Frederick G Kocses

Fred Kocses, age 78, of Bayville, NJ, passed away peacefully at home as he desired on July 7, 2025. Born in Passaic, NJ, Fred grew up in Saddle Brook where he met and married his high school sweetheart, Janet Orecchio. They moved their family “down the shore” to Brick where they raised their four daughters. Later, Fred built his own home and moved with Janet to Bayville to retire.

For more than 42 years, Fred was a highly skilled Operating Engineer and a proud member of Local 825. He was respected as a very capable, versatile heavy equipment operator, working for many large construction companies building roads and bridges all over the East Coast.

As a young man, Fred was known for his athleticism at Saddle Brook High School where he played basketball and ran track, but his true gift was baseball. Fred was a “southpaw,” and his pitching ability was legendary as he loved to “pick off” base runners. Playing for Connie Mack’s competitive baseball league, he was ultimately scouted and sent to try out for the Pittsburgh Pirates major league baseball team.

He was subsequently drafted and proudly served his country in the United States Army during the conflict in Vietnam. Fred was commissioned to the Army Corp of Engineers in Thailand. Building roads, bridges and supply routes for our troops, Fred earned three medals of distinction during his tour including the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Vietnam Service Medal.

In retirement, Fred never retired. He was passionate about keeping an immaculate home and maintaining his swimming pool and lawn. He was constantly planning winter projects that involved tiling bathrooms and re-painting rooms in the house. There was no home repair project too daunting for him, and his tool collection proves it. He and Janet enjoyed driving to Florida for extended periods of time to escape the cold.

Fred was an avid member of the American Legion, The Old Guard and The Italian American Social Club in Lacey Township, NJ.

Surviving are his beloved wife Janet of 58 years and his four daughters, Cherie Leanza and her husband Michael, Kristen Kocses, Kimberly Kocses and Jennifer Hurt, and her husband Tim. Fred adored his four grandchildren, Caroline Leanza, Michael Leanza, Jr., Mason Hurt and Tabatha Hassan.

Services to honor Fred will be held on Monday, July 14, 2025, at 11:30am in the Chapel at Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 350 Province Line Rd, Wrightstown, NJ 08562. A luncheon for family and friends will follow.