WOODCLIFF LAKE—Mayor Carlos Rendo and police officials awarded the department’s first annual Nancy Flower Memorial College Scholarship to Julia Funke, a recent Pascack Hills High School graduate, during a July 1 ceremony at Borough Hall.
Speaking on the honor of joining the Police Department in bestowing the scholarship to Funke, Rendo said the gift will be presented annually to a Woodcliff Lake high school student who best exemplifies selflessness, volunteerism, positivity, and dedication to teamwork.
The $1,000 scholarship honors Nancy E. Flower, a devoted public servant who served 18 years as the chief of police’s administrative assistant and who often was the first person visitors — of all backgrounds, all requiring professionalism, respect, and sensitivity — would encounter.
It will defray college expenses for Funke, who played varsity basketball at PHHS and plans to take on pre-med studies at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill this fall. It specifically recognizes her “selflessness, volunteerism, positivity, and dedication to teamwork” throughout her high school career.
The department said, “With an infectious smile, Nancy brightened our days and, maybe more importantly, kept us in line. She was the backbone of our department.”
It added, “We were proud to present Julia with a check this morning to be used for her higher education expenses.”
Flower, 68, died on Feb. 9. Her obituary notes she lived in the borough and was formerly of Westwood.
She is survived by her husband, Vaughn; her son, Matthew and his wife, Stephanie; her granddaughter, Annabelle; her siblings Diane Mone and her husband Dominick, Joanne Gannon and her husband John, Dawn Kranzo and her husband Al, and Gary Quirsfeld; as well as her nieces and nephews Chris, Kimberly, Michelle, and Gregory.
Flower graduated from Westwood Regional High School and Katherine Gibbs College, starting her career in her family’s restaurant, The Iron Kettle, in Montvale.
She worked for Blue Mountain Industries in South Hackensack before devoting many years to standing out as the administrator for the Woodcliff Lake Police Department.
She was heavily involved in the D.A.R.E. and Our Lady Mother of the Church Catholic Christian Doctrine programs, and had volunteered as a teacher’s assistant for The Forum School, a nonprofit state-approved private school for students with disabilities, in Waldwick.
At the award ceremony, Funke was backed by Rendo; Police Chief John Burns; police Sgt. Paul Brown; her mom, Jessica Suric Funke; and Vaughn Flower.
Asked to share his views on the award, Vaughn told Pascack Press on July 20, “I’ll tell you the truth, John [Burns] came over towards the end — she was on hospice then — and he brought it up while she was still with us and she was very excited about it — and I’m very excited about what the Police Department brought up. It was a great idea.”
He added, “It’s really taken off. People have already asked me how to donate to it. So I think we should have no issues going forward.”
He said Funke was a good choice among several strong candidates and that he was not part of the final decision.
He agreed an annual scholarship was a beautiful legacy for his wife. “We’re very happy; the whole family is. We’re very excited about it.”
— With John Snyder