A funeral mass was offered Jan. 14 for Pat William Presa, 83, of Secaucus. He died on Jan. 9. A native of Brooklyn, he was a World War II Navy veteran who served in the Pacific from 1944-46, including the liberation of the Philippines, for which he received various medals and commendations. After the war, he graduated from New York University with a degree in public accounting and established a private accounting practice.
Presa was an active member of various national and local professional accounting associations. He was involved in numerous civic organizations including the library board, which he provided with financial counsel regarding the planning and construction of the community’s vast new library and media facility. The Secaucus mayor and other town officials held a special dinner in his honor to acknowledge his work on this project. He also was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Unico, the American Legion, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). Survivors include his wife, Ann; a daughter, Patricia Horan, of Verona; a son, Donald, of Jersey City, and son Stephen of Verona, as well as nieces and nephews.