Obituary of Herbert Kurt Schroter

Obituary for Herbert Schroter 

   Herbert Kurt Schroter, aged 93, was called by God his Father into eternal rest and eternal life in heaven in God’s presence, through his Good Shepherd Jesus, on November 20, 2025.  He was the beloved, devoted son of Mr. Kurt Erich Schroter and Mrs. Martha Neumann Schroter. Herbert was born “a first generation American” in Jersey City on February 21, 1932.  He was the oldest of three siblings, the dear brother of Harry Schroter, who predeceased him, and enjoyed a very close, lifelong relationship with his beloved sister Alice.  Herbert graduated from Weehawken High School in 1950, where he was very active in the student government.  Herbert graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education in 1954 from Montclair State Teachers’ College, and afterwards pursued postgraduate studies at Columbia University.  Herbert was a veteran who served in the United States Army, including a tour of duty overseas in Germany, from 1954 to 1956.  Herbert married Mrs. Lois Ann Kissel Schroter on July 21, 1959, and the Lord God blessed and preserved him in devoted love and faithful commitment to his beloved wife within a united life together in a marriage of over 65 years until her death this May.  He is now reunited with her in heaven, together with their first-born son Frederick, who tragically died shortly after birth and emergency baptism into Christ.  Herbert was the loving, faithful, devoted father of three children- Frederick, his daughter, Deborah Lois, born in 1967, and his son, John Herbert, born in 1966, who carries his name.  Herbert cherished his children and treated them as precious, giving them continuing love, faithful and ongoing care for all their needs, always being there for them, working with his wife Lois to bring and build them up in the saving faith in Christ, to help them at all times of need , and spending much time together with his children and family in building special, caring, close, lasting relationships with them, and in supporting, helping and encouraging them in studies, careers, and lives of their own.  

   Herbert cherished the Word of God, the Holy Bible, and its Good News of God’s saving us through Jesus Christ from sin and death for eternal life as God’s children.  He was dedicated to a lifelong devotional study of God’s Word, regularly reading each day for decades several chapters of the Bible, both in English and German, along with a commentary on those Holy Scriptures.  Herbert was also devoted to lifelong worship of God his heavenly Father, his Savior Jesus and the Holy Spirit in faithfully participating in Christian worship services on Sundays and on special celebrations and commemorations.  When strokes prevented him from doing so, he welcomed receiving and participating in devotions at home, rehabilitation centers and hospitals, to hear the proclaiming of God’s Word and the Good News of Christ and participate in prayers in Christ’s name to his heavenly Father.  Herbert also committed himself to service with and to the Lord Jesus Christ’s church family, serving as an acolyte, in leading others in learning and studying God’s Word and Good News as a Bible class teacher, and also as a lay reader of Bible readings during services, as a lay minister and preacher in leading worship and preaching God’s Word on a number of occasions, and as an elder at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Union City; in serving as an usher and greeter at Grace Lutheran Church in Palisades Park; and serving as a deacon, longtime member of the choir, volunteer registrar and worker with Vacation Bible Schools, occasional lector of Bible readings, and as a faithful participant in Bible classes at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cliffside Park.  Herbert also had a lifelong love of and passion for knowledge, books, and reading, reading through his own extensive library of several hundred books.  His greatest intellectual love and passion was for reading, watching, studying, and discussing history, in addition to which he also loved literature, as Shakespeare and Charles Dickens. 

   In his professional career of teaching,extending over 40 years, beginning at Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Weehawken, and carried on mainly at Waldwick High School in Waldwick, Herbert imparted to students and colleagues learning about and his love and knowledge of history especially and also literature and knowledge in general, in particular in teaching courses of American history and his specialty of Modern European history, while also faithfully providing for his family’s needs. Herbert also enjoyed listening to classical music both on the radio and on records and CDs, and enjoyed the outdoors and activities of swimming, of water sports as kayaking, and of walking and sitting outside.  Herbert enjoyed sharing fun, laughter, humor, conversation, and times of pleasant fellowship and close friendships.  He is survived by his daughter Dr. Deborah Schroter, his son Rev. John Schroter, his sister Mrs. Alice Podesta and her husband Peter, his nephews Mr. James  Grogan and Mr. Jonathan Grogan and Mr. Frederick (Fritz) Schroter, and his nieces, Mrs. Marlisa Grogan Mortillo and her husband Steven, and Mrs. Alison Grogan Badillo and her husband Howard, and his sister-in-law Ms. Sandy Schroter.  Viewings for Herbert will be held at McCorry Brothers Funeral Home, 780 Anderson Avenue in Cliffside Park, NJ, from 3:00-5:00pm on Tuesday, November 25th, and from 2:00-4:00pm and 6:00-8:00pm on Wednesday, November 26th.  Please gather for his funeral service and celebration of eternal life in Christ will be held at 10:00am on Friday, November 28th at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 238 Columbia Avenue, Cliffside Park with burial to follow at Geoge Washongton Memorial Park, 234 Paramus Rd., Paramus NJ.   Donations in remembrance of Herbert may be sent to Trinity Ev. Lutheran Church in Cliffside Park.