Obituary of Elaine Oberkotter Harmon

Elaine Oberkotter Harmon, 86, of Freehold, NJ died Sunday at home in Freehold following a long illness. She was a lifelong resident of NJ, living in Lawrenceville for 50 years before moving to Freehold in 2017. Predeceased by her husband, John J Harmon, she is survived by her daughters, Wendy Harmon of Freehold and Debbie Harmon of Jersey City; Gordan Grguric of Galloway Twp., who has been like a son for many years; her brother, Hal Oberkotter of Vero Beach, FL; four grandchildren, Melina Abdo Kalaycioglu and Nicole Abdo, and Laura and Danny Gironda; two brothers-in-law, Pete Harmon of Lawrenceville and Beall Fowler of Bethlehem, PA, and several nieces and nephews. Born in New York City, she was the daughter of the late Harold and Miriam (Dickey) Oberkotter. A 1955 graduate of Dumont High School, she graduated from Cedar Crest College in 1959 with a BA in Elementary Education. She earned a Masters in Education from Trenton State College, now TCNJ. She taught first grade in Metuchen and then Lawrenceville. She originated team teaching at Lawrenceville Elementary School, taught other teachers about learning centers, and wrote two books on learning centers. She received an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from Cedar Crest College, where she was given the Outstanding Alumnae Award for her community service and dedication to serving others, and the Amnesty International Award for her work promoting peace and human rights. She was actively involved with the AFS foreign exchange program in Lawrenceville, where she and her husband hosted 3 students for a year each, as well as more than 75 students from more than 25 countries for shorter terms. She was active with Save the Children, helping families in Appalachia and around the world, and meeting many of the families. She was a longtime volunteer with HomeFront NJ, providing support and meals to homeless families. More recently, she worked to boost the morale of US Military service mmembers abroad through her support of Adopt a Platoon. For more than 20 years, she sent cards, care packages and letters to her adopted troops in Kosovo, Bosnia, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan, and sometimes even met her sponsored soldiers. She was a big supporter of many military support organizations, such as Homes for Our Troops and the Fisher House Foundation. Elaine and John traveled all over the world, mostly by train, including the Rocky Mountaineer, the Royal Canadian Pacific, the Orient Express, and the Royal Scotsman. They visited many faraway places, including Europe, Russia and Zimbabwe. To celebrate her retirement, they traveled by train with family and friends all around the USA. Elaine was also very well-known across the globe for her delicious chocolate chip cookies. Elaine’s family wishes to thank her beloved Home Health Aide of five years, Nana Okorewaa, for taking exceptional care of her. She was truly a blessing to Elaine, and to the entire family. Visitation for Elaine will be held on Sunday, October 15, 2023 from 9:30 to 11:30 AM at Poulson & Van Hise Funeral Directors, 650 Lawrence Road, Lawrenceville, with funeral services following at 11:30 AM. Private family entombment will be held in Greenwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Homes for Our Troops 6 Main St., Taunton, MA 02780 www.hfotusa.org.. Wendy and Debbie also ask that in Elaine’s memory, you consider doing something kind for someone in need.