Obituary of Florence W. Bockoven

Florence W. Bockoven passed away peacefully on December 26, 2025. She was 99 years old.

Born in Ontario, Canada, to parents George Enrnest Walton and Susan Gilbert, Florence and her family moved to New Jersey where they lived and worked on local farms in the Chester/Mendham area. She married her husband, Donald, and settled in Brookside on the Bockoven’s Willow Tree Dairy Farm, and remained a resident of Brookside for over 70 years before moving to Blairstown six years ago to live with her son. She was a lifelong parishioner of Brookside Community Church and a founding member of their choir, in which she sang for more than 60 years.

Florence was an important and active member of her community, driving a school bus for the Mendham Township School System for more than 40 years, staying active with her church, and operating Willow Tree Dairy Farm with her husband until 1990. She loved farming and gardening, canning her harvests and preferring natural remedies like they did in the old days. She taught her grandkids about gardening and canning, and loved to tell them about Mendham and Brookside back in the day.  Her home was full of antiques that were passed down from generations of Bockovens, each with a story of who it belonged to and how it was used. 

Florence is predeceased by her husband of 52 years, the late Donald Bockoven, her brother Ernie Walton, son Donald K. (Sarah) Bockoven, and daughter-in-law Christine Bockoven. She is survived by her son, Douglas Bockoven, grandchildren Kellie (Brian) Ferrara, Lindsay (Christopher) Hunt, Katie (Michael) Brubaker, Keith (Bill Terhune) Bockoven, Jesse (Brenna) Bockoven, and Michael Vickers, and great grandchildren Halle, Thomas, Garrett, Gunner, Travis, Rylie, William and Emily.

A memorial service will be held on January 10th at 11:00 am at Brookside Community Church, 8 East Main Street, Brookside, NJ 07926. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Brookside Community Church.