Berenice Merians Ladden

Berenice was born in Brooklyn, NY to parents Robert I. Merians and Rose Busch Merians. Berenice attended Brooklyn College, earning a degree in English. She moved to Maplewood, NJ soon after starting a family and lived there for over 50 years.

Berenice was a devoted mother of three boys and a “second mother” to many of their friends. She was charming, wise, beautiful and dedicated to her family. After years of being a full-time housewife, Berenice began a career in sales in her 40s. She worked in the direct mail industry and developed relationships with some of the biggest marketers in the US, such as American Express, Chase, and Capital One. As her customer list grew, so did Berenice’s extended family.

Throughout her career, Berenice did charity work for, and held leadership positions with organizations such as WDMI (Women in Direct Marketing) and the Matrix, both of which supported women in communications. She continued with her charity work even during her final months. Supporting others was a recurring theme in Berenice’s life.

Over the last 15+ years, Berenice experienced the joys of being an actively involved grandmother. She relished any opportunity to be around her four grandchildren, and was a consistent source of happiness for them.

Berenice is survived by her sons Eric (Dawn), Doug (Dana) and Andrew (Natalia), and grandchildren Matthew, Sydney, Mark and Alexander.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous.