Forked River Rotary NEWS

Each year, the Forked River Rotary Club comes together to make Thanksgiving a little brighter for local families in need—and 2025 was no exception. Continuing a long-standing tradition of service, club members distributed complete Thanksgiving meal kits to households throughout Lacey Township and the surrounding communities.

This year’s packages included everything needed for a traditional holiday dinner:

• A full Thanksgiving turkey 
• Mashed potatoes 
• Stuffing mix 
• Corn 
• Cranberry sauce 
• Gravy 
• Cornbread muffins 
• Brownie mix 

Rotarians along with the Lacey Township High School Interact Students worked together to assemble and deliver the meals, ensuring families could enjoy a warm, festive holiday celebration without added financial pressure. Volunteers donated their time, coordinated supplies, and partnered with generous supporters who helped make the distribution possible.

The Thanksgiving Turkey Distribution is one of the club’s most meaningful traditions, offering comfort, dignity, and connection to neighbors who need it most.

As the holiday season continues, the Forked River Rotary Club remains dedicated to uplifting the community and spreading kindness through every project it undertakes.
 

Helen is the wife of the late Dr. Caesar P. Dela Cruz, mother of Eric and Gina, and grandmother of three. A retired registered nurse, she earned the Mount Sinai NYC Excellence in Nursing Care Award (2020) and postponed her retirement to continue caring for patients during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A former 7-Eleven owner (1987–2002), Helen also served three terms as Lacey Township Committeewoman. She is active as Lay Leader at Lacey United Methodist Church, chairs the Lacey Women’s Club Hospitality Committee, and is a member of the NJ State Federation of Women’s Clubs Honor Roll.

In retirement, Helen enjoys Zumba, playing piano, and competitive running—earning 1st place in her age group at the Lacey Township 5k for four consecutive years. She looks forward to furthering her passion for serving others through Rotary.

Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Helen Dela Cruz to the Forked River Rotary Club.
 

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Rotarian Peter "Pete" Roukis.

Peter G. Roukis died on, August 30th 2025, at Community Medical Center in Toms River, NJ at the age of 97. His grand nephew Christopher was at his bedside. Pete made his home in Forked River, NJ over the past 18 years. Pete is survived by his older brother John Roukis who is 98. Predeceased are his sisters Mary Filis@ 95, and Helen Roukis@ 85. Pete was born in July, 1928 in Ridgewood, NJ to Magdaline and George Roukis both who immigrated from Greece.
 

Pete is a Manlius Prep High School graduate. He served valiantly during the Korean War, in communications, achieving the rank of Sargeant. After leaving the Military Pete married his soulmate, Anna Aretakis, in 1954.
 

Both Pete and Anna owned and operated a very successful business in Westbury, L.I., the ‘Meadow Brook Flower Shop’ they opened it in 1960 and jointly worked the shop through to 1985.
 

Pete was an avid golfer in his retirement and shot a ‘hole in one’ at the Douglaston Golf Course on Long Island on August 5, 1998. Pete also was a private planepilot and flew extensively between Long Island and South Jersey.
 

Pete’s true life’s passion was exemplified through his 65-year dedication to Rotary International, through ‘Service Above Self’. He was inducted into the Rotary International Hall of Fame back in 2022 as one of only4 Rotarians for service of over 60 years.
 

Through the support of his wonderful wife Anna, Pete joined the Westbury branch of Rotary in 1960. There he flourished as a valued member. He rose to the level of Club President and became a District Governor. His chapter was very instrumental in the world renowned ‘Gift of Life’ program giving hope to children with severe health issues. Upon Anna’s death in 2007, Pete moved to Forked River, where he immediately joined the Forked River Rotary Club. His contributions to the club have been immeasurable.
 

Upon meeting Pete once, you knew you were meeting a very special person. His generosity with his time was amazing. He loved his family and if you were considered by Pete to be his friend it meant you had a friend for life. Pete and Anna did not have any children, but the number of Nieces, Nephews, Great Nieces and Nephews and Great Great Nieces and Nephews and their respective spouses all have the same feeling towards Pete and Anna. ‘They were the best and most loved couple to us all!’His demeanor, mannerisms, sense of humor, love for life and his desire to help wherever possible was extraordinary.
 

May God rest his soul and may he be comforted for all the good he did during his lifetime.

Arrangements:

Funeral Service:  

Septemger 3, 2025 @ 10:30 AM

St. Paul's Greek Othodox Church

110 Cathedral Ave, Hempstead, NY

Immediately following to the:

Pin Lawn Cemetery

2030 Wellwood Aae, Farmingdale, NY
 

Please welcome Joshua Hahn, a man who spent the better part of two decades working his way up the ranks at UPS — starting straight out of high school and eventually becoming the subject matter expert (and “product owner” of more than a few billion-dollar services). Whether he was working side-by-side with drivers and loaders across NJ, NY, and Long Island or in meetings with C-suite executives, Josh was the guy making sure systems worked, people were heard, and packages got where they needed to go.

But Josh isn’t just logistics and product management—he and his wife Alicia also ran their own business for over 16 years, hitting trade shows along the East Coast and building a network of thousands of connections and friendships. Though the business has slowed, they still keep a foot in that world—and a few toes in every aisle.

At home in Lacey, Josh is “Dad” to Lily, their three-year-old daughter who just completed her first year of preschool. He’s still recovering emotionally from watching her climb up the school bus steps for the first time (and, honestly, might tear up again if you bring it up). Lily’s growth this year—both in spirit and stair-climbing skill—has been a source of pride and joy for the family.

Free time is a bit of a myth in the Hahn household, but when they do get a chance, they enjoy boating, fishing, and tackling their never-ending list of home improvement projects. Josh’s parents pop into Lacey from their retirement village for visits and doctor appointments, and Alicia’s parents still live nearby—so family is always close.

If you’re wondering where to find Josh in the fall, just follow the fog machines and shrieks of laughter: he and Alicia have been key players in the Township’s Haunted Trail (which supports the July 4th fireworks) and host a Halloween display at their home that draws just shy of 1,000 trick-or-treaters annually. Their home is lovingly known as “The Bubble House,” and the bar rises higher each spooky season.

Now building the next chapter of his career, Josh is excited to finally make time for the kind of meaningful community involvement he’s long been drawn to. Joining Rotary is a way for him to give back, learn from others, and roll up his sleeves in service—though he might try to track the progress in a spreadsheet.

Please give a warm Rotary welcome to Joshua Hahn!

On December 11, 2024 Jonahtan Marotti  became a member of the Forked River Rotary Club.  We welcome Jonathan to the club and look forward to working with him to make our Community and the world a better place.

 The Forked River Rotary Club has made a $20,000 donation to the Lacey Township Board of Education to fund a mental health program. Dr. Purpuri, Supervisor of Guidance, attended our Tuesday meeting and presented an overview of the program which includes four components: Building Men, “AllIn” Young Women, An evening Assembly for students/Parents on Cyber Safety with speaker Richard Guerry and a staff and student Mentoring Pilot program. The program will be introduced in November. Thank Dr. Purpuri for putting this program together and for the passion to clearly have for the mental health of Lacey Township Students. 

The Forked River Rotary Club has made a $20,000 donation to the Lacey Township Board of Education to fund a mental health program. Dr. Purpuri, Supervisor of Guidance, attended our Tuesday meeting and presented an overview of the program which includes four components: 1) Building Men, 2) “All In” Young Women’s Program, 3) an evening Assembly for students and Parents on Cyber Safety with speaker Richard Guerry, and 4) a staff and student Mentoring Pilot Program. Thank Dr. Purpuri for putting this program together and for the passion to clearly have for the mental health of Lacey Township Students. 

Forked River Roaty Club is pleased to announce that we have made a $200 donation in the form of a sponsorship to Lacey Youth Football & Cheer.  The Girls are preparing to travel to Florida to compete for a national title.  

Michael Thompson (District 7505 Governor Elect and Bill Mercantini (District Governor Nominee) joined us for lunch and spoke about the possible merger of the New Jersey Districts.  They also spoke on a wide variety of topics involving projects, growth, public image and how Rotary is doing on all levels, including Rotary International.  Thank you Michael and Bill for speaking and sharing your knowledge and passion.  We are grateful for your service to the purpose and goals of Rotary.