Obituary of Moira M Blake

On September 3, 2022, Moira MacKenzie Blake, 88, of Bernardsville, NJ, passed on in her home. Moira was born in Scotland to Robert and Mabel MacKenzie. She attended Bernards High School, graduating in 1952. She then went on to Bates College in Maine for 2 years, where she met her husband, Nowell. After leaving Bates, she commuted into NYC to complete a program for executive secretaries at Katherine Gibbs School, wearing the requisite white gloves. She put her training to use when her children were in primary school, going to work as a secretary for Cyril F dos Passos of Mendham, who had the largest private collection of butterflies in North America. When her children were in high school, she took a full-time job with American Hoechst in their marketing department. While working fulltime, she went back to complete her bachelor’s degree at Rutgers University, graduating magna cum laude.  She worked for about 25 years for Hoechst AG in different locations and became the editor of their monthly magazine.  Her career was very important to her, despite hitting roadblocks as a woman in a male-dominated organization. Her strength, intelligence and organizational skills led to her success in the corporate world and to her being a role model for her daughter and other women. She was an active member of the First Church of Christ Scientist in Morristown. She enjoyed collecting antiques and art, decorating, gardening, playing tennis, going to the theater, and socializing with friends. She always loved the outdoors and instilled that love in her children and grandchildren. Her youthful spirit and sense of fun translated into her being a wonderful grandmother, from racing around playing soccer in the yard to camping on the floor of the pool house reading scary stories by lantern light. And her exceptional creativity always shown through, from decorating in unique ways to writing books for her grandchildren. They remember her as “selfless, caring and loving”. She was very attached to the home that she and her husband built in Bernardsville in 1966, and we are grateful that she passed there. Moira is survived by her son, Nowell II of Bernardsville; her daughter, Wendy and son-in-law Jay of Hilton Head Island, SC and grandchildren, Alexandra and Jason. She is preceded in death by her husband Nowell, her brother Bob and her parents. Memorial donations may be made to The New Jersey Audubon Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary or to the Sierra Club Foundation.