Glenna Marie Resnikoff, age 88 years, of Raritan Township, NJ, died peacefully on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at Hunterdon Care Center, Raritan Township, NJ
Born on June 11, 1934, in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, the only child of the late Cecil Roy Graham and Ruby Irene Button Graham, Glenna was raised in Oshawa, and had lived in many wonderful countries including Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, and Panama. Moving permanently to the United States in 1977, she first settled in Clinton Township, NJ, before moving to Merritt Island, FL, in 1993 where she lived until moving to Independence Manor in Raritan Township, NJ, in 2017.
Graduating from Colborne High School in 1952, Glenna would attend Queens University in Kingston, Ontario. She would meet her future husband, Ronald Resnikoff, and the pair would wed on January 15, 1955, at the Chapel of Queens University.
Their union would bring Glenna what would become the true light of her life: her children. Ronald Jr., Bonnie (Maria Bonita), Linda, Joan, and Jim would make her laugh, stress, and smile but above all else, they filled her heart. Truly a matriarch in every sense of the word Glenna could be truly described as a “Renaissance Woman”.
With her husband’s work taking the young and growing family first to Colombia, Glenna would be responsible for raising her family in a country where she did not know the language nor the culture, in an era where woman were to be seen and not heard. With Ronald traveling, Glenna became both the mother and father as well as gave the term “Homemaker” a new meaning. There was nothing she would not do for her family and with love as a guiding foundation, she powered through all the difficulties faced by language and culture barriers and showed the world that a woman could do anything her male counterparts could and leveled the playing field wherever she went.
Moving to Guatemala, then Mexico, and then Panama, Glenna’s strong persona shined wherever she went and her family grew as she was truly a second mother to all of her children’s friends. With a desire to understand each person she met on a deeper level, Glenna made friends easily and people confided in her and sought her advice on all areas of life. She will be forever remembered for her listening ear and sage advice.
With many hobbies, her youth was filled with ice skating and playing ice hockey and her years as a mom saw her involved with all of her children’s hobbies, especially with the Girl Guides in Mexico and the Girl Scouts in Panama. She was a leader and volunteer wherever she lived as she believed her children would learn by following her example of selfless community service. Glenna also enjoyed playing golf, Scrabble, bridge, cribbage, and deep-sea fishing, and a good meal with family and friends was always among her favorite activities. Food was a culturally universal experience that brought people together and Glenna enjoyed watching family and friends simply enjoy each other’s company .
After moving to the United States where she became a citizen in 1983, after her children had grown, Glenna got a job working as a teacher’s aide at Voorhees High School in Glen Gardner, NJ. Working in the alternative learning program, she would have a profound effect for the better on generations of students. Many of these students might have taken a rougher path without Glenn’s genuine and supportive guidance.
The writer Shari Alison once wrote, “I believe that if people will think good, speak good, and do good, the circles of goodness will grow in the world.” Glenna did good through raising her children well and always giving back to the community. She will be missed, but her goodness will continue on through the many hearts who were touched by her love.
In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by a son, Ronald Resnikoff, Jr. in 1992.
Surviving are her loving children, Bonnie and her husband, Jim Duncan, Linda Resnikoff, Joan Resnikoff and her husband, Marshall, and James Graham Resnikoff and his partner, Alexandra Leonardi; her adored grandchildren, Jessica Wahl, John Aguilar Resnikoff, Wendy Resnikoff, Nancy Resnikoff, Juan York, Nicole Hudson, Kathleen Carson-Smith, Christine Macrae, and James Byrd; thirteen great-grandchildren; one great great-grandchild; several extended family members; and many dear friends made as she traveled around the world.
Family and friends are invited to gather on Saturday, March 18, 2023, from 1:00-3:00 p.m., in the Chapel of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ.
A life celebration service will follow the gathering beginning at 3:00 p.m. and to which all are welcome. *Everyone is kindly asked to please wear purple in honor of Glenna’s favorite color!*
Realizing that some may be unable to attend, the Life Celebration service will be live-streamed, with the stream being active starting at 2:45 p.m. on Saturday. To watch, please go back to Glenna’s main obituary page and click the PLAY button where you see the picture under Service.
Interment was private.
You are encouraged to visit Glenna’s permanent life celebration site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a candle of hope, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of her life.
Memorial contributions in Glenna’s honor may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 North Michigan Avenue, Floor 17, Chicago, IL 60601, or online by clicking HERE, or to the “Bonnie Duncan Scholarship Fund” via the United Way of Hunterdon County, 4 Walter Foran Boulevard, Suite 401, Flemington, NJ 08822, or online by clicking HERE.
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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”
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