Obituary of Louis R. Maffei, MD

Louis R. Maffei, M.D., of Denville, NJ, was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle. He departed this world peacefully to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on November 7, 2024, after an extended illness.



Born in Summit, NJ, to Italian immigrant parents, Louis was the youngest of four children but, by all accounts, the cornerstone and leader of his family. He knew from an early age that he wanted to be a physician, earning a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN, with honors, before attending Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., where he received his medical degree. He completed his residency training at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, MA, Seton Hall University Medical School in Jersey City, NJ, and the Veterans Administration Hospital in East Orange, NJ.


A gentleman, an unassuming man, and a beautiful soul, Louis's affinity for helping others made medicine the perfect career choice. He was a fixture in the community, with a private practice in Denville for 20 years. Later, he served as the Assistant Medical Director at Warner-Lambert in Morris Plains (now Pfizer) for almost 20 years before his retirement. He was also a member of the Board of Trustees at Saint Clare's Hospital in Denville and was involved with the AMA, NJ Medical Society, and the Morris County Medical Society.

Family and faith always came first in Louis’s life, followed closely by his passion for his beloved Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He was so proud of his alma mater and watched each and every football game until his last breath. He attended many Brooklyn Dodgers games throughout his life, loved gardening, watching Westerns, listening to Frank Sinatra, visiting Cape Cod, indulging in butter pecan ice cream, chocolate, and sharing his corny jokes.

Louis leaves a legacy of love through his devoted wife of nearly 55 years, Marilyn (Jannetta) Maffei, as well as his children, Louis II, Nicole, and Mark, and their spouses, Carol and Sean; his sister, Madeline LeDrappier; his nephew, Andrew Kurth; and his niece, Christina (DeCroce) Craig. "Papa" is also survived by his adoring grandchildren, Tara, Mark, Anthony, Matteo, and Patrick.

In his final stretch of life, Louis found great comfort in knowing he would soon be reunited with his immediate family who departed before him. He was predeceased by his parents, Louis C. Maffei and Amalia (Pedicini) Maffei, his beloved brother Pfc. Anthony “Sonny” Maffei, and sister Marian Maffei.

Visitation will be held on Friday, November 15, 2024, from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Norman Dean Home for Services, 16 Righter Avenue, Denville, NJ, www.normandean.com.



Relatives and friends are invited to attend his Liturgy of Christian Burial on Saturday, November 16, 2024, at 10:00 AM at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, 15 Myers Avenue, Denville, NJ, https://stmarys-denville.org/. Louis will be laid at his final resting place at St. Teresa of Avila Cemetery, 136 Passaic Avenue, Summit, NJ.



Memorial donations may be made in Louis's name (Louis R. Maffei) to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation in honor of his late brother, who served and sacrificed his life in WWII, at https://t2t.org/donate/.



We all love you so much and know you are finally without pain and surrounded by family, friends, colleagues, and patients who went before you. You lived a full life, filled with immense love, profound compassion for others, deep loyalty for those you cherished, and unwavering faith in God. Finally, you are in heaven, and you are free...


 


“And now, the end is near


And so I face the final curtain


My friend, I'll say it clear


I'll state my case, of which I'm certain


I've lived a life that's full


I traveled each and every highway


And more, much more than this


I did it my way" — Frank Sinatra