It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Jill Caren (Hertzenberg) Yaver, who left us on August 16, 2025, at the age of 82. She died peacefully in Wilmington, Delaware, at 11:42 AM.
Born on December 8, 1942, to Joseph “George” and Estella “Estelle” (Rushall) Hertzenberg, Jill’s early life was rooted in New York City. Born in Brooklyn, Jill spent her childhood years in Laurelton, Queens, and later in Baldwin, Long Island, where she graduated from Baldwin High School in 1961. She had a long and fulfilling career with Swissair, where she was stationed at iconic locations including, Kennedy Airport (JFK), Tower One (North Tower) of the World Trade Center, and Rockefeller Center on 5thAvenue. Jill shared friendships in these locations and in countless places around the world, particularly with her Swissair colleagues and their families.
After retiring, Jill became a competitive quilter, traveling to regional quilting competitions for fun and fellowship with her many Teaneck-area friends. An avid animal lover, Jill was proud to partner with local veterinarians to trap-neuter-release (TNR) many cats in her community, also providing food, shelter, and love. More than a few of her rescues became part of the family, with Scooter the Goody Boy remaining with her until her final year. Jill was a generous, thoughtful, fashionable, and fun person. She was a friend to many and never missed a chance to dance at weddings. She always sent beautiful and meaningful gifts to her loved ones, particularly during the holidays.
Jill’s Teaneck patio was a testament to her care for plants. She was a collector of jewelry and an enthusiast of life’s simple pleasures, such as enjoying the best bagels in Teaneck, New Jersey, where she resided for many years. She her husband, Ismail, also had a second home in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. Jill’s career provided her and her family with opportunities to travel to dozens of countries around the world, and she continued her travels after retirement, spending time at their second home in the seaside town of Bayramoglu in Istanbul, Turkey. Jill and Ismail spent significant time at Ismail’s brother, Ibrahim’s, home and clothing store in Munich, Germany.
Jill was preceded in death by her father, George, her mother, Estelle, and her beloved husband, Ismail Yaver, with whom she shared 28 years of marriage, aunts, Ruth and Sylvia Rushall, Corine “Connie” (Rushall) Birkahn, and Marilyn (Rushall) Messer, and her first cousin, Paul Birkahn. She is survived by her beloved brother, Elliot, and his wife, Virginia, who remembers Jill immediately making her feel welcomed into the family by painting a “Welcome Ginny” sign when Ginny first visited Jill in New York in 1968.
Jill is remembered fondly by her niece, Susan (Hertzenberg) Hendrich and husband Thomas James Hendrich; nephew, David and his wife, Colleen (Baus) Hertzenberg; grandnieces Catherine and Audrey Hertzenberg; her step-son, Richard Yaver and his family, and her ‘sisters in spirit,’ Judith Alice Lesnaw (Virginia’s sister) and Anita Munman (Virginia’s cousin), who, like Jill, both moved to the Wilmington area to be near family and run with her small-but-mighty clan. Jill is also survived by her first cousins, Gary Birkahn, Jacquelyn “Jackie” (Wise) Cristiano, Lois (Birkahn) Weinstein and their families, and her step-nephew, Ahmet Bercan and step-niece, Sehnaz Bercan and their famlies. She is remembered by many friends, including Judythe Burton, Irene Newman, and Ursula Davis, all of whom shared special memories with her.
The family extends their sincere gratitude to the dedicated caregivers at Kentmere Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing in Wilmington, Delaware, for their compassionate care.
Jill will be laid to rest at Lombardy Cemetery, 1611 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE 19803. A graveside ceremony to celebrate her life will be held at 12 noon on Sunday, August 24, 2025. A memorial service will be held in December 2025. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Jill Yaver’s name to the Humane Society of Bergen County in New Jersey at https://www.humanesocietybergen.org/.
