Ilse M. Tepke

Ilse M. Tepke

Nov. 13, 1936 – Nov. 29, 2024

Resident of Manchester, New Jersey

Ilse Magdalene (Astor) Tepke passed away peacefully in Brick Township, New Jersey, on the afternoon of November 29, at the age of 88. Her life will be celebrated in a wake at her home on Sunday, December 15; a private burial service will follow.

Ilse was born in Weidenthal, Rheinpfalz, Germany, the first child of Heinrich and Susanna (Schwender) Astor. She endured a difficult childhood during World War II, with her father away fighting on the Russian front, and food in short supply at home. At the age of 16, she demonstrated her strong independent spirit by deciding to emigrate to the U.S., leaving her parents and three siblings. She took up residence in New York City, where an aunt and uncle resided. She made her way working as a nanny, learning English in night school. Ilse remained in close contact with her family in Germany, and there were many visits back and forth over the years, but she was the only one to move abroad.

A few years after arriving in the U.S., she met her future husband, Air Force pilot Robert E. “Bob” Tepke, the son of German immigrants, at a cousin’s wedding. Ilse was quite tall and she remembered that at some point, Bob had asked her to step out of her high heels. Once she was standing in her bare feet, he stood next to her and said, “You’ll do.” The couple married in 1956 and would remain so for 54 years, until Bob’s passing in 2010.

Over the next several years, Ilse and Bob had three sons, Glen, Scott, and Craig. After Glen’s birth in New York City, the family moved to Elnora, New York, where Scott and Craig were born. Eventually, Bob’s work as a manager at Brockway Trucks (later merged with Mack Trucks) took them to Cortland, New York, where they built a home on the rural outskirts of town that could endure the brutal winters (and where their sons could enjoy endless adventures). After a decade in Cortland, the family moved to Warren (Somerset County), New Jersey, where they resided for over 20 years. Ilse, who had always been employed outside the home, became a real estate agent with Burgdorff Realty - a perfect fit for her social and organizational skills.

They retired in 1998 to a home in the Renaissance community of Manchester Township (Ocean County), New Jersey, where they continued their active neighborhood engagement. Bob, the raconteur and craftsman, and Ilse, the great cook and hostess, made many new friends and enriched their new community. They also traveled, as they had always done, around the U.S and abroad. And Ilse continued to develop her formidable expertise at Bridge, learning how to play on-line with people from all over the world.

Ilse and Bob enjoyed the arrival of three grandchildren, Jacob (Scott’s son), Paige and Nolan (Craig’s daughter and son). After Bob passed in 2010, Ilse continued to host full-family gatherings at her home over holidays, and to prepare sumptuous meals for all occasions. It is fitting that she passed after the Thanksgiving holiday, when family members had gathered at her home to celebrate.

Ilse is survived by her son Glen R. Tepke and his wife Carol Chetkovich, of Santa Cruz, California; her grandchildren Jacob C. Tepke and his wife Christina (Rizer) Tepke of Marienville, Pennsylvania; Paige E. Tepke and Nolan R. Tepke, both of New York City; her brother Hermann Astor of Weidenthal, Germany, and sister Marie-Luise Astor of Herrsching, Germany. Her first great-grandchild is expected to join the family in January.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Robert E. Tepke; her sons Craig E. Tepke and Scott H. Tepke; her daughters-in-law Christine (Wrede) Tepke (mother of Paige and Nolan) and Lori (Baughman) Tepke (mother of Jacob); and her brother Heinrich Astor.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Ilse’s favorite charity, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (www.stjude.org).