Jean Torgersen, 94, of Heath Village in Hackettstown, New Jersey, passed away on August 17, 2026. Jean was born on February 2, 1932, in Cranford, New Jersey. She grew up in Cranford and graduated from Cranford High School in 1950. On August 25, 1951, Jean married the love of her life, the Rev. Mathias “Matt” Torgersen, Jr. They shared 55 years of marriage until his passing on March 14, 2007. Jean and Matt first met while in high school, when they both attended their church youth group. Shortly after marrying, they moved to Durham, North Carolina, where Matt attended Duke University. While there, Jean worked for a Duke professor who encouraged her to take courses herself. She did, and remained proud of their connection to Duke throughout her life. After Matt graduated from Duke and was ordained in the Methodist Church, they began a lifetime together in ministry. Their marriage was very much a partnership in family, faith and service. Jean and Matt began by serving Methodist churches in Cokesbury and Oldwick, New Jersey, followed by 17 years at New Providence United Methodist Church and 15 years at Westwood United Methodist Church. Matt then served for six years as a District Superintendent in the Northern New Jersey Conference. Upon Matt’s retirement in 1992, they moved to the Hackettstown area and began a relationship with Trinity United Methodist Church that would span more than 30 years. In retirement, Matt served as a Minister of Visitation at Trinity, while Jean remained an active member and volunteer in the church community. For much of Jean’s life, her days revolved around raising her family and being an active partner in Matt’s ministry. She embraced the life of a minister’s wife and became an important part of each church community they served. She sang in church choirs, played in handbell choirs, volunteered throughout the church, sometimes served as the church office secretary, and participated in many activities within the churches and the Northern New Jersey Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Above all else, Jean loved her family. Nothing made her happier than time spent with her children, grandchildren and great-granddaughter. She loved family dinners and backyard barbecues in Chester, visits with family in Connecticut, Colorado and Massachusetts, and trips to Long Beach Island. She was immensely proud of her grandchildren and took great joy in watching each of them grow into adulthood and build lives of their own. Sunday dinners with the Torgersen’s in Chester were a favorite. A simple meal of grilled hamburgers, her favorite hot dogs from the Chester Meat Market and macaroni salad would inevitably prompt Jean to happily declare, “That tastes like a summer meal.” It was those simple occasions—surrounded by family—that brought her some of her greatest happiness. Jean loved to travel to Massachusetts and Colorado to visit and “be able to picture” where Nicole, Melinda and Jeff were living. Whether it was Hibachi in the backyard at Nicole’s or making Norwegian cookies and bread in Colorado with Melinda and Jeff, these times made her smile, casual times in their homes, laughing, feeling the love and being part of their lives. Jean was sweet and friendly, but beneath her small stature was a quiet determination and an independent spirit. Even when she faced health challenges over the years, her goal was always the same: to recover and return to her own apartment, living independently and on her own terms. Time and again, she did exactly that. She remained independent through the end of her life. Jean spent more than 30 years in the Hackettstown area, first in Allamuchy and, for the past 12 years, at Heath Village. She enjoyed the community and friendships she found there, including visits with friends and a particular favorite, Taco Tuesday dinners. Jean is survived by her daughter, Pam Kelly (Torgersen) of Colchester, Connecticut, and her son, Matt Torgersen and his wife, Kathleen (Redmond), of Chester, New Jersey. Pam, whose husband Richard Kelly predeceased her, has three children: Nicole Davis (Kelly) and her husband, Steven, and their daughter, Riley; Melinda Pacheco (Kelly) and her husband, Matthew; and Jeff Kelly. Matt and Kathleen have four daughters, Erin, Molly, Anna and Shea. Jean was predeceased by her beloved husband, Mathias; her older sister, Mary Lou Ellenbacher (Thomas); and her son-in-law, Richard Kelly. Jean’s life was one of family, faith, service and quiet determination. She spent a lifetime supporting the people and communities she loved, while maintaining an independent spirit that stayed with her throughout her 94 years. She leaves behind her children, grandchildren, great-granddaughter, friends and generations of church families who were fortunate to have been part of her life. Services Celebration of Life will be August 24, 2026 at Noon at Trinity United Methodist Church, 213 Main Street, Hackettstown, NJ. Burial will follow directly following the Memorial Service at Pequest Union Cemetery, 36 Cemetery Road, Great Meadows, NJ. The family will welcome guests following the burial at the Torgersen home, 38 Ammerman Way, Chester, NJ In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Matt Torgersen Scholarship Fund, ℅ Trinity United Methodist Church, 213 Main St, Hackettstown, NJ 07840. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Cochran Funeral Home, 905 High St. Hackettstown, NJ 07840. Those wishing to leave an online condolence may do so at www.cochranfuneral.com/