Karen Herbstman, 77, of Little Silver and Boca Raton, Florida, passed away at home Aug. 13, 2025, with her family by her side.
She was born Oct. 21, 1947, in Irvington to the late Hy Katz and Mili Lauer and was the sister of Jeff Lauer.
Karen grew up in Metuchen and graduated from Syracuse University. She taught English and loved words, starting each day with The New York Times crossword, sudoku, Wordle and Connections. She was a bridge Grand Master and a dedicated competitor.
Karen enjoyed cooking through Julia Child’s recipes, gardening and hosting family and friends. She is survived by her husband of 35 years, William Herbstman; daughters Alison Novara (Michael) and Jill Drummond (Jamie); stepchildren David Herbstman (Karen) and Wendi Hanlon (Joe); and grandchildren Phoebe, Ben, Maddy, Charley, Leo, Caleb, Coco and Will. She valued time with her children and grandchildren.
Karen and Billy traveled often and visited many places together. She will be missed by all who knew her.
Donations can be made to JESPY House, a nonprofit organization supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, at jespyhouse.org/donate.
The article originally appeared in the August 21 – 28, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
