Irene Forstenhausler

Mrs. Irene Chavan Forstenhausler, 92, died Friday, January 6, 2023 in the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Rahway, New Jersey.

We respectfully request that no one arrive at the funeral home prior to the posted visitation times, so as not to intrude on the family’s private time. 

Family and friends are invited to the visitation in the Kowalski Funeral Home, 515 Roselle Street, Linden on Wednesday, January 11^th. from 4:00-8:00PM.  On Thursday, January 12^th. at 9:45AM, everyone will meet directly at St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Roman Catholic Church, Linden, where a funeral mass will be offered at 10:00AM.  The prayers of committal will precede Mrs. Forstenhausler’s burial in the family plot in Rosedale Cemetery in Linden, New Jersey.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Mrs. Forstenhausler’s memory may be made to the World Wild Life Fund online at their website, http://www.worldwildlife.org; by phone at 1-800-CALL-WWF. or by mail at 1250 24^th. Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20037.

Mrs. Forstenhausler, the daughter of the late Helen Markulin Chavan and the late Paul Chavan, was born and raised in Rahway, New Jersey and she settled in Linden, New Jersey in 1951, where she resided until the time of her death.

Mrs. Forstenhausler was employed as a television tube tester for the RCA Corporation in Avenel from 1955 to 1974. Previously she had been employed with the Prudential Life Insurance Company for four years.

Mrs. Forstenhausler enjoyed a variety of entertainment outlets.  She liked to do the word find puzzles and every evening you could find her in front of her television watching the ever popular Jeopardy, followed by the Wheel of Fortune shows.  In her spare time, Mrs. Forstenhausler was an avid reader, turning the pages of books from all the genres across the board, including mysteries and romance novels.  Come the spring and summer seasons, you would find Mrs. Forstenhausler down in Cape May, New Jersey, with her toes on the sand or taking in the fresh winds of the ocean’s salt water.  However, it must be said that truthfully, it is relatively easy to sum up Mrs. Forstenhausler’s years, as her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren grew up.  She loved her family and wanted to spend any amount of time with them, whether they were doing small insignificant things or attending big family get together functions.  Mrs. Forstenhausler’s greatest joy was to attend and watch her grandchildren and great grandchildren participate in all their various sporting activities.  She loved a good road trip and would often journey in many various modes of transportation to watch these kids, especially her great grandson, Daniel, who plays baseball.  His love of the sport and his playing expertise meant that Mrs. Forstenhausler got to travel to so many different places, like Florida, Georgia, Maine, and other states up and down the East Coast, and even as far as the Dominican Republic.  If there was a game going on with any of her grandchildren or great grandchildren competing, Mrs. Forstenhausler was there, cheering them on and in earlier years, ringing her cow bell. 

Predeceased by her husband, John B. Forstenhausler (1989); her son John A. Forstenhausler, Sr. (2020) and her grandson, Thomas Paul Banks (1974), Mrs. Forstenhausler is survived by her two daughters, Anne J. Banks and Jean H. Forstenhausler; her nine grandchildren, John A. Forstenhausler, Jr, and his wife, Courtney, Dawn Forstenhausler, Eric Forstenhausler, Lisa Forstenhausler, Ryan Forstenhausler, Michelle Greenwood, Robert J. Banks III, Timothy J. Banks and James E. Banks; her eighteen great grandchildren; her numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces, and great nephews and her friends and neighbors.

Mrs. Forstenhausler for known for generously sharing her abundance of love, laughter, joy and memories with all. She was the core of life for her family, and she made sure that no one was ever forgotten and that everyone was always included.  Her smile that lit up her face, said it all!  In our hearts, we know that Mrs. Forstenhausler will be deeply missed, but she will never be forgotten.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.