Obituary of Elsie "Penny" Sweitzer

Elsie “Penny” Sweitzer passed away peacefully on Dec. 12, 2016 at Tidewell Hospice Home in Sarasota, FL. She was 94. She was born in Newark NJ to William Kappler and Elsie Freund in 1922. She grew up in Caldwell and Union, and settled in Whippany where she raised her children. She eventually moved to Green Pond, NJ before moving to Nokomis, FL 20 years ago. She was married to her husband Louis for 53 years until he died in 1995. She married Louis in 1943 only a few days before he was sent to the European theater in WWII. She did not see him for 2 years. Following the war they traveled across country and lived in California for 1 year before returning to New Jersey. Penny worked in several defense-related jobs during the war and was a Proof Reader for Silver Burdette in Morristown for 15 years before retiring in 1986. She was a longtime active member and Deacon of the Whippany Presbyterian Church. She was very active in Kingsgate Club in Nokomis where she lived until her final years at Sunset Lake Assisted Living. Her family will remember her as a loving wife, mother and grandmother who enjoyed playing bridge, gardening, listening to music, and earlier in her life playing tennis. She is survived by one daughter Linda Hodge (Ken) of Flanders, two sons; Craig Sweitzer (Patricia Fritze) of Monson, Mass and Robert Sweitzer of Green Pond, and one brother William Kappler of Toms River. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Kelly Vogtner, Erik Hodge, Zachary, Brian, Michael, James and Matthew Sweitzer and her great grandson Michael Vogtner. Visitation will be held on Friday Dec. 23, 2016 from 9:30am until 11am at the Bailey Funeral Home in Mendham. A funeral service will follow immediately at 11am at the Hilltop Presbyterian Church in Mendham. Interment at Restland Memorial Park, East Hanover. For those desiring, donations to the Tidewell Hospice House, 5957 Rand Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34238 in her memory, would be appreciated.