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Saturday, February 5, 2022
My friend Oscar
A memorial left for Oscar near the site of his fatal accident.
My most excellent friend Oscar was a really good guy. He helped me out a lot after I first met him when he was 26 years old. He had an extremely sharp, rapid wit. I could never keep up with him, but I tried. We'd insult each other endlessly, with him always winning the insult contest.
Oscar was neurologically impaired, but that did NOT make him dumb, as many assumed. I bumped into him in the street on Christmas day, shortly before he died. Same old Oscar. His impairment included a vision problem, though he generally managed fairly well. Some years earlier, Oscar was helping to escort our mutual friend Blind Willie into a building. I ribbed them: "It's the blind leading the blind." They took that jibe good-naturedly.
Oscar's roots are in Argentina. He was bilingual, speaking English and Spanish fluently. He used to laugh at me for listening to salsa and such when I could not understand the words. He loved rock and would beller along with it, sometimes giving me a headache, though I don't recall ever complaining. In fact, he manned up against his disability and enjoyed going to dances, despite his slight unsteadiness of gait.
But Oscar's vision problem, along with his fierce determination -- to the point of impatience -- while exercising probably was behind the accident. He saw the truck go but stepped out before the rear of the semi had passed and was run down by rear wheels, it appears.
My friend Nicole, who works at the hospital where Oscar was taken, told me he died a very painful death. Poor guy. He's in good hands now. When I first met him, he wasn't much about Christ, but I noticed that by his last year -- without being terribly obvious -- he had become a true Christian, believing on Jesus for real.
Services scheduled for cyclist run down by a tractor-trailer
Metuchen's own Oscar Zanoni will be remembered in a celebration of life service this Thursday at the First Presbyterian Social Center.
The service information was announced by Flynn and Son Funeral Home, which is handling the arrangements.
As Patch reported, Zanoni, 44, was tragically killed Friday morning on Rt. 27 near Vineyard Road in Edison, near the Lukoil gas station. Zanoni was hit while riding his black electric bike. The truck driver who hit him initially left the scene, but was later found and fully cooperated with Edison police, they said.
Due to the size of his truck, he may not have known he hit someone, police said.
Zanoni was pronounced dead at the scene from the injuries he sustained in the crash.
Metuchen Mayor Jonathan M. Busch said the town was devastated to learn of the death of a well-liked local resident.
"Oscar was a friend to many in our community and was frequently seen around the borough walking the dogs he loved and riding his bike, especially downtown," Busch told Patch over the weekend.
Zanoni is remembered as a kind local man who was often seen riding his bike all over Metuchen and for walking his beloved dogs everywhere. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and lived in Metuchen for the past eight years, according to his obituary. He grew up in the Bonhamtown section of Edison.
Metuchen and Edison residents alike remember Oscar a man who rebounded to live a full life after he suffered a brain aneurysm at the age of 9.
"Oscar was always quick to lend a hand to those who needed help whether that meant walking their pets or shoveling a sidewalk. He lived his life at full throttle, defying all odds when he recovered from a brain aneurysm at 9 years old and went on to live an independent life," his obituary read. "Oscar was often seen around town on his electric trike, heading to and from his fitness classes at The MAX Challenge of Edison, where he loved being part of a vibrant and motivational community."
"In honor of his memory, we ask you to perform one random act of kindness. That is what he would have wanted," it read.
Oscar is survived by his wife, Wendy Kukowski, 44, his mother, father, sister and brother, as well as his two dogs, Bella and Alexandria.
A life celebration will be held on January 9, 2020 at the First Presbyterian Social Center of Metuchen, 270 Woodbridge Ave., Metuchen, NJ 08840 from 3-8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to First Presbyterian Church of Metuchen's Food Pantry at: www.fpcweb.org.
A GoFundMe page was set up for Oscar and the Fuccile Foundation is in the process of planning something for the family as well, Metuchen Mayor Busch said.
In partnership with FTD®
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