Obituary of Marie Leeuw

Marie Leeuw,of Colts Neck passed away peacefully at home on October 27th, 2018. Born 1918 in New York City, soon afterward her small family moved to Mexico City where they lived very comfortably, her dad being an mechanical engineer and her mom being a concert pianist and piano teacher, her 5 siblings were born there. In approximately 1930 the family, fearing for their lives due to religious persecution fled leaving literally everything behind and moved to NYC. Marie attended grammar school at P.S. 11 and Washington Irving High School in Manhattan, she became a perfect anglophone. Her mother continued as a classical piano teacher during the dark days of the Depression, helping to provide crucial income. Her father was and engineer for R. Hoe & Co. in N. Y. C. and a test pilot for the French-made Blériot monoplane operating near Mineola on Long Island. He also would be just weeks short of having the first patent on the automotive electric starter. Marie’s love of music and dancing brought her to social dance gatherings at Our Lady of Guadalupe church in New York City on west 14th street. There, she met her future husband while dancing with friends. In 1944 Marie danced to wedding bells with Charles G. Leeuw - at this very same church. The Army granted Charles just three days to be married and have a honeymoon. Enjoy a honeymoon they did, at the Statler Hilton in New York City. The young man who introduced Marie to Charles at that dance would remain a close friend of the Leeuw family for life. Marie worked for a time in the city at Peck & Peck on Fifth Avenue. In 1940 Charles enlisted in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged in 1945. Now that same young man who introduced Marie to Charlie told him about a job opening in the city at a fragrance company - Polak & Schwartz. His application was accepted. Around 1948 Marie and Charles moved from Woodside, Queens to Norwood, New Jersey. There she raised four children - Charles, William, Celeste and George. Around 1950 Polak & Schwartz merged into what is now International Flavors and Fragrances. A growing global presence, IFF built a new administration building on RT 36 in Hazlet. The new offices provided an opportunity for Charles and Marie to settle in the quiet open spaces that were abundant in Monmouth County. Marie & Charles relocated from north Jersey to Colts Neck in 1971. The house they chose was Marie’s dream - an attached garage, a large wrap-around deck and views of a gently-flowing Yellow Brook. There Marie engaged in her passions of creating beautiful gardens and loved to entertain her family and friends. Marie has seen extraordinary changes and events in her lifetime. She was just 12 years old by the end of the Roaring Twenties. As a young teenager she experienced first-hand the hardships of the Great Depression. Marie understood all too well - “Waste Not, Want Not”. President Roosevelt’s “New Deal”, the horror of December 7th 1941 and the start of start of World War II to name just a few. All of Marie’s family are thankful and blessed to have been a part of such a good neighborhood. Recently, Fr. William Bausch who was the long-time pastor of St. Mary’s visited Marie. We will always be thankful for the Spiritual Guidance and friendship of Fr. Bausch. Marie was an active member of St Mary’s Martha Mary Guild and weekly attended Christian Yoga offered at the church, she was an avid walker as well. After her husband’s passing Marie wished to continue to live in her Colts Neck home and was able to do so until the end thanks to the care provided by her loving son, George and his family living nearby in Matawan. A special thank-you goes out to all the friends, neighbors and caregivers that made Marie’s aging at home possible. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to the VNA of Central New Jersey. Marie is survived by her old son Charles and spouse Janeece Leeuw of Fairfax, VT. Their son Christian and spouse Julie, great grandchildren Maisie Julia 13 and Curren Charles 10 of San Diego, CA. Their son John and spouse Sarah Leeuw and great grandchildren Christian Scott 16, Emerson Isabel 5, and Isadora Blake 3, of Colchester, VT. Her grandson Timothy Paul and spouse Shelby Ann of Dillon, MT. Her son William and Marilyn Leeuw of Lincoln, VT, her grandchildren Michael and Thomas. Her daughter Celeste Leeuw of Charlotte, VT; and her son George and spouse Doreen Leeuw of Matawan, NJ. Their son James Peter and spouse Jennifer, her great granddaughter Gabriella Theresa, one month, and their daughter Lauren Marie Leeuw. The viewing will be held at the Higgins Memorial Home, 20 Center Street, Freehold on Monday from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Mary’s Church, Colts Neck on Tuesday at 9:00 a.m. followed interment at Rhinebeck Cemetery, Rhinebeck, N.Y.