Barbara E. Kraft

Barbara E. Kraft passed away on December 20, 2023, at the age of 85, in her apartment in Cliffside Park, NJ, formerly a long-time resident of Fort Lee, NJ, with her daughter Colette by her side. Born in the Bronx, the daughter of Richard and Elizabeth M. Kraft of Cliffside Park, NJ. Mom leaves behind her two daughters Colette T. Kraft of Cliffside Park, NJ and Mrs. Elise A. Fechtmann of Princeton, NJ. Three grandsons, Michael C., Kurt J., and Robert R. Fechtmann and her sister Anita J. Kraft, of Toms River, NJ. Funeral Service, Friday, January 5, 2024, at Volk-Leber Funeral Home, 789 Teaneck Road, Teaneck, NJ. Interment will follow at Kensico Cemetery, Valhalla, NY. Barbara was a woman of remarkable individuality whose effortless style left an unforgettable impression on all who knew her. Mom’s extraordinary eye for fashion and design was one of her four God-given gifts — the others being her extraordinary talent as a hairdresser and her remarkable sense of taste and smell. Mom could make a woman look 10 years younger just by styling their hair. Mom’s hands were graceful and lovely, with long natural fingernails and skin as soft as a newborn’s. They were often adorned with the unusual and beautiful rings she loved to collect and wear. Mom was once selected to film an Airwick air freshener commercial because of her beautiful hands. During the shoot, the director suddenly called, “Cut — we need a housewife’s hands,” and she replied, “I am a housewife!” Beyond her creative gifts — sewing her own outfits, knitting, and using cosmetics with the practiced hand of a true stylist — Mom worked as a legal secretary in several prestigious law firms. Yet Mom’s artistic spirit radiated through every facet of her life. Mom possessed an exceptional palate and a remarkably keen sense of taste and smell, able to recognize the slightest subtleties in food, wine, and fragrance. Mom could even sense, from the aroma drifting through the air outside, when a local restaurant was re-using its cooking oil. Aging gracefully, Barbara — the fountain of youth — carried herself with confidence and sophistication, often described as je ne sais quoi (that indescribable something). Whether entering a room or simply walking down the street, Mom exuded a poise and charm that left an indelible impression on everyone she encountered.