Obituary of Sandra A. Adinaro

Sandra A. Adinaro Community Activist of South Orange Sandra A. Adinaro, 75, of South Orange, died at home on Friday, September 26, 2014. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Funeral Mass at Our Lady Of Sorrows Church, 217 Prospect Street, South Orange on Wednesday, October 1 at 10:30 AM. Interment is at Gate Of Heaven Cemetery, E. Hanover. Visitation will be held at Preston Funeral Home, 153 South Orange Ave., South Orange on Tuesday from 4:00 - 8:00 PM. For more information or to send condolences, please visit prestonfuneralhome.net. Born in Long Branch to Lynton McNeal, who lost his life as a merchant mariner during WWII, and the late Margaret Johnston McNeal, she grew up with two older sisters, Jeanne Wiggins (now deceased) and Catherine Sarnowksi. Sandra graduated with a B.A. from Seton Hall University in 1961. She lived in Bergen and Monmouth Counties before moving to South Orange 41 years ago. Mrs. Adinaro worked as a claims adjuster for Blue Cross Blue Shield in Newark and Florham Park from 1986-1996. Sandy was long active in politics and social causes. She and her husband Richard joined the March on Washington and heard Martin Luther King's speech in 1963. During the 1960s, she was the Fort Lee Democratic Party District Leader and Secretary. In the 1970s, Sandy helped found and was the first president of the Tuxedo Park Neighborhood Association in South Orange. It originated to combat racial discrimination in local real estate practices. A thriving and integrated Tuxedo Park neighborhood is her legacy. She was the beloved wife for 52 years of Richard P. Adinaro (Professor Emeritus at Seton Hall University) and the devoted mother to her children: David Adinaro, M.D., married to Elizabeth; Matthew Adinaro, married to Jeanine; and Christine Braile, married to Hugo. She was the proud grandmother of Brendan, Kyra, Hannah, Daniel, Abigail, Christopher, Patrick, Calvin, and Declan. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Tuxedo Park Neighborhood Assoc, PO Box 913, South Orange, NJ 07079; the South Orange/Maplewood Community Coalition on Race, 516 Prospect Street, Maplewood, NJ 07040; or the South Orange Rescue Squad 13 Fourth Street, South Orange, NJ.