January 14, 1938 – October 21, 2023
Carol Pedersen Rittershofer of Locust passed away one year ago, Oct. 21, 2023, at the age of 85, after a brief illness with Covid. She was predeceased by her parents, Arnold and Elizabeth Pedersen. Her brother Arnold (Arni) Pedersen passed away four months after her.
She is survived by her husband of almost 65 years, Kenneth B. Rittershofer of Locust, her two daughters, Lynne Layton and Lori Reizer and her husband Tom, her grandchildren, Jennifer Dwyer, Jessica Layton, Joseph Reizer and Jordan Reizer, and her great-grandchildren, Lily and Liam Dwyer.
Carol was born Jan. 14, 1938, in Long Branch and grew up in Highlands. She was a member of the United Methodist Church and, prior to that, Central Baptist Church, both in Atlantic Highlands.
Ken and Carol both graduated from Atlantic Highlands High School in 1955. Ken attended Monmouth Junior College, served in the U.S. Army, and attended basic training at Fort Hood, Texas, before being deployed to Germany. Before leaving for Germany, Ken and Carol got married so she could go with him. Carol took a two-year leave of absence from her secretarial position working for Lawrence A. Carton Jr., Esq. When she returned from Germany, Mr. Carton welcomed her back and surprised her with the news that he had been appointed a judge and she was moving with him to their new chambers in Red Bank. Carol worked for Judge Carton for the 12 years he served on the bench. That position started her 35-year career as secretary to several judges in the Monmouth County Superior Court Appellate Division and New Jersey Supreme Court justices. Carol also worked for the well-respected Justice Daniel O’Hern for 19 years until he retired at age 70. Carol was well-liked and respected by the legal community, and everyone wanted her as their secretary.
Ken and Carol married Dec. 21, 1958, and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a family trip to Cancun, Mexico, 15 years ago. They were honored by their family at a dinner at the Moon Palace Resort. They loved to vacation in Cancun annually.
Ken worked as a printer for many years and is a 50-year member of New York Typographical Union No. 6. Carol was the love of his life for 70 years and is deeply missed.
Carol was a wonderful wife, loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and friend to many. She leaves behind many co-workers who became cherished life-long friends throughout her career as a legal secretary. She is deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.
The article originally appeared in the October 17 – 23, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
