Marie Ottesen passed away Jan. 25, 2024, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was born in 1935 in Brooklyn, daughter of Santo Gabriele and Clara Gabriele née Rizutti, beloved sister of Fred Gabriele, Trudy Chimento and Carl Gabriele.
She is survived by loving sons Ken and Chris Ottesen, daughter-in-law Liza Ottesen, and grandchildren Christopher and Julie.
Marie was raised in Brooklyn where she met her husband Lloyd. They married in 1959. Soon after that, they moved to the “country,” also known as New Jersey, where they would raise a family.
Marie always emphasized togetherness in doing things with her children. The family went on many wonderful vacations together, usually in the family camper up and down the East Coast. In 1971, Marie and Lloyd took their sons on a bold European adventure, a 30-day road trip through eight countries. She always joked about us driving right by the Eiffel Tower, but not actually stopping to visit!
Marie’s zest for travel stayed with her for many years and included countless other fun moments, including riding by herself on a camel in Egypt and helping her brother speak proper Italian to a snooty waiter in Northern Italy.
Marie and Lloyd raised their kids in Fair Haven where she had a decades-long love affair with the beach at the nearby Jersey Shore. When her kids were small, she took them to the beach club each summer. Then, when her kids were old enough, Marie started working again, for many years as a secretary at the local elementary school. She made many friends there and enjoyed making a difference.
When her grandchildren came along, Marie once again showed herself as a doting parental figure. She saw Christopher and Julie regularly and always lavished love and affection on them. In addition to being a loving grandparent, Marie was a crossword puzzle enthusiast and loved watching old classic movies from her large collection of VHS tapes.
Sadly, Marie lost Lloyd in 2003. She moved to Rolling Meadows, an over-55 community, where she made close friends who helped her with this new phase in her life. Marie had always loved going to the Monmouth Mall while living in Fair Haven, and walking around the mall became a part of how she coped with living on her own. In fact, when she moved to Brandywine Assisted Living in 2012, one of her biggest concerns was whether she would still be able to go to her most prized mall. And yes, she did still go!
Memorial visitation will be held from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 2, with a service at 2:30 p.m. at Thompson Memorial Home, 310 Broad St., Red Bank, NJ 07701.
This article originally appeared in the February 29 – March 6, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
