Deborah Dauer

LAWRENCEVILLE… Deborah Rose (Nahmias) Dauer (previously of Roosevelt, New Jersey) passed away on Wednesday (April 4) at her residence from complications due to ALS. Deb is survived by her wonderful and adoring husband, Adam, and her three amazing and loving kids, Sarah, Gillian, and Ean; her parents Judy and Norman; her brother, Michael Brett; her three cousin/sisters, Marian (Rob), Alice (Steve), and Deb; Aunt Gail; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Lew and Kathleen; Uncle Rick and Christina; her best childhood friends, Lisa and Abby; her “beasties” Danielle and Sharon; cousins Bonnie and Shelly; and her nieces and nephews, Erin, Jessica, Sam, Michael, Jason, Jordan, Ben, Tyler, Jake, Matthew, and Daniel.

Deb is a 1985 graduate from Hightstown High School. She received her BA from Washington College in 1989 where she was very active in the Theatre Department, a ZTA sister, and fell in love with the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Through the support of her husband, Deb later went on and earned her MAT from Trenton State College.

Deb dedicated her life to her family, her community, and to the students she taught at Sharon Elementary School in Robbinsville, New Jersey, and previously at Do and Learn Nursery School in Hamilton Square, New Jersey. She found teaching later in life and nothing gave her more joy than connecting with her students through learning. Deb was a teacher to her soul and made sure that her students were learning the academics as well as learning to be kind people. She made connections to her colleagues and the families of her students that lasted a lifetime. She was Sharon School Teacher of the Year in 2011-2012.

Deb learned from her parents the importance of giving back to the community. She volunteered as the President of the Lawrenceville MOMS Club when she was home with her young children; she was the President of the Lawrence Lightning Swim Parent organization; participated and raised money for the Take Steps Walk / Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America; participated and raised money for the Walk to Defeat ALS / ALS Association of Greater Philadelphia; supported Planned Parenthood; held numerous food drives for local food pantries; and spent many hours teaching her philosophy of teaching to others, specifically at her religious home, Har Sinai Temple in Pennington. Deb and her family were animal advocates and had adopted many dogs over the years, most recently Sonky and Jackson. She loved her dogs like they were part of the family.

When Deb was diagnosed with ALS she decided to live her life according to the philosophy – Live to Love, Love to Live. She was able to see the beauty in the mundane and appreciate and be grateful for the small things life has to offer. When she could no longer teach in the classroom, Deb spent countless hours writing, both a blog and children’s fiction.

Nothing in her life gave her more pride than her family – her husband, Adam, and her three children, Sarah, Gillian, and Ean. They were the center of her world and she will always be exceptionally proud of them and the kind and generous human beings they have become. Deb believed in practicing random acts of kindness, and nothing would honor her memory more if her friends and family did the same.

Deb and her entire family are beyond grateful for the generosity and thoughtfulness of their village.

Funeral services are Sunday 2PM (April 8) at Congregation Beth Chaim,329 Village Road, Princeton Junction. Burial will follow at Ewing Cemetery.

The period of mourning will be observed Sunday 7PM at Har Sinai Temple in Pennington Monday & Tuesday 7PM at the Dauer residence in Lawrenceville.

The family respectfully requested memorial contributions to the ALS Association of Greater Philadelphia.