Obituary of Miriam Metzker Quale

Miriam Quale of Brick, New Jersey died peacefully, surrounded by her loving family, on June 18th at Ocean Medical Center. She charmed the hospital staff as she had everyone she met in life with her genius, geniality and engagingly florid storytelling, which she shared in great humor despite long and often painful illnesses. She was predeceased by her brother Daniel and beloved sister Margaret Mary. Born Miriam Bell Metzker in Edwardsville, Pennsylvania, she moved to New Jersey where she would find a job and a husband of 57 years, Paul, at the Grand Union in Glen Ridge. Together they raised two fine sons, William of Milford, Connecticut, and David of Cranford, New Jersey. Also surviving are David's wife Laurie, Miriam's sister-in-law Mary Metzker and niece Susan of Macungie Pennsylvania, brother-in-law Emil Barth of Brick, her aunt Lynn Bell of Spring Lake Heights, and too many cousins, nieces, nephews, and loving friends to list in a section of newspaper. Miriam shared her talents and gifts generously, including many years as a teacher's aide in the Ocean Road School Special Education Program in Point Pleasant, a job she loved not only for the joy it gave her helping children, but also for the lifelong friendships she made with many teachers, especially Sue Horback and her late husband Ron. Her work in an Adult Literacy Program, after the family moved to Boca Raton, Florida, was of such profound impact to those whose lives she enriched sharing her love of reading that she was presented an award by the Sun Sentinel Newspaper. Her unquenchable appetite for reading and amazing retention made Miriam a fearsome Jeopardy contestant, if "only" from home, where she would casually and consistently run even the most esoteric of categories with the same aplomb she applied to flawlessly completing daily crossword puzzles, in ink. Miriam's skills and discernment in the kitchen were incomparable, from her renowned pineapple cheesecake and the cumulus she somehow wrangled into the form of an angel cake, to surprisingly singular and delectable favorites like hamburger soup and chili sauce. Her encyclopedic love of movies ranged from spotting (and reading aloud) Farciot Edouart's name in the opening credits to Abel Gance's Napoleon at Radio City Music Hall to late night monster movies and explaining why Winter Soldier was far superior to Civil War. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 pm on Tuesday June 21st and from 10 to 11 am on Wednesday June 22nd, at the Pable Evertz Funeral Home at 901 Beaver Dam Road in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. A service will be held at the funeral home following the visitation on Wednesday, which will be followed by a luncheon. Friends may wish to make a donation in memory of Miriam to the Guillain-Barré Foundation (The Holly Building, 104 ½ Forrest Avenue, Narberth, PA 19072) or to Deborah Hospital Foundation (P.O. Box 820, Browns Mills, NJ 08015). For online condolences to the family visit www.pableevertzfuneralhome.com