A Memorial Mass for M. Theresa (Edelen) Westerman, 90, of Lecanto, FL, formerly of Livingston and Avon-by-the-Sea, NJ, will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 22, 2016, at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Mountain Lakes, NJ. She passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 28, in Lecanto. Terrie was born in Orange, NJ. After attending Marylawn of the Oranges in South Orange, she studied at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, CT and later Newark State Teachers College (Kean University) in Union, NJ, where she earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in Education. She served as a devoted classroom teacher and reading specialist in the East Hanover Township School District for more than 26 years before retiring in 1993. In 1946, she married William Westerman, and together they raised five children and opened their homes to many during their almost 60 years of marriage. Terrie was a passionate advocate for children. At a time when special services for hearing impaired/learning disabled children were not always available, Terrie earned her commercial license to provide transportation for her own son, Billy, and other special needs children to ensure access to out of district special education services. In addition, Terrie was a licensed NJ realtor. She was active with the League of Women Voters and St. Philomena’s Church in Livingston, where she was a parishioner for over 50 years. Terrie was a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and possessed a tenacious social conscience. She brought her own children to join in marching for Civil Rights in Newark in the 1960s. After her retirement, she continued to tutor disadvantaged youths in Essex County and Asbury Park. She had incredible clarity and conviction in her beliefs, which were demonstrated with faith-filled action. We can honor her by doing the same. Terrie was preceded in death by her husband, William, and her son, William Jr. She is survived by her daughters, Margaret Hoogenakker (Ronald) and Mary Lou Meseroll (Scott), and her sons, Richard (Marie) and James (Nancy); ten grandchildren, William, Elizabeth, Michael, Brian, Patrick, Jill, Jessica, Sean, Danielle, and William;, her great-grandchildren, Brigid and Michael; her sister-in-law, Betty Edelen of NC; and many nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to St. Catherine of Siena Haiti Fund, 10 N. Pocono Road, Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046.
