Laurel Hessing

Laurel Hessing, 81, of Berkeley Heights died Nov. 19, 2017. Born in Queens, she lived in Berkeley Heights since 1939. 

A playwright and a poet, several of her plays (“The Little Prince,” “The Golden Bear,” “Sketching Utopia,” and “The Further Adventures of Uncle Wigly”) were produced by the Theater for the New City, New York. For over 30 years, she had been an insurance claims handler and licensed insurance broker before retiring in 2006. 

She earned a B.A. from Rutgers University, where she was awarded the Rutgers Achievement Award in Comparative Literature. 

She was a member of Congregation Ohr Shalom-Summit Jewish Community Center and its choir. She was also the chairman of the Free Acres Historical and Archive Committee in Berkeley Heights. 

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She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Sigmar; two daughters, Ilana (Steven Ginsburg) of Yardley, Pa., and Rachel (Tim) Wintemberg of Berkeley Heights; her son, Ariel of Green Brook; a sister, Crystal Field of New York City; and two grandchildren. 

Services were held Nov. 22 with arrangements by Ross’ Shalom Chapels, Springfield. Memorial contributions may be made to the Theater for the New City.