Local Cranford artist and resident Jean Kreiling

Jean Kreiling, age 83, was born in New York, N.Y. on March 8, 1939, and graduated from Brooklyn College with a B.A. in English Literature. During the mid 60's she was an English teacher and Civil Rights activist. Thereafter, she was an Anti-Overdevelopment Activist in Brighton Beach in addition to being a homemaker while living in Brooklyn, NY. Jean had a deep love for opera, literature, and art. She excelled in all forms of writing, and artistic endeavors working in various mediums such as painting, sculpting, wood work and photography. She found art in everything she saw or touched upon. She saw beauty in things people often fail to notice and had the gift of turning the simplest of objects into something wonderous. She was that way with people too and made those she touched see things in a way you wouldn't think possible.

She moved to Cranford with her family in 2005, volunteered at the Cranford Historical Society and The Friend of the Cranford Library for many years. She managed marketing, wrote press releases, assisted with fundraising and created a variety of artistic displays for viewing throughout the years. In 2020, she advocated alongside her dearest and best friend Betty Crawley in the petitioning, planning, and renaming of the Cranford High School Library in honor of Dr. Deborah Cannon Partridge Wolfe who among her many amazing accomplishments was also an educator, humanitarian, and the first African American Baptist minister of Cranford’s first Baptist Church. She produce and sold her artwork at Simply, Periwinkles and La Flor Fine Art in Cranford.

Jean loved gardening and teaching her grandchildren how to do so, in addition to baking their favorite sweets together. She loved spending time with them and watching them grow. She also enjoyed fun filled outings and the fine company of her family, and friends.

She is survived by her son William, daughter in law Tracey, grandchildren Samantha and Luke as well as her relatives Mark, Carol, Megan & Tim and her many friends. She was predeceased by her parents Mable and Eino. and predeceased by her beloved husband Fred Kreiling.

A memorial service and viewing will be held on Saturday, July 2, 2022, from 1:00M – 4:00 PM at Higgins & Bonner Echo Lake Funeral home at 582 Springfield Ave., Westfield, NJ 07091.

In lieu of flowers please feel free to send donations to: The Cranford PAL Will DeGregorio Scholarship Email: [email protected], or to The Friends of the Cranford Library.