Marjorie Gilbert Knipper passed away peacefully at her home in Shrewsbury, NJ on December 25, 2016. She was 86. She had recently moved to Shrewsbury after living many years in Monroe Township, NJ.
A native of Newark, NJ, Marjorie was raised in Maplewood, NJ. She received an associate degree in retail merchandising at Lasell Junior College and was employed as a buyer by Mercantile Stores, New York City. In 1954 she converted from Presbyterian to Catholicism and 18 months later she entered the Order of the Holy Child of Jesus and took the name Sister Mary Benjamin and later Sister Marjorie Gilbert. She went on to obtain a BS and MS in Education from Fordham University.
Marjorie taught at stationed schools in Waukegan, IL, Westbury, IL and at The Oak Knoll School, Summit, NJ. She was an award winning author and the play writer of the Child’s Version of Godspell. After leaving the religious order, she worked for the Catholic Diocese of Trenton where she held the position of Director of Religious Education at St. Mary’s Church, Colts Neck, St. Paul Church, Princeton and Our Lady of Good Counsel, Moorestown, NJ.
In 2002, she married Joseph P. Knipper and enjoyed many years of travel and retirement before her husband’s death in 2008.
Marjorie was also predeceased by her twin sister, Elizabeth June Gilbert, her sister Emma Carver, her brother Alan Gilbert and her nephew Gilbert Carver. She is survived by her sisters, Dorothy Williams of Brattleboro, VT and Patricia Sherwood (Gene) of Palm Desert CA, her brothers Richard Gilbert (Sandra) of San Diego, CA and Benjamin Gilbert of New Jersey, her brother-in-law Calvin Carver (June) of New Jersey and sixteen nieces and nephews. Surviving also are her step-children, Joseph G. Knipper (Sharon) of Jackson, NJ, Patrick Knipper (Patricia) of Naples, FL, James Knipper (Teresa) of Princeton and Cape May, and Mary Jo McKinley (James) of West Long Branch. She is also survived by eleven step-grandchildren and four step great-grandchildren.
Since education was so important to Marjorie, in lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made in her name to the Friends of Academy Charter High School, at 1725 Main Street, Lake Como, NJ 07719, where her step-daughter. Mary Jo is the Founder/Director, or to The Joseph and Jean Knipper Scholarship at St. Paul School, 214 Nassau Street, Princeton NJ 08540.
Mather-Hodge Funeral Home of Princeton is in charge of arrangements. Viewing will take place on December 29 from 9 – 10:45 a.m. at St. Paul Church, Princeton, NJ. The Mass of the Resurrection will immediately follow at St. Paul at 11:00 a.m. Interment will take place in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Rochester, NY.
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