Barbara Levin Amster
Beloved teacher in Short Hills, married for close to 65 years to bridge partner and the love of her life, kept close to her alma mater Mount Holyoke and 'always saw the good in people'
Barbara Levin Amster, a resident of New Providence, N.J., passed away on April 16, 2019. She was a member of "The Greatest Generation" and epitomized the absolute best this era had to offer.
Barbara was born in Newark, N.J., in 1928 to Harry and Henrietta (Hattie) Levin. Her life was shaped by the Great Depression and World War II, as so many people of her generation were. Barbara was a beautiful woman and brilliant student. She was raised in East Orange, N.J., with her younger brother Richard, and she graduated from Clifford J. Scott High School. In a class of 650, she was the valedictorian. She was truly her father's daughter and the apple of his eye. She was a kind woman who was loved by everyone whose path she crossed.
At the age of 18, she attended Mount Holyoke College, majored in French, was a Phi Beta Kappa, and graduated in 1950. She remained active with the college in alumnae affairs and volunteered for the college throughout her adult life.
While on a college summer break at the New Jersey shore in 1947, she met the love of her life, a dashing young Navy veteran and law school student named Richard Amster. They were married in 1949 and remained happily married to each other for almost 65 years until Dick's passing.
Barbara lived a long and rich life as a loving and devoted wife and mother. She and Dick raised three children, Richard Jr., Jeanne, and Douglas. Barbara was a teacher for many years at the Deerfield Elementary School in Short Hills, N.J., where she was universally loved by her students, fellow teachers, and administration. She always saw the good in people.
Barbara and Dick traveled extensively, loved the New Jersey shore and spent many years at their shore house in Loveladies Harbor and then Barnegat Light, N.J. They made a formidable bridge pair and won many championships. They cherished their time at the beach.
But mostly, Barbara was devoted to her family. She was the perfect compliment to her husband, and she was the foundation upon which her family was built. She was a kind, generous, and loving person. Her marriage lasted two thirds of the century and it was going strong at the time of her husband's passing.
Her younger brother, Richard Levin, predeceased her, and in recent years she lived at Lantern Hill, where she developed a whole new set of wonderful relationships.
She is survived by her three children: Richard, Jeanne, and Douglas; four grandchildren: Rachel, Casey, Arden and Alexandra, and a great-grandson, Gabriel.
Service will be held on Monday, April 22, 2019 at 11:30 a.m. at the Bernheim Apter Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel, 68 Old Short Hills Road, Livingston, N.J. There will be a burial to follow at the Oheb Shalom Cemetery in Hillside, N.J.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be sent to the Barbara L. Amster '50 Scholarship Fund at Mt. Holyoke College, 50 College St. South Hadley, Mass 01075 or by visiting mtholyoke.edu/giving; or the Atlantic Healthcare Foundation, Morristown, N.J., or a .