Obituary of Elsie V. Bockoven

Elsie V. Bockoven passed away on January 13, 2024. She was 99 years old and in her 100^th year of life.

Born in Gladstone, NJ, to parents Russell and Wilhelmina (Morris) Hockenbury, Elsie attended and graduated from Bernardsville High School. She was a resident of Gladstone and Mendham until 1982, when she began to split her time between Mendham and Lake Worth, FL. After the passing of her husband, she became a resident of Chester before settling in Pennsylvania and Hackettstown with her two daughters.

Elsie was a homemaker, a mother, a wife, a sister and a friend to many. Her biggest accomplishment and greatest joy was her family. She was a stay at home mother while raising her children, but worked in both the Mendham High School and DelBarton School kitchens once her daughters graduated. She was very active in their childhood activities and, as one of the only women in her neighborhood who could drive at the time, often served as the unofficial chauffeur, shuttling her kids and their friends to all of their sports games, doctor appointments, and everywhere in between. She took on this role once more during her time living in Chester, assisting her neighbors and friends with transportation, shopping, and appointments. Elsie may have been stubborn, but her heart was huge and she loved her family deeply. Elsie was very active in her church and served faithfully in the community food pantry for many years.

Elsie is predeceased by her beloved husband of 57 years, the late Robert T. Bockoven, and her brothers William and Russell Hockenbury. She is survived by her daughters, Diane King and Barbara (Peter) Thompson, grandchildren Robert and Paul (Joanly) Couillard, Carie and Joshua (Gina) Thompson, and great grandchildren Jayden, Corban, Aaliyah, Celina, and Lyric Couillard, and Sarah, Selah, Cecilia, and Caleb Thompson.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, January 20, from 9:30 to 11 AM at the Bailey Funeral Home, 8 Hilltop Road, Mendham, followed by a funeral service in the funeral home at 11 AM. Interment in Hilltop Cemetery, Mendham. In lieu of flowers, donations in Elsie’s memory may be made by mail to New Beginnings Church at 45 Indigo Road Hackettstown, NJ 07840.