Leonore Rita Ratzlaff

Leonore Rita Ratzlaff, 82 years old, died unexpectedly at her daughter’s home in Westtown, N.Y., on Saturday, May 23, 2015. Born to Oscar and Anne Christiansen in Brooklyn, N.Y., she had lived in Vernon Twp., N.J., for many years before moving to Florida 31 years ago.

Leonore worked as a secretary for Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Hamburg, N.J., for many years and then owned and operated the Bay Esplanada Hotel in Clearwater Beach, she then retired to Holiday, FL in 1998. She was very active with Lutheran Aid and enjoyed gardening and making stained glass.

Leonore was predeceased by her husband, Herbert Ratzlaff (1999) and was the devoted mother of Christianne Smith and her husband, Rodney, of Westtown, N.Y., and Jon Ratzlaff of Los Angeles, Calif., loving grandmother of Jennifer MacLeod and her husband, Gregory, of Central Valley, N.Y., dear great grandmother of Sarah MacLeod.

The family will receive their friends at Ferguson Funeral Home, 27 Third Street, Sussex, NJ on Tuesday, June 2, 2015, from 10:30 to 11:00 a.m. Funeral service will commence at 11 a.m. at the funeral home. Interment to follow at North Hardyston Cemetery, Hardyston Twp., N.J. Information and condolences can be found at www.fergusonsussexfuneralhome.com.