Marilyn Bernice Siegler of Red Bank passed away peacefully July 10, 2026, at the age of 91.
Born March 29, 1935, on Staten Island, Marilyn was the daughter of Herman and Jeanette (Heller) Bergwerk. Her childhood was rooted in the close-knit Jewish community of Silver Lake. She attended Curtis High School and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts from Brooklyn College and a master’s degree from Rutgers University – an academic path that shaped her career as both an educator and a caregiver.
Marilyn met the love of her life, Seymour “Sy” Siegler (1932-2016), at the annual spring dance at the Jewish Community Center in Silver Lake, the same JCC where Sy’s parents Sam and Dorothy had met. They married and lived a beautiful life together for over 65 years.
Sy loved a good joke, and Marilyn loved to confuse and mess up any punch line. “Look at the orange mother laid” always brought on a giggle. Marylin was classically confused when reading maps, once indicating to her family at the San Diego Zoo that they were “here,” with “here” being the dot in the legend.
Marilyn and Sy raised their five children in Fair Haven and Little Silver. Their home was a hub of activity where Marilyn cooked for every holiday with effortless grace, hosting Passover Seders for 50 or more people both nights for many years, in the traditional manner with Passover-only tableware and cookware. She was the center of her exuberant clan, planning two separate dude ranch adventures for over 40 family members to celebrate her and Sy’s anniversaries. She was also known for her playful spirit, once filling Uncle Jerry’s bathtub with donuts for his birthday.
Marilyn worked a steady number of jobs in her lifetime. She was a homemaker first and foremost, then a home economics teacher at Red Bank Regional High School, a bookkeeper, a camp counselor and a pre-school teacher. Once she received her master’s, she worked as a Registered Dietitian in hospitals and nursing homes throughout New Jersey.
Her Monday nights belonged to mah-jongg, a ritual she kept for over 60 years. Summers were spent at the beach, full face in the rays, with the last week of August almost always dedicated to Long Beach Island, with as many family members as could fit into rented houses and motels. In her free time, she knitted wonderfully oversized socks and personalized cardigans, once knitting a custom sweater for every student in a Red Bank Middle School fourth-grade class.
She was a proud mom, grandma, great-grandma and aunt, throwing amazing parties, thinking of thoughtful gifts, and always remembering to send cards out to each and every family member for whatever occasion, signing off with “Big G, Little G” for her and Sy.
Marilyn was predeceased by her parents, Hyman and Jeanette Bergwerk, and her husband Seymour. She is survived by her brother, Phllip (Debbie) Bergwerk, her five children: Amie (Russ) Riva of Delaware, Margie of Red Bank, Jeff (Leslie) of Long Branch, Steven of Jersey City, and Sara (Kevin) Horn of Red Bank. She will be greatly missed by her grandchildren, Adam (Michele) Laskowitz, Daniel (Jill) Laskowitz, Rebecca Laskowitz, Matt (Sue) Siegler, Sophia Siegler, Sam Siegler, Siobhan Nerys, Miles Hansen, Lyndsay Horn, Charlie Siegler, Shay (Nelly) Siegler, Nora Siegler, Shannon Riva and Michele (Rick) Bernard; as well as her great-grandchildren, James, Ryan, Lucas, Ella, Eli, Lucy, Grace, Beatriz, Samara, Johnny, Justin, Madison and Radley.
A graveside service was held July 12 at B’nai Israel Cemetery in Tinton Falls. Thompson Memorial Home of Red Bank has been entrusted with the arrangements.
The article originally appeared in the July 16 – 22, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
