Lenore E. Grabowski

Lenore E. Grabowski, age 86 and a resident of Westfield, NJ, since 1969, died peacefully on December 18 at Morristown Memorial Hospital. She was born in Forest Hills, NY, and graduated from Sewanhaka High School in Floral Park, NY. Thereafter, she received her Bachelor’s Degree in English from the State University of New York at Albany. She was employed as a Social Worker for the Monroe County (NY)Welfare Department, a Probation Officer in Rochester, NY and a Probation Officer in New York City. She always had exceptional abilities to work with people who needed extra support in addressing life’s problems. She also served for many years on the Internal Review Board of the NY Psychiatric Institute reviewing research proposals in psychiatry as a representative of patients.

Throughout her life, she had a keen interest in the arts, literature, music and dance, and enjoyed national and international travels in support of these interests. She developed an unusual collection of Outsider Art, artworks created by people who had no formal training in the arts arena. She was also a strong supporter of liberal politics and politicians. Simultaneously, she also developed excellent skills as a chef, and her dinners were a joy to behold for family and friends. She is survived by Dr. Edward Grabowski, her husband of more than 64 years and a retired chemist with the Merck Research Labs, and her son David Grabowski of Jersey City. Of note is the fact that Lenore and Ed met in Miss Gladys Reed’s junior-year English class at Sewanhaka High School during a class reading of Thorton Wilder’s “Our Town.” Lenore read the part of Emily and Ed that of George, two of the play’s protagonists who meet in high school, fall in love and marry. Interment will be held at a later date, yet to be decided upon.