Obituary of A. Wayne Tamarelli
Alan Wayne Tamarelli (Wayne), 82, of Basking Ridge, NJ, passed away on December 4, 2023.
Wayne was born in Pittsburgh, PA to John and Eleanor Tamarelli on August 13, 1941, and graduated from Edgewood High School in 1959. He went on to earn a BS (1963), MS (1965), and PhD (1966) in Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, and an MBA (1972) in Marketing and International Business from New York University.
Wayne honorably served as a Captain in the U.S. Army and taught as a professor at Carnegie Mellon. Then, he joined Exxon, followed by Engelhard Corporation (1970 - 1983) where he was Senior Vice President. Next, Wayne was the owner, Chairman, and CEO of Dock Resins Corporation (1983 - 2000). He never retired and from then on he was an angel investor, founding chairman of Jumpstart New Jersey Angel Network, and member of the Band of Angels Silicon Valley. He additionally invested in viticulture and oenology in California, Argentina, Italy, Spain, and France.
Wayne received numerous awards for his philanthropic, military, environmental, engineering, and business endeavors. Just this September, Wayne and his wife Carol were presented with the Spirit of Giving award by the Park Avenue Foundation in Madison, New Jersey in recognition of their efforts in helping charitable organizations in the community. Wayne received a National Defense Service Medal and Award from the United States Army. He received the Environmental Award of the Decade from the United Nations and Special Recognition of Outstanding and Invaluable Service from the United States Congress, as well as many other honors for his commitment to environmental protection and energy conservation. Due to his engineering and business success, Wayne was awarded the Professional Promise Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Financier of the Year from the New Jersey Technology Council, Vanguard Award for Industry Leadership from the Chemical Education Foundation, and more.
An avid traveler and member of the prestigious Explorers Club, Wayne explored at least 179 countries with Carol, bringing back ceremonial masks from at least 70 different cultures. Lifelong wine connoisseurs, Wayne and Carol established their pride and joy, Tamarelli Vineyards, in Argentina in 2007, and shared their wine with friends and family. Wayne was passionate about music and theatre and was an excellent violinist. He loved to play tennis and bocce and was a ping pong pro.
Wayne is survived by his beloved high school sweetheart and wife of 60 years, Carol Ann Tamarelli. He is also survived by his daughter Robin Tamarelli McKeon and her husband Jeff, and their children Kelsey, Connor, Devon, Brynn, James and Trevor, and by his son Alan Wayne Tamarelli Jr. and his wife Sarah, and their children Catherine, Elizabeth, Alan and John.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the NH Audubon, 84 Silk Farm Road, Concord NH 03301 and the Park Avenue Foundation, 184 Park Avenue, Florham Park NJ 07932.
All funeral arrangements have been made private for the family.