Cornelius Fillmore Cawthorne, Jr.

Cornelius Fillmore Cawthorne Jr., a beloved husband, father, grandfather and great -grandfather of Ocean Pines, MD passed away peacefully on August 2, 2024 at the age of 86.

Cornelius, affectionately known as Pop Pop, Fill or Neil was predeceased by his parents, Cornelius F. Cawthorne, Sr. and Kathleen Manning Cawthorne, brother, Dr. Charles A. Cawthorne and sister-in-law, Elizabeth A. Cawthorne.

He is survived by his wife, Karen (Fitzsimmons) Cawthorne and his children, Deana Cawthorne of Ocean Pines, MD; Cornelius (Neil) Cawthorne, III (Laura) of Parsippany, NJ; Laura Zoll (William) of Newton, MA and Kirk Cawthorne (Tatyana) of Mendham, NJ; grandchildren, Kimberly Cawthorne-Czander (Nick), Lea Cawthorne, Chelsea Cawthorne, Matthew Zoll, Daniel Cawthorne and step-grandchildren, Kayla Simone (Joey)and Krista Calzaretta (Joe); great-grandchildren, Joseph Simone and Benjamin Calzaretta; as well as beloved family members, Michael Fitzsimmons, Sandra Fitzsimmons and Vicki Bumpers Cawthorne and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Born in Newark, NJ, Neil grew up in Belleville, NJ and married his beloved Karen on August 3, 1959. They raised their family in Verona, NJ for 38 years before retiring to Ocean Pines, MD.

Neil’s career was dedicated to the transportation industry and from the time Neil was a young child he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a bus driver. He worked for DeCamp Bus Lines for 32 years in various positions that included driver, assistant dispatcher, chief dispatcher and scheduler as well as a mentor/consultant during periods of transition for the company. His long and cherished career at DeCamp was interrupted for a five-year period from 1978 to 1981 when he was an Independent Owner/Operator in the trucking industry. After retirement from DeCamp, Neil continued to work in the transportation and trucking industry in Maryland working for the transit system of Ocean City and for Harkins Ready Mix in Salisbury, MD.

Neil had a passion for all forms of transportation that included buses and trucks and especially a love of trains. In his travels abroad and within the US, he always took the opportunity to ride the rails. In retirement, Neil found joy in traveling to Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. He also enjoyed meeting friends for social gatherings at the OP Yacht Club and volunteering at the Community Church Flea Market – Angel’s Attic. He was known for his warm personality, generous spirit and the deep love he had for his family.

Visiting will be held in the Prout Funeral Home, 370 Bloomfield Ave., Verona, NJ on Sunday, August 18, 2024 from 6 to 8 pm. A Funeral Mass will be offered at Our Lady of the Lake, 28 Lakeside Ave., Verona on Monday, August 19, 2024 at 10:00 am, followed by a procession to Crest Haven Memorial Park, 750 Passaic Avenue, Clifton, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Neil’s name be made to the Ocean Pines Fire Department EMS, 911 Ocean Parkway, Berlin, MD 21811.

Condolences, photos and memories can be left on his obituary page at proutfuneralhome.com.