Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Calls outside of office hours? No worries! Our team will respond within 10–15 minutes.
June 27, 2026
Services
Family and friends are invited to visit from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. on Friday, July 3, 2026, at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne. A funeral service will begin at 12:00 noon at the funeral home, followed by interment beside her beloved husband, Charles, at Christ the King Cemetery in Franklin Lakes.
Trudy Insel (née Funk), age 93, of Wayne, passed away peacefully in the comfort of her home on Saturday, June 27, 2026.
Born in Traunstein, Bavaria, Germany, Trudy was the beloved daughter of Johann and Maria Funk. She spent her childhood growing up during the hardships of World War II, attending school in a bomb shelter while her father and brother served in the German military. Her family endured years of uncertainty and sacrifice, relying on the kindness of neighbors who shared bread while the men were away. Trudy often recalled vivid memories of those difficult years, including farmers repurposing parachute fabric into rope and wagon covers, and trading the material for speck and bacon. These experiences helped shape the resilience, gratitude, and strength of character that defined her throughout her life.
Following the war, Trudy spent five years managing the International Hotel in Switzerland before immigrating to the United States at the age of twenty-four. She began her new life working at Morgan Guaranty in New York City, where she learned the English language and met the love of her life, Charles Insel.
When Charles first met Trudy, he promised that if she married him, he would "keep her in the palm of his hand for the rest of his life." With her characteristic warmth and humility, Trudy simply replied, "Just love me a little." The two were married on May 1, 1960, at Saint Michael's Cathedral in Union City, New Jersey. Although they could not afford a honeymoon, they built a beautiful life together founded on love, devotion, and hard work. They first made their home in Carlstadt, where Trudy delighted in tending a large vegetable garden, before moving to Wayne in 1970, where she remained for the next fifty-six years. Together, Trudy and Charles shared sixty-two wonderful years of marriage until his passing in 2022.
Trudy was especially known for her homemade spaetzle, which became a favorite family tradition, and for filling her home with the sounds of Christmas music played on her zither. She was an active member of Elks Lodge #2181, the German-American Citizens Club of Wayne (GACW), the Carlstadt Mixed Chorus, and the Frauenverein of the Fritz Reuter Home, where she enjoyed celebrating her German heritage with lifelong friends.
Above all else, Trudy cherished her family. She was the devoted mother of Karl W. Insel and his wife, Nicole, of Wayne, and George J. Insel and his wife, Christina, of Wilmington, North Carolina. She was the proud and loving grandmother of Jacklyn M. Insel, Charles J. Insel, Lauren N. Insel, and Danielle M. Insel, all of whom brought her great joy.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Family and friends are invited to visit from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. on Friday, July 3, 2026, at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne. A funeral service will begin at 12:00 noon at the funeral home, followed by interment beside her beloved husband, Charles, at Christ the King Cemetery in Franklin Lakes.
June 27, 2026
Services
Family and friends are invited to visit from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. on Friday, July 3, 2026, at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne. A funeral service will begin at 12:00 noon at the funeral home, followed by interment beside her beloved husband, Charles, at Christ the King Cemetery in Franklin Lakes.
Trudy Insel (née Funk), age 93, of Wayne, passed away peacefully in the comfort of her home on Saturday, June 27, 2026.
Born in Traunstein, Bavaria, Germany, Trudy was the beloved daughter of Johann and Maria Funk. She spent her childhood growing up during the hardships of World War II, attending school in a bomb shelter while her father and brother served in the German military. Her family endured years of uncertainty and sacrifice, relying on the kindness of neighbors who shared bread while the men were away. Trudy often recalled vivid memories of those difficult years, including farmers repurposing parachute fabric into rope and wagon covers, and trading the material for speck and bacon. These experiences helped shape the resilience, gratitude, and strength of character that defined her throughout her life.
Following the war, Trudy spent five years managing the International Hotel in Switzerland before immigrating to the United States at the age of twenty-four. She began her new life working at Morgan Guaranty in New York City, where she learned the English language and met the love of her life, Charles Insel.
When Charles first met Trudy, he promised that if she married him, he would "keep her in the palm of his hand for the rest of his life." With her characteristic warmth and humility, Trudy simply replied, "Just love me a little." The two were married on May 1, 1960, at Saint Michael's Cathedral in Union City, New Jersey. Although they could not afford a honeymoon, they built a beautiful life together founded on love, devotion, and hard work. They first made their home in Carlstadt, where Trudy delighted in tending a large vegetable garden, before moving to Wayne in 1970, where she remained for the next fifty-six years. Together, Trudy and Charles shared sixty-two wonderful years of marriage until his passing in 2022.
Trudy was especially known for her homemade spaetzle, which became a favorite family tradition, and for filling her home with the sounds of Christmas music played on her zither. She was an active member of Elks Lodge #2181, the German-American Citizens Club of Wayne (GACW), the Carlstadt Mixed Chorus, and the Frauenverein of the Fritz Reuter Home, where she enjoyed celebrating her German heritage with lifelong friends.
Above all else, Trudy cherished her family. She was the devoted mother of Karl W. Insel and his wife, Nicole, of Wayne, and George J. Insel and his wife, Christina, of Wilmington, North Carolina. She was the proud and loving grandmother of Jacklyn M. Insel, Charles J. Insel, Lauren N. Insel, and Danielle M. Insel, all of whom brought her great joy.
Guestbook