On a winter day in Wayne, New Jersey, the life of 81-year-old Barbara Martone came to a tragic end. On January 8, 2017, she was found deceased in her home on Dwyer Street. A resident of Wayne for 44 years, Barbara was a well-known and loved member of the community. Her death was the result of a gunshot wound inflicted by her 80-year-old husband, Daniel L. Martone, who then took his own life in a murder-suicide.
The couple had been facing significant health challenges. Barbara was battling cancer, and Daniel was contending with diabetes and was scheduled for heart surgery. Neighbors described them as wonderful people who were the life of every party, making the violent circumstances of their deaths all the more shocking to those who knew them.
Barbara, born in Garfield, New Jersey, was a devoted wife and mother. She had met her husband, Dan, during her high school years and they married in 1959. For many years, she dedicated her time to fundraising for Easter Seals.
However, her most cherished role was that of a stay-at-home mother to her two sons, Daniel and Donald. She took great pride in their education and college graduations.
A woman who found joy in many things, Barbara loved spending summers at her family's shore house in Cape May Beach, enjoying lobster dinners, and visiting Atlantic City. She was also fond of crossword puzzles, dancing, and attending dinners at the Elks Club. Above all, she adored her grandchildren, Daniel and Gabrielle, and was known to carry a 'brag book' of their photos to share with everyone she met. As the perpetrator, Daniel Martone, was also deceased, no arrests were made in connection with Barbara's death.
