Dawn Lee Mandico

Dawn Lee Mandico (Vetter), aged 69, passed away on August 18, 2023 after a brave and inexorable fight with cancer. She was born in Patterson, NJ , to her parents Shirley M. and George W Vetter, II in 1954.

Dawn was primarily raised in the Woodbridge, NJ area where she lived with her parents, her older brother George W Vetter, III (d. 1988), and younger sisters Melody Lee Vetter (O’Donnell) and Tracey Lee Vetter (d. 2003). There were many adventures and experiences with her siblings as well as with her lifelong friend Tina (Banana) Vitelle which Dawn would often share and muse about. As a family, they had many good times and also many hard times, and all of it really helped shape the strong, funny and intelligent woman that she came to be. While she was alive, Dawn adored her father George, a WWII veteran. During the last few years of his life, she visited him regularly in the veteran’s home where she volunteered to call bingo, up until his premature passing in 1980.

With her first marriage, Dawn moved to Perth Amboy where she gave birth to her daughter Nicolette Lee Mandico (Reiser). In Perth Amboy, Dawn worked as a waitress first at Madison Pines and then at La Villa Pub where she met many people, and was always happy to contribute to the goodness of everyone’s day with her friendly way of being and her cheerful disposition. She was an excellent waitress, as customer service and caring for people are truly life skills in which she excelled. For 15 years she worked as an office manager for Seville Auto Body and there her intelligence, clerical aptitude, and problem solving skills really had a chance to shine. While there she became the first female auto body technician in NJ, no small feat in 1984! During this time she also waitressed at night at Friendly's Restaurant in Woodbridge Center.

In 1987 she experienced the joy of becoming an aunt when her sister Melody Lee gave birth to her nephews and niece, Steven (Goosey) O’Donnell, Ryan O’Donnell and Heather O’Donnell. Dawn really enjoyed being an aunt.

Dawn thoroughly loved to work and when she moved to Tampa, FL from 1998-2004 she worked both at BRW Contracting and Arizona Beverages in office and accounting positions. And here again she proved to be a valuable asset to each of these companies, always showing up and giving her very best with her dedicated work ethic, her high intellect and her excellent people skills.

In 2003, after the early death of her sister Tracey Lee, she moved to the Sewaren section of Woodbridge and bought a home with her mother Shirley, and lived within a few blocks of her daughter Nicolette and her granddaughter Mia. It was here that she also married her last husband Robert Rodrigues. With that marriage her family expanded to include 4 beautiful adult children, Andrea and her husband George Ciubinski, Robert Rodrigues Jr and his wife Kerri, Justin Rodrigues and Ashley Rordigues (d. 2012). They went on to give her 3 more beautiful grandchildren: Justin Jr, Brynn and Avari. While in Sewaren she split her time between enjoying her family, working first at the REO Diner and then at Automated Medical Products, and taking trips to Atlantic City. She loved cooking for her family, hosting holidays, and truly being a benevolent and generous mom and grandmom. She was a wonderful dog mom to her Yorkie, Chuck E. Tracker (d 2012), for nearly 20 years.

10 years ago she moved to a 55+ village in Whiting, NJ to enjoy her retirement. Wherever Dawn went she made friends with her affable and outgoing personality. She had a hilarious sense of humor and was a phenomenal story teller, as well as a really fun and kind person to be around. She loved gift giving, using her tremendous imagination and creativity to create elaborate gifts for friends, family, and even for her doctors. She was beyond generous, but not just with material gifts but also of her time. She was often visiting sick friends and helping them out with rides or even dog walking. Dawn also enjoyed spending time with her beloved Shorkie, Chiklet, whom she doted on as a dog mom as well as bringing gifts and treats to her grandcats, Isabella and Fiona.

She will be missed immensely by her daughter Nicolette Lee and her granddaughter Mia Zara. Dawn was extremely proud of these two women and there wasn’t a single person she met that she didn’t tell this to; sharing stories, pictures, and updates of them. She was always there for them; investing in their education and supporting their hopes and dreams. She enjoyed spending time with them, and they had many good laughs and memorable times together.

Dawn also leaves behind so many people who knew and loved her including her current son-in-law, Louis Kukor, her former son-in-law Thomas Reiser, her grandson-in-law to be Carl Cirilli, her sister-in-law Susan Guppy, her many friends from her 55+ community including Sandra, who was by her bedside everyday during the final days of her life, Helen, Kathy, Evelyn, Marion, Pauline, her cousins Mark & Michael, and so many other friends and family who she made connections with during her lifetime. Dawn was truly an extraordinary woman who made friends everywhere she went!

Please come out and join us to celebrate her life on Sunday October 8, 2023 from Noon-4pm at the American Legion, Post 87, 314 Berry St, Woodbridge, NJ 07095.

You can RSVP for the celebration at this form , which also has a place to share your stories. https://forms.gle/wTUP9FC5x1YL9JbB8