Walter Thomas Cosgrove

Walter Thomas Cosgrove, 61 years, passed away at St. Clare’s Hospital in Dover on Wednesday, April 9, 2014. Born in Paterson, N.J., he was the son of the late William Walter and Dorothy Frances (Yeomans) Cosgrove. Walter has been a resident of Hamburg since 1985 and prior to that had resided in Wayne, NJ.

Walter was a 1970 graduate of Wayne Hills High School, and of the Granite Computer Institute in 1972. For many years, he was employed as a Sr. Computer Programmer with American Cyanimid and Grand Union, and most recently, worked for Fred Beans Automotive Parts, Sussex, N.J. In his spare time, he was an avid sports fan and enjoyed watching the Mets and the Giants. Over many years, he played hockey, golf, baseball and softball. He was a very devoted animal lover and was always rescuing stray animals in Sussex County, along with taking care of them and feeding them.

He is survived by his uncle, Harold Cosgrove and his wife, Geraldine, of Ridge, N.Y., aunts, Mary Sterling of Menomonee Falls, Wis., and Evelyn Dunlop of New Port Richey, Fla. He is also survived by cousins Lloyd Stires and his partner, Tina. of Pittsburgh, Pa., John L. Stires and his wife, Caroline, of Campbell Hall, N.Y., Nancy Sterling of Chester, N.Y., Janet Belz and her husband Bradley of Manhasset, Long Island, N.Y., Margaret Zahn and her husband Ralph of Menomonee Falls, Wis., Robert Cosgrove of West Palm Beach, Fla, Virginia Conklin and her husband, Ron, of Spring Hill, Fla., Kenneth Dunlop and his wife, Susan, of New Port Richey, Fla. and Patricia Caron and her husband, Michael, of Florida.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his memorial service at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 27, 2014, at the Ferguson-Vernon Funeral Home 241 Rt. 94 Vernon, NJ 07462 (for gps directions use (1 Vanderhoof Court Vernon, NJ). Memorial visitation will be held from noon until the time of the service. Interment of ashes will be held privately at Laurel Grove Cemetery, Totowa, N.J. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory would be preferred and may be made to the American Cancer Society, 7 Ridgedale Ave., Cedar Knolls, NJ 07927. To offer online condolences, go to www.fergusonfuneralhomesnj.com.