Margaret Deforest Wenzel, 87, passed away peacefully at home, after a long illness on April 15, 2017. She was an extraordinary mother, wife, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. Margaret truly lived a full life and will be missed by all. Her unending spirit, smile, kindness and love were with her until the end. She was born on Staten Island, New York on October 25, 1929 to Elsie (Blaine) and Warren Deforest and was the oldest of 3 children. Her sister Patricia Demyan and brother Warren DeForest predeceased her. She attended Curtis High School and went to work for New York Telephone Co. where she retired after 40 years of service. Margaret met and married the love of her life Ronald L. Wenzel and together raised 2 children. She could always be seen at football games, swim meets and dance recitals proudly cheering them on. Holiday and Sunday dinners were always a special time and created many incredible memories for our family. Her family was her life. After her husband’s death in 1989, she moved to Long Beach Island, New Jersey where she was an active parishioner and volunteer at St. Francis Church in Brant Beach. She enjoyed dancing, spending time on the boat, walking on the beach, spoiling her grandsons and going out with friends and family. Margaret loved to travel and did whenever she could. She always gave of her time volunteering at the church, scouts and schools. She was very generous giving to many charities and was a trustee of The Walter Blaine Foundation. The world is a better place because of her.
Margaret is survived by her son Ronald L. Wenzel Jr. and Cynthia Bruno of Fair Haven, NJ, her daughter Patricia and husband Lawrence Bodden of Toms River, and their three sons; Stephen, Michael and David. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews and friends. She will be deeply missed but her spirit lives on in everyone who knew her!! Listen to a country song, have a cocktail or do a kind or generous deed in her name, that would mean the world to her!!!
Visitation will be on Tuesday, April 18th from 2 – 4 PM and 7 – 9 PM at the Thompson Memorial Home located at 310 Broad Street in Red Bank, NJ. A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 AM on Wednesday, April 19th at St. James Church in Red Bank. Burial will follow at Moravian Cemetery on Staten Island, NY.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Saint Francis Food Pantry care of Saint Francis Community Center at 4700 Long Beach Boulevard, Long Beach Township, NJ 08008.
