Longtime Volunteer At Caldwell Consignment Shop Passes Away

CALDWELL, NJ — A pillar of the Willing Hearts Consignment Shop in Caldwell has passed away: Sondra Loeb.

A funeral service will be held for Loeb at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 16, at Beth Israel Cemetery, US Highway 1 North, Woodbridge.

The consignment shop, which is managed and staffed by volunteers and helps to raise donations for local charitable causes, wrote a heartfelt message of thanks to Loeb on its website.

According to Willing Hearts:

“One of Willing Hearts' original volunteers, Sondra Loeb started out at ‘Smull Treasures’ more than twenty-six years ago. She quickly became an integral part of what eventually became Willing Hearts. Sondra was a great believer that merchandise should be displayed prominently for all to see even if she couldn't reach it herself. Her size was always a source of great amusement to her and her fellow volunteers. One such story involved a tiny bathroom window which was the only rear exit of the Smull Treasures shop. Because she was so petite, it was assumed Sondra would be the one to crawl out and get help in case of an emergency.

“Eventually, Sondra became the go to person in the jewelry department because of her experience. As Willing Hearts grew and more expensive items such as fur coats and higher priced handbags were added to the inventory, she took charge of these as well. Through the years, she brought in thousands of dollars in sales for the shop and its charities through her merchandising and pricing expertise.

“Sondra will be greatly missed by volunteers, consignors, customers and Rotarians alike. She made a lasting contribution which will be continued by Willing Hearts Volunteers.”

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Photos courtesy of S.M. Kent