MANCHESTER – She was a high school teacher, author and strong proponent of journalism and she was a fixture within the township school district.
Jill Ocone passed away recently and Manchester Township School Superintendent Diane Pedroza described her as a “cherished member of the high school faculty and a gifted English teacher who was also a beloved mentor, colleague and friend.”
Pedroza also noted that she faced “a courageous battle with a rare form of cancer and had passed away peacefully, surrounded by those who loved her.”
“Throughout her illness, Jill remained the embodiment of grace, resilience and hope. She often signed her messages with the phrase ‘love and light,’ a reflection of the warmth, positivity and compassion she brought to everyone around her. Jill’s legacy will live on in the countless students she inspired and the lives she touched so deeply,” Pedroza added. “This loss will be felt across our entire school district.”
“Jill embodied the love, dedication, and professionalism of a spectacular teacher. Her spirit reached many students and colleagues. Her life, light, and legacy will remain a thread of our high school. To know Jill, is to love her! To say she made an impact is an understatement. We will continue to celebrate her life,” Manchester Township High School Principal Dennis Adams said.
Pedroza noted that grief counselors were on hand at the school for anyone needing them. Her family will honor her life and legacy on August 4 at the Orender Family Home for Funerals in Manasquan from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“Jill Ocone was a truly remarkable educator whose passion for teaching and writing left an indelible mark on our school community. She brought creativity, empathy, and unwavering dedication into her classroom each day, inspiring both students and colleagues alike,” Pedroza added.
She also noted that “Jill’s quiet strength and generous spirit touched the lives of so many, and her absence will be deeply felt across the school district. We are heartbroken by this loss, but we will continue to honor her legacy by carrying forward the kindness, courage, and love of learning she shared with all of us.”
“Jill Ocone was an amazing teacher, who not only inspired students to reach their potential, but also embraced the unique spirit of each student. She was a champion for veterans in the community and is the driving force behind the high school’s Wall of Honor. Jill’s heart, humor, and dedication have made a lasting impact on her colleagues and friends in the building. While we are heartbroken by her loss, we will keep her positivity and light with us.”
District Director of Curriculum Tracey Raimondo said, “Jill embodied the love, dedication, and professionalism of a spectacular teacher. Her spirit reached many students and colleagues being changed by her touch. Her life, light, and legacy will remain a thread of our high school. To know Jill, is to love her!! To say she made an impact is an understatement. We will continue to celebrate her life.”
“The support and love Jill Ocone has shown our Manchester family over the decades are like no other. Her ability to motivate, empathize, and share her passion for life has impacted so many; she LOVED to see people happy and true to themselves,” MTHS teacher Heather Staples said.
Staples added that Ocone “had the magnificent power of making every person she met, be seen and valued. I know I speak for my own family and our Hawk family in saying that her heart, positivity, empathy, appreciation, and humble acts of kindness will not be forgotten. Let her words and acts of kindness be the motivation everyone might need to push forward and seize the moments life has to offer.”
Her colleague Amanda Bean remarked, “Jill really was a guiding light. She brought me back to Manchester. She helped me get to Ireland and she really was such an inspiration and did everything for everyone. She was just incredible.”
MTHS teacher Erin L. Berhalter said, “Jill was an exceptional teacher, an exceptional friend and most importantly, one of the kindest, most authentic human beings I’ve known. Anyone who knew her is better because of it and she will be missed more than words can express.”
Last year, Ocone was interviewed by The Manchester Times about her book, “Enduring the Waves.” Her book did feature some similarities between herself and her lead character but there were also many differences.
Ocone, of Point Pleasant, shared her thoughts about the writing process and how the discipline of being a long-time teacher helped her unravel the plot of her book. She was also inspired by her trips to Ireland which served as the backdrop of the story.
“As a writer you get ideas all the time. I had traveled to Ireland in August 2014. I had lost a good friend of mine and when I was there, I thought I saw her three times in the crowd which was kind of interesting. I let it sit and then I started to see these signs pointing me to go back to Dublin – which I did three more times without any idea of what I was doing there. What I ended up doing there was for the book that came out of my experiences.”
She said in that interview, “the story is fictional. I had a symbol that guided me and it was in a dream I had and I didn’t know what it meant. When the book got published, I said I would get that tattooed on me because I didn’t know what it was when I had it in my dream.”
“There was a message in the dream about writing something, and what I found out is that it is a triskelion and it has various meanings. It can mean father, son, holy spirit; or mother, maiden, crone; and it can also mean past, present, future; or life, death and rebirth.”
“That is how I incorporated it into my book. Part one of the book is the past or life, and part two is the present or death, and part three is the future or rebirth. It all goes down to this symbol and the whole idea is that you can restart your life at any point,” Ocone said.
“It is also to value the moment you are currently in and the value of the present moment which people really don’t understand and even I have to get a little better on – savoring the moment for what it is,” she said adding that writing her book, had been “been quite a journey.” The same could be said of her life and in the way she inspired students and touched the lives of those around her.
