Northborough – Elizabeth Meyer Terp, 95, formerly of West Caldwell, N.J., died March 4, 2021 at the home of her daughter in Northborough.
Bess will lovingly be remembered as a treasured 3rd grade teacher, voracious reader, jazz enthusiast, punster, Jeopardy contestant, beach basking reader, party planner, pinochle player, holiday decorator extraordinaire, defensive scrabble player, Shalimar scent lover, and Baileys aficionado.
A long-time, popular teacher in North Caldwell, N.J., Bess retired in 1988 after 28 years in the school system. Her classrooms were known for their lively interactivity and unique endeavors.
The child of Bessie Wolff and John C. Meyer, Bess was born on July 5,1925 in Newark, N.J., and raised in Irvington, N.J. She graduated from Irvington High School in 1942 (“Go Campers Go!”) and attended her beloved Upsala College in West Orange, NJ, graduating in 1946.
While at Upsala she met Eugene C. Terp, a fellow jazz nut, who would be her husband for 56 years prior to his death in 2003. Bess also held a master’s in teaching from Montclair State University. Bess and Gene were members of the Jazz Society of Palm Beach and the New Jersey Jazz Society.
Bess is survived by her loving daughters, Christine Madsen and spouse Christine Fenno of Moretown, Vt. and Cynthia Sheldon and husband Robert J. Sheldon Jr. of Northborough; sister, Joan Shannon and husband Thomas; four grandchildren, Jennifer Harris, Robert Sheldon III, Jes Sheldon, and Nathan Fenno; three great-grandchildren, Max, Ellie, and Maggie Harris; four nieces and a nephew; and numerous great-nieces and nephews.
A Memorial Mass and a Celebration of her Life will be held in northern New Jersey when it is safe to hug one another. Local arrangements are under the direction of Hays Funeral Home, 56 Main St., Northborough.
