Doris Hoff Pessel

Lawrenceville. Doris Hoff Pessel, 81, of Lawrenceville and formerly of Pennington and Titusville, died at Merwick Care Center in Plainsboro on June 29, with her sons and sister by her side. She was born in Trenton and was a lifelong resident of the area. She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Princeton First Ward, Princeton, NJ. Doris graduated from Central High School of Hopewell Township, Class of 1950, then obtained her Bachelor of Music Degree from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, Class of 1955, majoring in piano and voice. She was a music and piano teacher while raising her family, then became a real estate agent and broker, founding Doris Pessel Real Estate, located on Main Street in Pennington, which she operated for more than twenty years from the 1970's to 1995. A member of the National Association of Realtors, and holding her broker's license in NJ and PA, Doris was elected President of the Mercer County Board of Realtors in 1987, and was named Realtor of the Year in 1988 for outstanding contribution to the community, the Realtor Association and the Real Estate Industry. She sold her business to and became a managing broker with Burgdorff Realty in Princeton in 1995, then completed her career with Coldwell Banker Real Estate in Princeton. Throughout her career, she loved mentoring and befriending her agents, many of whom became lifelong friends. Enthusiastically devoted to her family and friends, Doris also enjoyed giving back to the community, sponsoring a girls' softball team in the Hopewell Valley Baseball/Softball Association, and supporting her alma mater, Westminster Choir College, now part of Rider University. A lover and supporter of music and the arts, she played and taught piano, was a water colorist and sketch artist, and participated in multiple singing groups, including the Copper Penny Players and Westminster Alumni singing groups. She is survived by three sons, William O. Pessel, Jr. of Princeton, Danford J. Pesse,Sr.l of Harleysville, PA, and Peter L. Pessel and his wife Adriene, of Alexandria, VA; a sister Gail Hoff of Ojai, CA; and four grandchildren, Danford, Jr., Charlotte, Madison and Maxwell. Funeral services honoring Doris' life will be held on Thursday, July 3, at 11:30 a.m. from the Blackwell Memorial Home, 21 N. Main St., Pennington, Friends may call from 9:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m.. Interment will follow the service in Pennington Cemetery . Memorial contributions may be made in Doris' memory to the Westminster Scholarship Fund, c/o Westminster Choir College, 101 Walnut Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540.

Service:

11:30 a.m. Thursday, July 3, 2014

Blackwell Memorial Home
21 N. Main St
Pennington, NJ



Visitation:

9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Thursday, July 3, 2014

Blackwell Memorial Home