Born in West Sayville on May 22, 1918, she was the daughter of the late Jan and Maatje (Versteeg) Van Essendelft.
In addition to her parents, Marge was pre-deceased by her husband, Frank N. Toffoli; their daughter, Joan Hoek Thornton; son, John; infant daughters, Marsha and Beverly; sisters, Jessie Westerbeke and Cora Butler; and a brother, Ira Van Essendelft. She is survived by her son, Jon (Christine) Hoek of Wilton; her sister, Eleanor Browne of Stony Brook; five grandchildren, James Thornton, Cathleen Wagner, Rebecca Thornton, Matthew Hoek, and Roxanne Hoek; nine great-grandchildren; two great-great-granddaughters; and several devoted nieces and nephews.
Married for nearly 65 years, Marge and Frank made their home in Bay Shore for 30 years before moving to Lakeland, Florida where they spent an additional 31 years and made many dear friends. In 2005, they became residents of Prestwick Chase in Saratoga Springs, a move that allowed them to be closer to family. At Prestwick, Marge especially enjoyed making new friends and playing many fun games of cards, dominoes, and bingo.
For all of her 95 years, Marge had a keen interest in life and in the world around her. At 93, she took up beading and made jewelry and ornaments by hand — just one example of her real zest for life and those she loved.
The family expresses its heartfelt gratitude to the entire staff at House of Grace for their extraordinary compassion and care, to Community Hospice of Saratoga, particularly Trisha, Arlene, and Karen, and to Drs. Jean Flanagan and Roland Phillips whose expert and thoughtful care enhanced her quality of life considerably.
