Sophia “Midge” Kiskel, a long time Livingston, NJ resident died on January 16, 2022. She was 99.
Midge, a first generation American of Polish ancestry, achieved the American dream when she moved from Jersey City to Livingston in 1951.
Along with her husband Joseph V. Kiskel who died in 1985, she helped build their home of 62 years on an old section of the Kerns-William’s farm on East McClellan Avenue in Livingston, NJ. Reminiscing about those early years, Midge noted, “I would make dinner in our Jersey City apartment, wrap it in wax paper, catch two buses and come to work on the house with Joe. Those were just wonderful years.”
When she moved to The Chelsea, an assisted living facility in Warren, New Jersey in 2013, she was the last of the original homeowners on East McClellan Avenue.
After graduating from Bayonne High School in 1939, Midge went to work at Western Electric where she met her future husband. Joe was a carpool partner who evolved into a dance partner. “I sometimes felt like a wallflower at a dance, but when I was on the floor with Joe, I danced like Ginger Rogers.” They were married in 1944.
Looking back on raising her two children in Livingston, Midge shared that Livingston was an ideal town for raising a post-war family. There were excellent schools, public pool facilities, a great library, plenty of open space, little league, scouting, and caring neighbors who always looked out for all the children in the neighborhood.
Midge worked at Burell’s Clipping Service, Graber’s Clothing Store, and for many years as a personal fitter and buyer at Helen Hirsch.
Following her retirement in 1984, she frequently assisted her neighbor, Eleanor Gabrielsen in her business as a New York City tour guide and location scout for potential tour venues.
Midge was an active member of the Livingston Historical Society for a number of years. She volunteered her services for the annual 4th of July rummage sale and was a docent at the Force House on Livingston Avenue.
Midge is survived by her two sons, Keith Kiskel of Little York, NJ and Jay Kiskel of Roswell, GA as well as one grandchild, Sean Kiskel.
Private cremation and services were held privately under the care and direction of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ.
You are encouraged to visit Sophia’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.
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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”
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