Obituary of Dr. Alice Zacharias Castner

Dr. Alice Zacharias Castner of Pittstown, NJ and Scottsdale, Arizona passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 26th at her home in Pittstown after a long illness. She was surrounded by her loving family. Visitation hours will be held at the Martin Funeral home (1761 Route 31, Clinton, NJ) on Sunday, October 30th from 2:00 to 5:00, and will include a memorial service at 4:00pm. Interment will be private. Born Alice Emily Zacharias in New York City on September, 20, 1925, she soon moved with her family to a farm in Pittstown and remained a lifelong resident. In 1946, she met and married her husband of 65 years, Allen G. Castner, a decorated World War II Army Air Corps veteran and B-17 bomber pilot. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Teaching from Trenton State Teachers' College (now The College of New Jersey) and began a teaching career that included educating grammar school children at the Pattenburg School, Franklin Township School, Holland Township School, Alexandria Township School, the Flemington Raritan School District, and the Berkeley Heights School System. In 1962, she received her Master's Degree in Education from Rutgers University and took a position as a faculty member of the Child Development Division for the New Jersey State Department of Education. In 1969, she earned a Doctoral Degree in Education from the University of Maryland in College Park, MD. Her Doctoral Dissertation examined the "Effects of Journal Keeping on Self-Esteem". This dissertation became the basis for her book, "The AZC's of Self-Esteem" published in 2003. She joined the staff of Fairleigh Dickinson University as a Professor and was a co-founder of the school's Graduate Center for Human Development. Dr. Castner received the "Educator of the Year" honor from Fairleigh Dickinson in 1986. She retired from her position at the University in 1990. In addition to her husband, she is survived by a son, Allen Castner and his wife Erin of Mendham, NJ, a daughter Leslie Krueger and her husband Keith of Manahawkin, NJ, and a daughter Lisa Kendzulak and her husband Joseph of Flemington. She is also survived by seven grandchildren, Allen Castner, II and his wife Allison, Morgan Castner, Chelsea Castner, Clayton Castner, Alice Kendzulak, Adam Kendzulak, and Ethan Kendzulak. Also surviving her are her twin sisters, Margy McGrath of Kissimmee, FL and Milly Voegele of Flemington, and her brother, Clifford Zacharias of Tucson, AZ. She was pre-deceased by a brother, George Buechler, and a sister, Edna Vesely. She is also survived by many, many grateful and loving students. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation be made to: The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, Church Street Station, P.O. Box 780, New York, NY 10008-0780.