Gloria Kaplan

Gloria Kaplan passed on Monday April 6, 2020 at Centra State Medical Center in Freehold. Gloria was a Roselle Legend. Born in Newark NJ, her parents, Ruth and Irving Nessel, shortly moved to Roselle which was her home up until 2010 when she settled at Covered Bridge and then to Solana in Marlboro. Gloria is survived by her son Elliot Kaplan, of Manalapan, a grandson Marc Kaplan, her brother Masters & Olympic Swim Coach Edward Nessel of Melbourne Florida, a Niece, Lee Nessel-Helton and her grandniece, Actress Ella Grace Helton.

Gloria wore many hats in her life. She graduated from Abraham Clark High School, Class of 1953, where she was the Captain of the Twirling squad for the marching band. Her adult life she worked as a bookkeeper with her last job being at the Gran Centurions in Clark. She was also involved in many social clubs for singles from the 1970’s through the 1990’s.

Gloria lit up a room that she walked into at any event. She was beautiful, extremely social, loved to dance and enjoyed most music as long as it had a great beat. She was always the first one up to get the party going. Years later Abraham Clark High School in Roselle asked Gloria to be a band parent for her son and reunited with Twirling. She became an instructor teaching the twirlers how to twirl Fire baton’s at football games for 10+ years. She loved living in Roselle, known by all in town, was not afraid to speak her mind, and still up until this day still had her marching band boots and baton. She was a good mother, and grandmother. She was also Ella Grace’s Social Media biggest fan and constantly was supportive of Ella’s projects including her TV Show United We Fall on ABC and her appearances on TV commercials with Derek Jeter and her Disney commercials.

A private graveside service will be held at Mt. Lebanon Cemetery in Iselin, under the direction of Bloomfield-Cooper Jewish Chapels.