Ilvy Karu

Ilvy Karu, 87, of Whiting (formerly of Lakewood and Neptune), NJ died peacefully at her son Kalles home in Wall, New Jersey on March 14, 2018. She was born in 1931 in Tartu, Estonia and resided in the town of Elva before fleeing the Communist occupation of Estonia in 1944 with her mother Aili Meriloo. They were reunited with Ilvys father Karl Meriloo in Germany where they lived in a displaced persons camp in Geislingen. Ilvy met her future husband Harold there before migrating to the United States in 1950. Ilvy married Harold in Red Bank, NJ in 1951, and in 1953 the family settled in Shark River Hills Neptune before moving to Lakewood in 1964 where Harold built the family home. In 2006, Harold and Ilvy moved to Whiting. Ilvy was a graduate of the Geislingen Estonian Gmnaasium that had been established at the displaced persons camp. She was one of three girls in the mathematics track. She had lifelong friendships from those days and enjoyed seeing classmates at reunions that were held in conjunction with Estonian festivals and gatherings in different parts of the United States and Canada. Ilvy was a full-time mother and homemaker before going to work at Torwico Electronics (later Magnetika) in Lakewood. She held a variety of positions before retiring. One of her proudest achievements was having components that she had worked on placed in the Hubble Telescope for which NASA recognized Ilvy and her co-workers with patches and pins. Ilvy was a member of the Estonian Evangelical Holy Ghost Lutheran Church in Lakewood and the Lakewood Estonian Association. She was a founder of the Estonian Girl Gaid troop in Lakewood and served as a leader for many years. Ilvy was skilled at knitting, crocheting, needlepoint and other textile related work. She sewed elaborate Halloween costumes as well as outfits for Estonian school plays for the children. Decorative pillows she made adorned the house and were given as gifts. Ilvy also enjoyed travel. The family took numerous driving trips throughout the United States and Canada and she and Harold went on cruises in the Caribbean and Atlantic as well as took trips to Aruba. After 1991 when Estonia regained its independence, Ilvy and Harold visited Estonia and reconnected with relatives and friends they had not seen for over 50 years. Ilvy made friends easily, and throughout her life she remembered people on their birthdays, Christmas, and other special occasions by sending cards. She liked to read and to watch television including game shows, reruns of classic TV shows, and sports. She enjoyed attending her grandchildrens concerts, plays, sports competitions, and anything in which they were involved. Ilvy was predeceased by her husband Harold in 2009, by her mother Aili Meriloo, by her father Karl Meriloo and by her daughter-in law Renee. She is survived by her children Gilda (Fred Foy) of Arlington Heights, IL, Kalle (the late Renee) of Wall, NJ, Thomas of Philadelphia, PA, and David (Erika) of Toms River, NJ. She is also survived by grandchildren Joshua (Debbie) and Sarah, Wall, Alexander, Venice, CA, Lucee, Heidelberg, PA, Kaia, Philadelphia, PA, and Emily, Rebecca, and Elizabeth, Toms River. In addition, she is survived and mourned by numerous relatives in Estonia. Ilvy was cremated. A memorial service celebrating Ilvys life will be held on Saturday, May 5, 2018, at 11:00 AM at the Estonian Evangelical Holy Ghost Lutheran Church, 607 E. 7th Street, Lakewood, NJ, E.E.L.K. Bishop electus Thomas Vaga presiding. Visitation will precede the service beginning at 10:00 AM. Internment of the ashes will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Estonian Evangelical Holy Ghost Lutheran Church, 607 E. Seventh St., Lakewood, NJ 08701, the Lakewood Estonian Association, P.O. Box 616, Lakewood, NJ 08701, or a charity of ones own choosing. Also, take some time to pray for, call, visit, or write to shut-ins to let them know you are thinking of them and that they are loved. Services are entrusted to Jersey Shore Cremation Service, 36 Broad Street, Manasquan, NJ.