Stephen Facciola of Toms River, NJ passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 18, 2020 at Community Medical Center in Toms River, NJ surrounded by his loving family. He was 71 years old. Stephen was born on February 1, 1949 in Jersey City, NJ to Clotilda (Battaglino) and the late Joseph Facciola. Stephen was a botanist and published several informative books pertaining to edible plants and vegetables. He lived in North Bergen, NJ and then moved to California where he owned and operated a nursery before retiring to Toms River. Stephen is survived by his mother, Clotilde Facciola, his sister, Sandra Mancuso & her husband, John, his aunt, Carolina Matrisciano, his cherished nieces and nephews, Gabrielle Mancuso, Frank Mancuso and Nicholas Mancuso and his grandnieces and grandnephews, Alaina Mancuso, Julia Mancuso, Vincent Mancuso and Logan Mancuso and his cousins, Michele Matrisciano and Frank Matrisciano. He was pre-deceased by his father, Joseph Facciola in 2004. Stephen's Life Celebration will include a visitation on Wednesday, July 22nd from 4:00 to 8:00 pm at Leber-Lakeside Funeral Home, 150 Landing Road, Landing, NJ. There will be a Prayer Service offered on Thursday morning July 23rd at 10:00 am also at the funeral home. Stephen will be laid to rest at George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, NJ. All services are entrusted to the Leber-Lakeside Funeral Home of Landing, NJ. For memorial donations, please consider The Lupus Foundation of America www.lupus.org