Marion E. Pedersen

Marion E. (nee Deininger), 92, of Crane’s Mill, West Caldwell, died peacefully in her sleep on June 11. Marion was born on July 24, 1924, in Newark, NJ. She graduated from West Orange High School in 1942 and received her Bachelor of Music degree at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Ohio, in 1946, after giving both solo piano and organ recitals her senior year. She was elected to the honorary musical society Pi Kappa Lambda upon graduation and completed her graduate work at Eastman School of Music. Marion taught piano and music theory at Ashland College in Ohio, and taught piano at Bloomfield College. Continuing her choral experiences after Oberlin, Marion sang with the Robert Shaw Collegiate Chorale in New York City for two years, and the Oratorio Society of NJ for five years. For close to forty years she held the positions of organist/choral director at numerous churches in northern NJ, most notably Trinity Covenant Church in Livingston, West Caldwell Presbyterian Church, Calvary Lutheran Church in Verona, and Wyoming Presbyterian Church in Millburn. She also held the position of director of Madrigal Singers with the Upper Montclair Women’s Club from 1970-72, and was a member of the Metropolitan NJ chapter of the American Guild of Organists during her professional career. Piano was her passion, whether it was accompanying orchestral conducting classes at Oberlin, vocal students at a nearby high school, or choral workshops at Drew University for 9 years. She was an active member of Rehearsal Club from 1959 to 2010, and part of a 2-piano team, Pedersen & Platt, for 15 years. Marion also taught private piano lessons for 25 years. It was during her first organist/choir director job at Trinity Covenant Church, originally located in East Orange, that she met Martin Pedersen, to whom she was married for 61 years. She is survived by three daughters: Alice Hamilton (Michael), Beth Rogers (John), and Karen Frank (Joe); six grandchildren: Tracy Pedersen, Brian Pedersen, Katherine Bucciarelli (Gary), Elizabeth Rogers, Christopher Frank, Allison Rogers; two step-grandchildren: Thomas Knutsen and Lynn Olson (Jeff); and two great-grandchildren. She is survived by a brother Herbert Deininger (Pat). Preceding her in death were her husband Martin, her sister Alice Kreider, and her step-son Gary Pedersen. A celebration of her life will be held on July 29th at Crane’s Mill (Towne Square), 459 Passaic Avenue, West Caldwell. Visitation with the family will begin at 11 a.m. followed by the service at 11:30 a.m. At the family’s request, donations in Marion’s name may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, 322 Eighth Ave., New York, NY, 10001. Arrangements were entrusted with Gaita Memorial Home, Little Falls.