This story is part of Loved and Lost, a statewide media collaboration working to celebrate the life of every New Jersey resident who died of COVID-19. To learn more and submit a loved one’s name to be profiled, visit lovedandlostnj.com.

He was the life of the party, a jokester, a family man and the kind of “go-to” friend you call when you need support.

Even when illness left him in need of assistance, David Mariconda advocated for the welfare and happiness of his new neighbors in a nursing home.

The Paterson native was 63 when he died on April 9, 2020. But he made the most of his short life and is likely still cheering for his beloved New York Rangers, his family says.

“He was a Yankees, Giants and Rangers fan,” said his wife, the former Therese “Tammy” Doyle. “But his big thing was the Rangers. I mean, he was a really big Rangers fan.”

He shared some of that hockey passion with his children, Gregory and Timothy.

David Mariconda

“He was a great father,” Tim Mariconda said. “Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts. He was a roller hockey coach for a couple of years.”

Tammy said it was hard for Dave to get to games and other family events, but always did his best, even when he was working full time in Manhattan.

He worked in the computer payroll division of the U.S. Postal Service at its massive facility in Manhattan, across the street from Madison Square Garden.