Beryl Blake

Beryl Kennedy Blake of Bound Brook,passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by her family on November 17, 2022. She was 93 years old.

Beryl was born on October 25, 1929 in Thames, New Zealand. She graduated from Takapuna Grammar School and began work as a secretary at a cancer clinic in Auckland, New Zealand. Beryl moved to London in 1955, and married her beloved husband George in December of 1956. They subsequently moved to Scotland where their daughters Anne and Laura were born. In 1965 they moved with their young family to New Jersey where they have made their home ever since.

In their life together, Beryl and George travelled the globe, from the pyramids of Egypt to the interior of China; from Iran and the middle East to Tibet, experiencing together the history and rich cultures from around the world. Beryl was a talented gardener, creating gorgeous gardens in her homes, whether at the NJ shore, at her home in Bound Brook or at her beloved home in Tairua, New Zealand. She was a fabulous cook, talented knitter and competitive bridge player, travelling extensively with her partner George to compete in tournaments around the country. She was a member of the Bound Brook Presbyterian Church for many decades, and more recently a member of the High Mountain Presbyterian Church at Franklin Lakes.

Beryl is predeceased by her daughter, Anne Kennedy McAllister. She is survived by her beloved husband George, her daughter Laura Blake Peterson and her husband Rev. Louis Kilgore, granddaughters Paige Kennedy Peterson, Elizabeth Anne McAllister, Jennifer Kennedy Ostroski, and her husband David Ostroski , and great grandchildren Jack and Penny. Beryl is also survived by her step-grandchildren whom she loved dearly: Gregory Philip Kilgore and his wife Michelle and their children Evan and Abigail, Gretchen Lyn Kilgore, Megan Elizabeth Kilgore, and Emily Catherine Yellen and her husband Adam.

Visiting hours will be 3:00 – 5:00 PM, Sunday, November 20, 2022, at Hagan-Chamberlain Funeral Home, 225 Mountain Ave., Bound Brook. A service of Witness to the Resurrection will be held at the High Mountain Presbyterian Church on Monday, November 21, 2022, at 11:00 a.m.

Donations can be made to the Salvation Army or the High Mountain Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund, 30 Franklin Lake Rd, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417.