Obituary of Nancy Jean Ruppel

Nancy Jean Ruppel passed away peacefully in the comfort of her home on Sunday, May 31, 2020. She had shared 79 years of useful wisdom, belly laughs, sass, and unconditional love with family and friends.

Born in Brooklyn to the late Frank and Mary Jean Horsken, she was the oldest of two daughters raised in the Hollis section of Queens. Proud to grow up as the daughter of a NYC Firefighter, Nancy graduated from Andrew Jackson High School, Class of 1958. On May 21, 1960, she married her soulmate, Herman “Hank” Ruppel and soon became a proud wife and mother. They started their family in Queens before relocating to the Rock Ridge section of Denville in 1965 where they continued to grow as a family. While taking on the job of Mom full-time, Nancy also had many odd jobs in addition to putting herself through school to earn her Associates Degree; she was incredible to say the least.

A woman who truly loved the outdoors, she spent all the time she could in nature, lugging her tent wherever she went, until finally upgrading to her coveted pop-up camper. She loved camping, taking road trips, stopping to smell and photograph the flowers, and swimming wherever able. She would often wait for the lifeguards at Rock Ridge Lake to finish their shifts so she could swim around the island after the beach had closed for the day. Nancy also loved reading, gardening, science and history and took great pride in making family trees and researching her genealogy. Above anything else, her family was her first priority. She loved crocheting items for them and spending as much time as possible in their presence. Although we are deeply saddened by her sudden passing, we take comfort in knowing that she is now reunited with her beloved husband, Hank, her loving son, James “Jim”, and her parents.

She leaves only joyful memories to her daughter and son-in-law, Donna and George Schubert, of Bangor, PA; her daughter Jeanne Kraemer of Mine Hill, NJ; her cherished grandchildren, Andrew Schubert and his wife Lindsay, Shaun Schubert, Erin Kraemer, Ashleigh Schubert and her fiancé Michael Gurski, Matthew Kraemer, and Lauren Kraemer; her treasured great-grandson, Jayson Henry Schubert; her sister, Susan Batson and her husband Ronald; her admired kitty cat, Derrick; and many more extended family and friends.

All services will be private. Nancy will be laid to rest with her husband, Hank Ruppel, and son, Jim Ruppel in Denville Cemetery. Memorial Donations are being accepted by way of www.inmemof.org to the National Parks Conservation Association. Please leave a condolence, light a candle and share your favorite memory of Nancy here to continue to celebrate the beautiful life she shared with us.