Marilyn Bernice Siegler passed away peacefully on Friday, July 10, 2026, at the age of 91.
Born on March 29, 1935, on Staten Island, NY, Marilyn was the daughter of Herman and Jeanette (Heller) Bergwerk. Her childhood was rooted in the close-knit Jewish community of Silver Lake. She attended Curtis High School and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts from Brooklyn College and a Master’s degree from Rutgers University—an academic path that shaped her career as both an educator and a caregiver.
Marilyn met the love of her life, Seymour “Sy” Siegler (1932-2016) at the annual Spring dance at the Jewish Community Center, Silver Lake, Staten Island - the same JCC where Sy’s parents Sam and Dorothy had met. They married and lived a beautiful life together for over 65 years. Dad loved a good joke, and mom loved to confuse and mess up any punch line. “Look at the orange mother laid” always brought on a giggle. Mom was classically confused on reading maps, indicating to us once at the San Diego Zoo that we were “here,” with “here” being the dot in the legend.
Marilyn and Sy raised their five children in Fair Haven and Little Silver, NJ. Their home was a hub of activity where Marilyn cooked for every holiday with effortless grace, hosting Passover Seders for 50 or more people both nights for many years, in the traditional manner with Passover-only tableware and cookware. She was the center of her exuberant clan, planning two separate dude ranch adventures for over 40 family members to celebrate her and Sy’s anniversaries. She was also known for her playful spirit, once filling Uncle Jerry’s bathtub with donuts for his birthday.
Marilyn worked a steady amount of jobs in her lifetime; homemaker first and foremost, then as a Home Economics teacher at Red Bank High, a bookkeeper, a camp counselor, a pre-school teacher, and then with her Masters, lastly as a Registered Dietician in hospitals and nursing homes throughout New Jersey.
Her Monday nights belonged to mah-jongg, a ritual she kept for over 60 years. Summers were spent at the beach, full face in the rays, with the last week of August almost always dedicated to Long Beach Island with as many family members as could fit into rented houses and motels. In her free time, she knit wonderfully oversized socks and personalized cardigans, once knitting a custom sweater for every student in a Red Bank Middle School fourth-grade class.
She was a proud mom/grandma/great grandma/aunt, throwing amazing parties, thinking of thoughtful gifts, and always remembering to send cards out to each and every family member for whatever occasion, signing off with “Big G, Little G” for her and dad.
Marilyn was pre-deceased by her parents Hyman and Jeanette Bergwerk, her husband Seymour, and is survived by her brother Phllip (Debbie) Bergwerk, her five children: Amie (Russ) Riva of Delaware, Margie of Red Bank NJ, Jeff (Leslie) of Long Branch NJ, Steven of Jersey City NJ, and Sara (Kevin) Horn of Red Bank NJ. She will be greatly missed by her grandchildren Adam (Michele) Laskowitz, Daniel (Jill) Laskowitz, Rebecca Laskowitz, Matt (Sue) Siegler, Sophia Siegler, Sam Siegler, Siobhan Nerys, Miles Hansen, Lyndsay Horn, Charlie Siegler, Shay (Nelly) Siegler, Nora Siegler, Shannon Riva and Michele (Rick) Bernard; as well as her great-grandchildren James, Ryan, Lucas, Ella, Eli, Lucy, Grace, Beatriz, Samara, Johnny, Justin, Madison, and Radley.
Graveside service will be held on Sunday, July 12th at 11 am at B’nai Israel Cemetery, Tinton Falls, NJ. Thompson Memorial Home of Red Bank, NJ has been entrusted with the arrangements.
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