The family writes -- Judith Iris Gold, 79, of Berkeley Heights, NJ died on Monday, August 31st, 2020. Judy is survived by her beloved husband Gerald, her children, Richard Hammer (Christina) of Succasunna, NJ, & Jeffrey Hammer (Missy) of Simpsonville, SC and two amazing granddaughters (Sophia and Lucia). She is also survived by her brother, Barry Ottenstein (Debbie) of Maplewood, NJ and sister, Helene Dragone (Vinny) of Union, NJ. Additionally, Judy is survived by many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends whom she loved dearly. She was preceded in death by her father David Ottenstein, her mother Rose Ottenstein, and her sister Sonja Noah. Born in Newark, NJ, and raised in Maplewood, Judy graduated from Columbia High School before attending cosmetology school. She spent most of her career working as a hairdresser before retiring from Kemper Insurance. Judy loved music, with her favorites including Elvis Pressley, Barbara Streisand, Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow, 50’s doo wop and late 70’s disco. You could always count on hearing this music while visiting Judy and eating some of her delicious chicken soup, salmon pancakes, tuna casserole, chicken in a bag, and pancakes. The greatest joy in Judy’s life came from being an amazing wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend. She was known for her warm smile, caring personality, and her great sense of humor. Judy was a kibitzer who loved to laugh and bring light to every situation. She was blessed to have been married to her husband Jerry for thirty-six wonderful years. Judy leaves behind a deep legacy of a caring woman who would give the shirt off her back to help those in need, including time serving as a volunteer at Runnells Specialized Hospital. She will be dearly missed, and her memory will be an enduring blessing to all that knew and loved her. A private graveside service with social distancing and masks required will be held on Wednesday, September 2nd at Beth David Memorial Park in Kenilworth, NJ at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, we encourage everyone to donate to the Parkinson’s Foundation or Dementia Society of America.