Obituary of Sylvia Kalb

Sylvia Kalb passed away at the age of 95 on February 1, 2021, in Long Branch, NJ. Born to Rose and Kalman Bleichfeld on September 21, 1925, Sylvia was raised with her younger siblings, Herby, Hannah and Edith, in Brooklyn, NY, where the family owned a grocery store. Bright, beautiful and ambitious, Sylvia graduated high school at 16 and went to work in Manhattan, taking the subway to Midtown, where she took lunch breaks at the Horn and Hardart Automat and Burger Heaven (where the relish was free!). In 1946, Sylvia married Joseph Kalb, an immigrant from Germany who served in the U.S. Army during WWII; they settled in Farmingdale, NJ, where they ran an egg business and raised their three girls, Barbara, Frances and Judy, on an egg farm. A city girl at heart, Sylvia nonetheless threw herself into “country life”: managing the books of the family business, overseeing the household, vaccinating chickens, running the PTA, leading Brownies troops, and confronting any school administrator who would dare punish her children for taking Jewish holidays off. Weekends and holidays were often spent with her family, who had also settled nearby. The Kalbs would often stay at a hotel in Lakewood and gather with parents, aunts, uncles, siblings, nieces and cousins for services, meals and much laughter. This close-knit family was the center of Sylvia’s world. In the early 1970s, Sylvia and Joe moved to Harbour Mansion in Long Branch, NJ, trading farm life for cocktail parties by the pool, days on the beach and sunrise walks on the boardwalk, which Sylvia took every day for over four decades. Eventually, grandchildren arrived; Jennifer, Andy and Marlene spent their happiest days at grandma’s house, playing on her beach and swimming in her pool, and remembering to always, always, always shower off the sand before coming upstairs for lunch and a bowl of ice cream. Sylvia Kalb had an impeccable sense of style and an iron will. Things should be “just so,” which meant shopping excursions to wholesalers in the city for clothes, bags and hats, and even the perfect feathers to fill the pillows. She devoured the newspaper, ever on the hunt for investment insights, business opportunities and potential spouses for grandchildren. Her “buy and hold forever” strategy kept her above the fray in any market. She always had a book by her side and kept a smile on her face. She now joins her parents, her husband Joe, daughter Fran, brother Herby and sons-in-law Bruce and Marvin. She will be forever adored and missed by her sisters Hannah and Edie, her daughters Barbara and Judy, son in law George, grandchildren Jennifer, Jonathan, Andy, Jody, Marlene and Bryce, and her great grandchildren Aiyla, Sadie and Archer. Graveside services will be held at Congregation Agudath Achim Cemetery, Route 33, Freehold on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. Memorial donations to Chabad of the Shore (Long Branch) Malala Fund would be appreciated. You are invited to view the service through Zoom. The details are shown below. Topic: Mrs. Kalb's Graveside Service Time: Feb 4, 2021 11:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89388534538?pwd=VDYwSjloOUdlOVFWdVZ4R3VKT004Zz09 Meeting ID: 893 8853 4538 Passcode: 731389 One tap mobile +19292056099,,89388534538#,,,,*731389# US (New York) +13017158592,,89388534538#,,,,*731389# US (Washington DC) Dial by your location +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) Meeting ID: 893 8853 4538 Passcode: 731389 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdDtEXfi9J