Sharlene Marsh

Sharlene Marsh of Jersey City Heights passed away at her home on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at the age of 71. Born and raised in Jersey City, Sharlene carried the grit and soul of her NYC with her wherever she went—including across the globe to South Korea, where she lived for several years before returning home to care for her father, Alfred Paul, until his passing in 2005.

Sharlene loved her music turned up, her mornings slow, and her days spontaneous. She was a woman of rhythm, not necessarily routine. Whether dancing in her kitchen, catching up with a neighbor, or sharing a wild story that may or may not have happened exactly as she told it—she brought humor and heart to every moment. She had a lifelong soft spot for animals. Her cat Socks was her ride-or-die. She cared for countless dogs, both professionally and just out of love.

That same empathy extended into her deep involvement with her local shul, Congregation Mount Sinai. Sharlene was a vital force in the revitalization of the synagogue and one of its longest-attending members. She knew everyone in the community, and she brightened every interaction with warmth, wit, and an uncanny ability to make people feel like they belonged. She held a deep well of Jewish knowledge, which she shared freely and joyfully, always eager to help others in their learning and connection to tradition.

Sharlene was quick to help anyone in need and cared deeply about her community’s well-being.

Sharlene is survived by her brother Alfred Dettweile and a circle of extended family and lifelong friends who were more like chosen family. She was predeceased by her parents, Alfred Paul and Francis and her beloved son,Carl, whose memory she carried always.

Plans for a celebration of Sharlene’s life are underway and will be shared in the coming days. In the meantime, play your favorite music, feed a stray, or just take a walk without an agenda—she’d like that. She lived by her own rhythm, and we wouldn’t have had it any other way.