A funeral mass and burial for Joanne Rajoppi, the longtime Union County Clerk who died on July 16, will be held on Saturday, July 25, at 10 AM at St. Rose of Lima in Short Hills, her sons, Andrew and Peter-Anthony Pappas, said today.
A funeral wake will be held on Friday, July 24, from 4-8 PM.
The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to charities that mean a lot to Rajoppi: Holy Family Hospital of Bethlehem Foundation and Covenant House of New Jersey.
Rajoppi began running for office in 1973 when she won a school board seat in Springfield at age 23, and won a Springfield Township Committee seat two years later. She was mayor in 1977.
She served as a freeholder from 1978 to 1981, as Assistant New Jersey Secretary of State from 1981 to 1982, as register of deeds and mortgages from 1984 to 1996, and as county clerk from 1996 until her death last week. She was a longtime Democratic state committeewoman.
Rajoppi was a Newark News reporter, labor union official, and the author of two books.
In addition to her sons, Rajoppi is survived by three grandchildren.