Anna Belehaj

Anna Belehaj of Jackson, New Jersey, formerly of Rochelle Park and Union, entered eternal life on Wednesday, November 20, 2024. She was 99.

Anna is survived by her devoted daughter, Lesia, and husband Pete; daughter-in-law, Mary; and son-in-law, Ludwig. She was preceded in death by her son, John; daughter, Maria; daughter, Anastasia, and son-in-law, Keith.She is also survived by her grandchildren and their spouses: Theresa, Michael and Lori W., Lillian and Joe, Michael K., Natalie and Rick, Peter, Anastasia and Corey, and Joseph; her great-grandchildren: Richard, Tyler, Alec, Evan, Maria, Tommy, Kyle, Michael, Joey, Cindy, Clara, and Scarlette; and her great-great-grandchild, Isabella. She was preceded in death by her great-grandchild, Dylan.

Anna was born on March 15, 1925, in Poland, to Michael and Eva (Mathaga) Chomiak. In 1945, Anna married Peter Belehaj, and they shared over 55 beautiful years of marriage before his death in 2001. In 1956, Anna and Peter migrated with their three children—John, Maria, and Anastasia—settling in Newark, where they became faithful parishioners of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church and later welcomed their fourth child, Lesia.

Anna proudly worked for the Bell Telephone Company in Newark, which later became Verizon, for over 26 years. In the summer of 1989, Anna had the opportunity to travel back to Poland. She took immense pride in showing her daughter and granddaughter the place where she grew up and reconnecting with her sisters, brother, and relatives she had not seen in over 30 years.

In 2011, Anna moved from her home in Union, where she had raised her family and called home for 25 years, to Rochelle Park to live with her son John and his wife, Mary. She became a loyal parishioner of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church. Anna will always be remembered for her hospitality, support, holiday feasts, traditional Ukrainian ethnic dishes, homemade mushroom gravy and all-American potato salad.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, November 26, from 2-4 pm and 6-8 pm at Marrocco Memorial Chapel, 470 Colfax Ave, Clifton, NJ 07013. Parastas will begin at 7 pm.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, November 27, 10 am at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church, 217 President St, Passaic, NJ 07055. Anna will be laid to rest with her husband, Peter; at Gate Of Heaven Cemetery, 225 Ridgedale Avenue, East Hanover, NJ