Donald Brooman
Donald Brooman, 97, passed away on November 25, 2021. Born in West Orange, New Jersey, he moved to East Orange where he worked with his parents, Thomas and Julia, at the Park Avenue Spa, a confectionery store. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Corps as a radio operator and waist gunner aboard a B-17 in the 390th Bomb Group. He completed 30 combat missions over Germany and was honorably discharged with the rank of technical sergeant. Donald was awarded a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster and the Air Medal for his service. He married Henrietta “Penny” Lutski in 1950. Four years later, Donald and his wife moved to Bloomfield, New Jersey where they resided until her death in 2004. A devout Catholic, he served as principal of CCD classes at St. Valentine Church in Bloomfield during the 1960s. Donald worked as a salesman for the Canada Dry Corporation for 39 years, retiring as Director of Distributor Relations. In 2004, he moved to Barnegat, New Jersey, and in 2017, he moved to Lady Lake, Florida, where he was a resident of HarborChase of the Villages Crossing, an assisted living facility. He was predeceased by his brother, Matthew, in 1918; his sister, Marie, in 1928; and his sister, Rita, in 1999. He is survived by his daughter, Deborah Chemerka, and his son-in-law, William Chemerka, of The Villages, Florida. Donald's devotion to his family, his cheerful nature, his kindness, and his wit and humor will be sorely missed. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, December 10, 2021 at 11:30am at the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 312 Ridgedale Avenue, East Hanover, NJ, 07936. The interment will be at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, also in East Hanover. There are no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of your choice or Cornerstone Hospice Foundation, 2445 Lane Park Road, Tavares, FL 32778, or online at cornerstonehospice.org.