Toms River's 'Miss Liberty' funeral planned: One last lost story found in letters
The letter is dated Oct. 13, 1967. It’s from U.S. Army specialist Thomas Lilley, who was writing from Vietnam, and addressed to his sweetheart from Toms River — Sondra Fortunato.
“Things are OK here with me,” Lilley wrote, in part. “I'm still waiting for one of your letters to arrive. How's college coming along so far this year? Sure miss school. I wish I was back in school.”
Lilley was killed in action four months later at age 21. Fortunato, who was 19 at the time, would go on to earn local renown as the impresario beauty queen “Miss Liberty.” For decades she was omnipresent at parades, celebrations and sporting events throughout the region. She died Jan. 11 at age 75 after a lengthy battle with cancer, and her husband John Ogden found Lilley’s letter while cleaning out her home.
“That hit hard, because I’m a veteran,” Ogden said.
The story of 'Miss Liberty': Learn more about Sondra Fortunato's remarkable life
Between undergoing dialysis for kidney failure and picking through endless piles of memorabilia, gowns and placards at Fortunato’s 3,000-square-foot plantation-style home in Toms River — which recently was sold at auction and has a new owner waiting to move in — Ogden had put off making funeral arrangements until now (Fortunato was cremated).
A mass of Christian Burial will take place at 11:30 a.m. Feb. 9 at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Toms River, with interment to follow at St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery in Toms River.
Ogden said she will be buried next to her parents, whose plot, as fate would have it, is in the same cemetery and not far from the final resting place of Thomas Lilley.
“How about that?” Ogden said.
Toms River's Miss Liberty: Widower wants to give away dresses, signs she left behind
Jerry Carino is community columnist for the Asbury Park Press, focusing on the Jersey Shore’s interesting people, inspiring stories and pressing issues. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Toms River Miss Liberty Sondra Fortunato funeral planned
