1929 - 2019
Annette Laster, originally of Brooklyn, New York, passed away peacefully on September 22, 2019 at the age of 89. She leaves behind a legacy of generosity, resilience, tenacity and love.

Annette was born on November 16, 1929, the youngest of Morris and Sophie Weinstein's four daughters. She is pre-deceased by her sisters Marian Smolin, Elaine Singer and Shirley Zeisel, and by her husband, Sidney Laster.

Annette and Sid met at Rockaway Beach in their early twenties and were married on March 16, 1951. The couple went on to raise four sons – Martin Laster of Bellingham, WA, Jeffrey Laster of Wayne, NJ, Arthur Laster of Sparta, NJ and Daniel Laster of Seattle, WA. The boys will remember their mother as a fierce protector with the sharp wit and shrewd business sense you'd expect from a child of the Great Depression. She took them ice skating on New Year's Eve, practiced her bowling technique in the living room and drove to Fort Lee each week to buy the Sunday New York Times.

They also remember her being career-focused at a time when it was not in vogue. She returned to work after her youngest son started school and gradually assumed larger roles, limited only by lack of college degree. She took a part-time position as a legal secretary, then worked as an office manager and ultimately became an administrator. Even in the workplace, she stood firm on principle and never kow-towed to hierarchy.

She enjoyed art, music, ballet, camping and racquetball. She was a die-hard New York Yankees fan and beamed with pride when recounting the day her mother fit Jackie Robinson for a pair of shoes while working at Abraham & Straus.

Annette commanded her position as the matriarch of her family until her final days, despite a long and often challenging battle with Alzheimer's Disease. She was prickly by nature but unabashedly sentimental when surrounded by her sons and their families. The birth of each grandchild and great grandchild revealed a new chink in the armor – another opportunity to love and be loved. She taught her grandsons to respect women, and her granddaughters to demand respect from men. She was formidable but endearing; generous but not over-indulgent; proud but never boastful.

Annette's sons would like to express their gratitude to the staff at Arden Courts of Whippany for preserving their mother's peace, comfort and dignity in the weeks before she passed. In lieu of services, the Lasters will honor Annette's wishes and gather together to celebrate the life and family that she and Sidney built over more than 63 years of marriage.