherine of Siena Church, 31 Asbury Road, Farmingdale, NJ 07727.  Interment will follow in Brig. General William C. Doyle New Jersey Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 350 Province Line Road, Wrightstown, NJ 08562.  For those who cannot attend in person, you may participate via the funeral home webcast HERE.  For those who desire memorial contributions in Dr. Monica name may be made to either, NJ Sharing Network, Attn: Foundation, 691 Central Avenue, New Providence, NJ 07974 or Doctors Without Borders, PO Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5030.  For information, directions or condolence messages to the family, visit www.claytonfuneralhome.com.