Michael John Rohal, fondly known simply as 'Padre', a devout religious & family man, an avid gardener & great outdoors adventurer, and a master of many trades, passed unexpectedly on April 17, 2021, at the age of 62.

Born on November 2, 1958, at St. Peter's Hospital in New Brunswick, Michael was raised in nearby East Brunswick by his father, George A. Rohal Sr. (a World War II veteran for the U.S. Army in the Pacific, and a mechanic), and his mother, Helen Rohal (a beloved homemaker and patron of St. Thomas RC Church in Old Bridge).

Michael graduated from EBHS (class of '76) and entered the workforce with AT&T. There, he worked for over 20 years as an IT technician, and served as an award-winning project leader in AT&T's preparations leading up to Y2K. During this time, Michael also earned an Associate's Degree at Middlesex County College. Afterwards, he gained employment as a senior QA analyst for New York metropolitan branches of Met Life, AIG, and New York Life Insurance. Later, Michael put his meticulous, if not idiosyncratic, organizational skills to use as a U.S. Postal Service carrier in Middlesex County, and most recently as the Building Facilities Supervisor for the Boehringer Ingelheim research lab in North Brunswick. Throughout his forty-year career, colleagues from all walks of life have attested to his kind, caring, selfless, good-humored, hard-working, generous, and fun-loving nature.

Outside of his career, Michael married Lucrezia Rohal in April 1985, and had three sons—Michael, Matthew, and Nicholas. Nothing brought Michael more joy than proudly following his children grow, as he raised them to be upstanding members of the community, taking on all of the accountability and none of the credit. He adored coaching and watching his kids play soccer and baseball up and down the Atlantic Coast. He cherished a good family meal, and seized every opportunity to play with his kids, or take on handcrafted projects to further enhance the family fun. Through it all, there was never a second that he wasn't available for technical help and meaningful guidance, to be an ear to hear, or the catalyst for a good laugh.

In his leisure, Michael reveled in adventure and the great outdoors. He loved ice-fishing trips with his friends, biking, taking Lucy for long walks, exploring places he had never been before, and enjoying physical challenges he hadn't yet endured. From a young age, Michael also loved stock car racing—from a go-kart gifted to him as a teenager, to his 1970s Dodge Challenger, to every car since—he saw things through checkered-colored eyes. Michael spent his fair share of weekends at Wall Stadium, a paved oval track in Wall. When he wasn't racing cars, he enjoyed watching cars race. Michael also never saw a dessert he wouldn't try, twice. He treasured surfing through his music catalogue for the perfect album to play as the soundtrack to the day—a day, which usually consisted of several different home improvement projects. Finally, Michael was a guardian of the garden, fruitfully harvesting a bounty of fresh flowers, fruits, and vegetables every summer.

For over 30 years, Michael resided in Edison, NJ, and was an active member of St. Matthew's Catholic parish community. He spent a significant amount of time volunteering at local soup kitchens, working as a volunteer of the Counting Ministry for donations to the poor and needy, and served several years as the Chair of the local St. Vincent de Paul Society, whose mission is "to bring social justice and the friendship of true charity to all in need." Michael was as resourceful as he was giving, consistently lending his time and mind to helping those in the most need with creative, thoughtful, and impactful support—from new shoes to food to obtaining and maintaining housing. Michael loved life, his family, and his community, with a deep passion, compassion, and boundlessly kind heart.

He was predeceased by his parents, George and Helen Rohal, and his sister-in-law, Helena Rohal.

He leaves behind his beloved wife of 35 years, Lucrezia Rohal, his three beloved sons: Michael J. Rohal of Point Pleasant and his fiancée Joanna Prumos, Matthew J. Rohal of Edison and his partner Marissa Dadiw, and Nicholas J. Rohal of Union and his wife Bushra Mahmoud. He also leaves behind his dear brother, George A. Rohal III, of Stirling; his dear brother, Anthony Rohal, of Old Bridge and his wife, Colleen; and his dear sister, Theresa Solecki, of Iselin and her husband, Robert Solecki. Michael also leaves behind 7 nephews and 4 nieces.

A memorial visitation will be held at the Flynn and Son Funeral Home, 23 Ford Ave. Fords, NJ 08863 on Friday, May 7, 2021, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

A Funeral Liturgy for Michael will be held on Saturday, May 8, 2021, at 12 Noon at St. Lawrence Roman Catholic Church, 109 Laurence Parkway, Laurence Harbor, NJ 08879.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Michael's memory to: The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention https://afsp.donordrive.com/campaign/padre-ro

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With warmth and gratitude,
The Rohals


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