Grace Kingsbury

Grace Kingsbury,recently of the Sunrise Community of Westfield NJ, died on Saturday, November 18, 2017. She was born on April 14,1937 and lived in Jersey City NJ until 1965 when she moved to Cranford. Grace graduated from Snyder High School in Jersey City and received her Bachelor's Degree and a Masters' Degree in Education from the then Jersey City State College. She was also a demonstration teacher in its Laboratory School. She received advanced degrees in education from Rutgers University.

Grace started her teaching career in Union City NJ,and also taught as a specialist in the Springfield NJ schools. She worked in the Summit School system as a Principal from 1974 until she retired in 1999. For three summers starting in 1967 she taught with the Teach Corps in Sierra Leone and Ethiopia sharing her skills and making life long friends. During her retirement she became an active member and volunteer of the Master Gardeners Association as well as the Union County Principals' Association. Above all Grace loved working with children and continued to serve as a Child Advocate for the State of NJ. Wherever she worked or volunteered she was a mentor, warmly regarded by her colleagues, the children, and the children's families. On her vacations and in her retirement Grace traveled extensively in the USA, Europe, and China, often with her dear friend Maggie Erwin who died in 2014. While at home, they both loved going to museums, the opera, ballet and theater in NYC and finding great new restaurants.

Most of all, Grace loved her family and her large group of loyal friends. She was always supportive of their many activities. She never missed a family event and was present for countless recitals, games, plays and graduations of her nieces and nephews. She spent her 80th birthday celebration surrounded by loved ones who traveled to her home in Cranford from all over the country. She was the daughter of the late John and Wilhelmina Kingsbury and was predeceased by her sisters Jeanne Lamie, Joan Obermeier Schluter and brother John William Kingsbury. Her sister Judith Kingsbury Speer of Hudson,MA. will greatly miss their visits and frequent phone calls. She was a proud aunt to many nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews who reside in NJ, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Oregon, Tennessee,Colorado and California.

A Memorial Celebration will be held on January 13, 2018 at 1 PM at the First Presbyterian Church of Cranford, where she served for many years as an Elder and a member of the Board of Deacons. A reception will follow. Memorial donations in her name may be made to the Service and Mission Programs of the First Presbyterian Church of Cranford NJ, Save the Children or any group that advocates for children.