Mary Kaempfen, a community columnist for the Hillsborough Beacon in the 1970s and again in the 1990s, died Wednesday, Oct. 22, at Somerset Medical Center, after being stricken at home the previous day. She was 85.
The column, called “A Chat With Mary,” consisted mostly of human interest stories about interesting and colorful local people.
Born Mary Helen Brown on Feb. 8, 1930, in Rochester, N.Y., she received a BA in English from Nazareth College in suburban Rochester.
In her 20s she became a local performer, singing pop standards with popular bands in Rochester. She also did some modeling work, appeared on local television, and even sang the national anthem at the local minor league baseball stadium.
Even though busy, she earned a master’s degree in education, which she used to further her day job as a kindergarten teacher.
In 1957 she met Henry Kaempfen, then a doctoral student in organic chemistry at the University of Rochester. In November 1960 they were married and, in keeping with the times, she gave up her career to become a housewife and mother.
The couple’s first two sons, Robert and Thomas, were born in Belfast while Mr. Kaempfen worked as a post-doctoral fellow at Queens University.
The family returned to the U.S. and settled in Hillsborough. In 1964 they bought a house on Magda Lane in the Village Green. Daughter Teresa was born in 1964 and son John followed in 1965.
As the children got older, she became involved in community activities. She volunteered to entertain at the local veterans hospital, and was involved in the Hillsborough Drug Council, a organization helping to prevent drug use among teenagers. She worked as a substitute teacher. Later she would teach English and rhetoric courses at Raritan Valley Community College.
She is survived by her four children, three grandchildren, her two siblings, numerous nieces and nephews and cousins.
Viewing will be from 2-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct.25, at Ketusky Funeral Home, 1310 Brooks Blvd., Manville. A funeral service is scheduled for Monday at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph Church, Millstone.
