Bette Ann Schenkel

Bette Ann Schenkel passed away peacefully at home on the evening of February 18, 2026 surrounded by her family and caregivers. Bette was born in Brooklyn, New York on December 12,1937 to parents, Pauline and Jack Rosenberg. She spent her younger years in Brooklyn eventually moving to Newark and later to Irvington. In her senior year of high school she met her sweetheart, Ronald Schenkel. They married in April,1957 and had two daughters. 

While attending high school, Bette worked as an office assistant. She had a strong work ethic and superb organizational skills which made her well suited for this type of work. After raising her two daughters, she was hired as a secretary at Westlake School for the Union County Board of Education. This was the start of her 30-year career working at different schools and eventually becoming a lead administrator for the Child Study Teams.

A caring wife and mother, Bette loved her husband and two children. She gave her time and energy selflessly to her family. She was always there to help her daughters and raised them in a home full of love and laughter. She had a passion for traveling and the family went on many vacations. She had two grandsons and also enjoyed taking them on various trips.  

Bette and Ron lived in Westfield for 57 years. They loved the town and had a close group of family and friends who lived close by. Spending lots of time together, they gathered for holidays, parties and barbecues and vacationed together at one of their favorite Jersey Shore areas, Long Beach Island.

Bette was a nature lover and enjoyed bird watching. She loved animals in general and always welcomed different pets into the family home. She was a voracious reader and always kept a book by her side. During the last weeks of her life when she no longer was able to read for herself, her daughters continued to read out loud by her bedside. Bette was knowledgeable about history, politics and art. She wrote poetry and took literature classes and loved music, especially show tunes from plays and movies.

Bette is survived by her husband of 69 years, Ronald Schenkel, her two daughters, Elaine Schenkel and Nancy Rosen, her son-in-law David Rosen and her two grandsons, Gregory and Michael Rosen. She is also survived by her sister, Susan Jacobson and her three nieces: Sheri, Ilene and Monica. 

A Celebration of Life/Memorial Service will take place on Sunday, April 26th, from 2:00 - 5:00 pm at Temple Shalom located at 1925 Lake Avenue in Scotch Plains. A reception will follow. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Breakthrough T1D, formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) or New Jersey Audubon.

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