Mr. John Allen Runge died on Thursday, May 14, 2026 in Glen Ridge, NJ. He was 73 years old.
Visiting was at the Prout Funeral Home, 370 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona on Wednesday, May 20 from 3pm to 6 pm. Graveside Services were held in the Mt. Hebron Cemetery, 851 Valley Road, Upper Montclair NJ on Thursday at 11 am.
Born in Glen Ridge, John was a lifelong resident. He graduated from Glen Ridge High School in 1970, has an Associate Degree from Post College in Waterbury, CT. and has a Bachelors from Quinnipiac College in Hamden, CT. He also graduated from the American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service and has been a licensed Funeral Director in New Jersey for 50 years.
John was a Funeral Director and Manager of the former George Van Tassel’s Community Funeral Home in Bloomfield NJ and the Preston Funeral Home in South Orange. Since 1990 he has been the owner of John Espy Monument Works in Verona and also as been an on-call Funeral Director assisting a number of area funeral homes, including the Prout Funeral Home in Verona.
John was a member of the Board of Directors of the Parkway House in Glen Ridge, serving as President and Secretary; a 30 year member of the Board of Trustees of the Job Haines Home in Bloomfield; a member and Past President of the Bloomfield Kiwanis Club; a member of the Board of Trustees of the Freeman Gardens Association in Glen Ridge; a member of the Essex, Union & West Hudson Funeral Directors Association; former member of the New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association and the National Funeral Directors Association.
John was a former member of BSA Troop 3 in Glen Ridge and enjoyed many trips to Gimbel Cabin at Camp Glen Gray.
He was, and always will be, a member of the Sherman Avenue Field Crew.
He was a lifelong member of the Glen Ridge Congregational Church.
In lieu of flowers, a donation in his name to the Friends of Glen Gray, 200 Midvale Mountain Road, Mahwah NJ 07430 would be greatly appreciated and preferred.
Memories, Condolences and Pictures can be uploaded to his obituary at www.ProutFuneralHome.com
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