Meredith Leigh Lempke

Meredith Leigh Lempke, age 65, of Wayne passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 30, 2023 after succumbing to chronic health difficulties.
Meredith was born at Chilton Memorial Hospital in Pequannock and raised in the Packanack Lake section of Wayne, NJ. She was one of five children to Richard J. Lempke, M.D. and Elizabeth Lempke. As a child, Meredith’s spirited personality earned her the nick name “Merrily We Roll Along.” She attended Wayne Valley High School where, during her senior year in 1975, she was voted “Best Smile” by her graduating class. She excelled in History and English, and one beloved English teacher described her to the class as “a very old soul.” After graduation, Meredith went on to William Paterson University in Wayne where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications in 1979. Following her college graduation, she found employment at Cablevision and worked there for a number of years.

Later in life, Meredith vacationed on Nantucket Island in Massachusetts and fell in love with the natural, rustic beauty of the area and decided this was the place for her. After pulling up stakes and moving there, Meredith displayed her industriousness and work ethic to make ends meet. She worked multiple jobs to stay on island, including opening and closing seasonal estates, and driving a taxi for a short time in the summer. She persevered and found permanent employment with the Town of Nantucket in the Tax Assessor’s Office, and eventually became the Planning Board Secretary.

Additionally, she took it upon herself to further her education by becoming a certified paralegal. In a time before online courses, this was not easy to do as she had to fly off island to attend classes and take her certification exam. Meredith then worked for a number of attorneys as a paralegal in Nantucket.

Meredith truly enjoyed the island life and its rituals, including annual scallop harvesting with friends. She also enjoyed when her family visited during the beautiful summer and autumn months.
Meredith was an outgoing social person whose “Best Smile” award was supplemented by her boisterous laugh, which became a hallmark of her personality. Also, as one close friend said, she had an innate intelligence with an undercurrent of humor.

Meredith is survived by her sister Betsey Cochrane and her husband Bill of Wayne, NJ, her brother Richard Lempke of Wayne, NJ, her brother-in-law Benjamin Clarke of Wayne, NJ, her niece Elizabeth Cochrane M.D. and her husband of New York City, and her nephew Ernest Clarke and his wife and children of Westfield NJ, as well as multiple cousins. She was predeceased by her parents Dr. Richard and Elizabeth Lempke (Dick and Betty), and by her two sisters Susan Lempke and Cynthia Lempke Clarke.

Those wishing to make a donation in Meredith’s name are encouraged to consider Packanack Community Church, 120 Lake Dr East, Wayne, NJ 07470 www.packanackchurch.org or Friends of Wayne Animals, PO Box 3701, Wayne, NJ 07470.