Blanche K Halvorsen

Blanche K. Halvorsen died peacefully at home surrounded by family on Friday, December 30, 2022. She was 102 years old. She was born in New York City at home to Joseph and Anna Kopecky on October 18, 1920. She grew up in Elizabeth, NJ and, along with her sister Alice, helped at their parents' bakery. Blanche worked as a secretary after graduating from high school. On June 12, 1944 she married Henry J. Halvorsen on a weekend leave from the Army Air Corps and accompanied him to bases in Louisiana, Nebraska, and Iowa until the war ended and they moved to Westfield, NJ. In 1952 they moved to Cranford, NJ to the home where they raised three children and where she lived until her death. As a homemaker, Blanche enjoyed cooking and was an avid reader. In later years she enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren. Blanche and Henry were active members of the East Baptist Church, Elizabeth, which became the Raritan Road Baptist Church, Cranford and where Blanche served as Treasurer for many years. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and sister. She will be missed by her children, Karen, Ellen and David and their spouses, her grandchildren, Eddie, Liz, Joe, Camille and Kirsten, and her great-grandchildren, Sophie, Anna, and Charlie
Blanche's visitation will be on Tuesday January 10, 2023 beginning at 10AM, at Gray Memorial Funeral Home, 12 Springfield Avenue, Cranford, where her funeral service will follow at 11:00AM Tuesday. Interment will be at Fairview Cemetery, Westfield. Please go to: www. grayfuneralhomes.com to offer condolences and to livestream her funeral service at this link: https://youtu.be/iuo2d9rwEcs.