Aimee J. Balkjy

Aimée J Balkjy, age 91, of Wayne, passed away peacefully in her daughter Renée’s home with loving family by her side, on Saturday, April 17, 2021. Renée considers it a gift to have cared for her mom’s last days before her passing.    

Born in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn, NY, she was the first born of Ibrahim and Eva Abdallah’s four children. Aimée attended Fort Hamilton High School graduating with the Class of 1946.

In an era when women were traditionally groomed for marriage and motherhood, Aimée took the road less traveled, choosing instead to join the workforce. She secured a position as an executive secretary on Wall Street excelling in her work. In fact, being drawn to the excitement of big business and the high class culture of New York City, this was a time of great enjoyment in her life.

Aimée was the pure definition of the word “sociable” and consequently, she enjoyed meeting lots of different, interesting people. She encountered a handsome young man of Syrian descent named Frederick Balkjy. Fred was immediately drawn to Aimée’s magnetic personality and, making it his business to win her heart, he would regularly commute from New Jersey to Brooklyn, frequently attempting to woo her with flowers. In the end, it worked. The happy couple married on December 5,1954 at the Church of the Virgin Mary. Fred and Aimée lived in Richfield Village in Clifton for a time before building their own home on Rolling Hills Road in Clifton. Soon after, through the blessing of adoption, they welcomed two beautiful girls into their lives – first Renée and a couple of years later, baby Paulette. Aimée put her Wall Street life behind her and embraced her role as mother and homemaker. In between, she supported her husband in his delicatessen business. During Renée and Paulette’s childhood, the family relocated to Florida a couple of times but ultimately realized New Jersey was where they wanted to be and they ended up purchasing a different house on Rolling Hills Road in Clifton. After Fred passed away in 1999, Aimée moved to Sisco Village in Wayne where she remained to the present. While living there she met a gentleman named Richard Nathan. The two of them became good companions and were seemingly inseparable until Richards sudden passing in 2016.

Aimée’s approach to homemaking and entertaining was a true reflection of her personality. To Aimée, entertaining was best when it was done in a formal fashion. She loved using her finest china and silverware and she always featured a special table with an assortment of different complimentary cigarettes, all in fancy display holders with ornate ash trays. She loved dressing up and making herself look pretty with such a flair for the elegant. When her daughter Paulette was a young child she loved playing dress up with her mother’s make-up and clothes. Aimée also enjoyed decorating her home, typically using bold, vibrant colors to achieve the look she envisioned.  Even for a nightly dinner at home with her family Aimée would never think about serving food on the table in a pot or pan. It always had to be served in a lovely serving dish.

When entertaining is of such great importance to someone, it helps when they are skilled in the kitchen. Fortunately, Aimée found great enjoyment dabbling in the culinary arts. Claudia remembers her grandmother

teaching her how to make Chinese donuts. Although her specialty was Middle Eastern recipes and family favorites included her homemade hummus, stuffed grape leaves grandson Jason’s favorite, old school Syrian string cheese, fresh, delicious meat pies and for dessert, nothing topped her delicious cheese cake with graham cracker and cinnamon crust.

Aimée truly adored her three grandchildren, Dakota, Jason, & Claudia. They brought so much joy to her life and she was always more than happy to take care of them on those occasions when her daughters had to work. During the grandmother years, Aimée took up knitting. Scarves were her specialty and consequently, her family had no shortage of them. They must have been high quality because when her grandson Dakota received his first one, he asked his mom with an air of surprise, “Grandma made this?”

Aimée’s warm-hearted disposition enabled her to make many friends at Sisco Village. She soon came to love her neighbors and, because of her generous heart, she frequently volunteered to offer assistance by running an errand for them or by taking them to a doctor appointment. Aimée always had a generous heart! In younger years, as a member of the Gregorian’s, she chaired countless fundraisers for Actor Danny Thomas in his pursuit to establish St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – a haven of love and mercy where children receive medical care at no cost.

Aimée was predeceased by her beloved husband Frederick in 1999. She was the loving mother of Renée and husband Ruben Regner of Pequannock, and Paulette and husband Gary Kashtan of Beachwood, NJ; cherished grandmother of Dakota Regner, Jason Regner, and Claudia Kashtan; and dear aunt of numerous nieces and nephews. She was also predeceased by three siblings: Joseph Abdallah, William Albert, and Jean Gaviotis; and her dear companion Richard Nathan.

Aimée will be missed greatly by her family and friends. She will be remembered always for her kind, loving, & effervescent personality.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Aimée’s name are asked to consider St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959. You can also donate online at stjude.org.