Sonja C. Lown

Mrs. Sonja C. Lown, age 96, of Carlstadt, passed away Wednesday afternoon, March 18, 2026, at her residence. She was born in 1929, in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Sonja ("Sonny") was preceded in death by her devoted husband of 74 years, William J.H. Lown and children, Lori, Linda, William ("Billy"). and Jeffrey. Her parents, Betzy and Edvard, and her brother, George, also preceded her.

‍Despite being born at a time when women were expected to be homemakers and raised in an "Old World" household where "women do not go to college," she entered the corporate world in the mid-1950s. After almost 34 years of balancing home, family, and work, Sonja retired from her position as Vice President of National Community Bank in the early 1990s. (She especially loved telling people about having been the banker that helped secure the loan for the people to build the Candlewyke Diner.)

Throughout her lifetime, Sonny enjoyed painting, textile arts, ceramics, playing cards, and dancing. She was an avid animal-lover and especially loved her pets, Sam, Alice, Oskar, and Clair. Sonny loved to travel. Along with adventuring around the United States, she has been to Italy, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Finland, England, Egypt, Canada, and the Bahamas. Her greatest joy was spending time with her family.

She was a lifetime member of the American Legion Auxiliary; her membership began in 1955. In addition, she was among the first women to join the Lions Club, when gender-restrictions were removed.

‍Sonny is survived by one daughter, Jodi; three grandchildren, Bette, James and Katherine; four great-grandsons, Luis Avery, Sebastian, Jack and Adam. She also leaves a host of nephews, nieces and friends who will miss her dearly.

A visitation will be held Monday, March 23 between 4-8 pm at the Ippolito-Stellato Funeral Home, 425 Ridge Road, Lyndhurst. Friends & family are welcome to gather at the funeral home at 12 noon on Tuesday, March 24 prior to the internment at George Washington Cemetery in Paramus.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Teterboro Animal Shelter.