Marguerite Wolff Obituary

WOLFF
Marguerite "Van" Wolff, 86, whose long battle with dementia was the subject of a cover story in New York Magazine in May, died on September 18.
She was a resident of Ridgewood for more than 25 years; before that she and her husband, Lewis A. Wolff, who died in 1984, lived variously in Guttenberg, Franklin Lakes, North Haledon, and Fair Lawn for more than 35 years.
The oldest child of Albert and Lena Vanderwerf, she was born in 1925 in Paterson and grew up in Prospect Park, where she attended Eastern Christian Academy. She became a reporter for the Paterson Evening News in 1943, and worked there, as a military reporter during the war and after as a general assignment reporter, until the birth of her first child in 1953.
In North Haledon, she was elected to the school board and served as president of the North Haledon Free Public Library. She also served on the session of the First Presbyterian Church of North Haledon. She ran a public relations consulting business, specializing in corporate newsletters. She was a noted cook and for many years gave a series of popular cooking classes. In Franklin Lakes, she and her husband, the President of Force, Inc., an advertising agency in Paterson, opened the Wolff Gallery, specializing in fine art.
After the death of her husband, she became a marketing executive at two pharmaceutical companies, Ivers-Lee and Olin Hunt, and then at an online gaming company, Cyber Warrior. She retired in 2004.
The New York Magazine article, by her oldest son Michael, recounts her and her family's three-year struggle to deal with her increasing dementia and what her son characterized as a "life worth ending." In addition to Michael, who lives in Manhattan, she is survived by a daughter Nancy, also of Manhattan, a son David, of Maui, Hawaii, a brother, Peter, of Connecticut, and three grandchildren, Elizabeth, Susanna, and Steven, all of New York City. Her brother, Sidney, died in 1988.
A memorial service will be held at the Franklin Lakes Presbyterian Church, where she was a long-time member, at 2:00 on Saturday, September, 22.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Record/Herald News on Sep. 20, 2012.

Memories and Condolences
for Marguerite Wolff

6 Entries

Judy S

February 1, 2024

I did not know your mother but I know she was loved very much. The care and devotion the family, especially Michael and Nancy, showed for their mother during her last years proved without a doubt after reading, "Life Worth Living". I know how hard it was taking care of her and the impact of the emotional strain that occurred during those years, as I did this for my own mother. I know your mom was so loved and cherished and I know she felt the love and care that you gave her. Thank you for never giving up on her and being the kind beautiful son and daughter you both were. You both are wonderful people and I pray others will treat their parents as you treated your mom, if and when their needs arise. May God bless both of you for being with your mom during her time of need and helping her with her journey home.

Sincerely,
Judy S.

October 9, 2012

I just heard from a cousin in Whitinsville that Marguerite had died. Please accept our sympathies. Dot Koopman Jaasma (distant cousin) Colts Neck NJ

Debra (More) Lieutenant Williams

September 22, 2012

Michael, Nancy, and David,
I loved your Mom. She enriched my life in ways no one else could. I still speak often of the wonderful opportunities my siblings and I were given by your family. Having just suffered the loss of my husband, I understand the feelings of loving nd losing, and share your sadness. Peace be with you all.

Helen Pannes

September 21, 2012

As a cousin of Van, I am so saddened to share in the loss of a special woman...and treasure the memory of my last visit with her in NYC. I will miss the Memorial Service because I cannot make it back from traveling in California, but send my sincere sympathy to the family.

September 21, 2012

I remember Van so well, and so fondly. I was a next-door neighbor to the Wolffs when they lived in North Haledon. She was a generous and lively woman, always up to something. Some memories include: swimming in the Wolff's pool with neighborhood kids (my sibs and Jim Moore), the summer reading program at the North Haledon Library, Marcia Braggs (their fresh air child who was a friend of mine), going to Lord and Taylor with Van, seeing her fry an egg on the sidewalk at her home on an incredibly hot day. Of course I remember Lew, and the Paterson Christmas parade, where the neighborhood kids got to ride in the float. Michael was always older, Nancy was a sweetheart, and David teased the living daylights out of me. And who can forget Tanga? You are all in our thought and prayers.
Judy (Fridsma) Vriesema
Lowell, MI

September 20, 2012

In the late 1940s, I was a young reporter at The Paterson Evening News. Van was older---I'm 83---but I knew her well and enjoyed working in the newsroom with her. She had a wonderful personality and was well-respected. Just today, I was rifling through my extensive photo files and found two group photos of the entire Paterson News gand. They brought back wonderful memories. I knew her late husband, Lew, who used to visit the office. I extend my condolences to the family.
George J. Homcy
172 Williams Drive
Woodland Park, NJ
973-256-7298
Paterson Evening News 1948-51

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