Bernice “Bunny” Hammer Bernice “Bunny” Hammer of Freehold Borough, a former public school educator in Freehold Borough, Manalapan and Marlboro, has died after a brief illness.
Hammer’s death was reported to the News Transcript, one of Greater Media’s newspapers, on March 18 by her daughter, Lynn Reich.
Hammer was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and was raised in Jamesburg. She was a graduate of Monroe Township High School and Drake College of Business.
She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Science, a Master of Arts in teaching from Monmouth College (now Monmouth University) and a master’s degree in library service from Rutgers University.
Prior to her retirement in 1994, she taught in the Freehold Borough K-8 School District and in the Freehold Regional High School District (FRHSD) at Marlboro and Manalapan high schools.
Hammer was the librarian at the Rugby School in Wall Township after her retirement from teaching. She was a lifelong member of the New Jersey Education Association.
Hammer served on the Freehold Borough Board of Education and on the FRHSD Board of Education as a representative of Freehold Borough. She also served for many years as a commissioner of the Freehold Borough Public Library, and as a member and chairwoman of Freehold Beautiful Inc.
Hammer was predeceased by her husband of 58 years, Jerry.
She is survived by her daughter, Lynn Hammer Reich and her son-in-law Ron Reich of Freehold Borough; her daughter, Rea Hammer Epstein and her son-in-law Howard Epstein of New York City; and her daughter, Della Hammer Cherchia and her son-in-law Jeffrey Cherchia of Marlboro; eight grandchildren and one great-grandson.
A memorial service for Hammer was held on March 24.