Lya Ilse Pfeifer

On Sunday, May 24, 2026, Lya Ilse Pfeifer, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother (Oma or Omi), great grandmother, and friend, passed away at the age of 82 in Saddle River, NJ. Lya was born in New York City on June 12, 1943, to Robert and Hilde Tonn, both immigrants from Germany.

Lya attended Julia Richmond High School in New York City and Syracuse University for a BA and MA in German Literature & Philosophy. Later in life, to lay the foundation for a second career as a lawyer, she received a JD from Touro University, Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center in New York, serving as editor-in-chief for the Law Review and earning several awards.

After college and meeting her first husband, Joseph Friedrich, Lya worked at Friedrich Knitting Mills, the family business in Queens, NY. During that period, she also put her academic studies to work as a German teacher for many years. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to open Just Right Casuals, a clothing store in Queens, NY. However, in her 40s, she revisited a long-standing career aspiration to become a lawyer, attending law school and practicing law for over 30 years.

The most enduring position Lya held was President of the Max Kade Foundation, which has a mission of strengthening German-American cultural and language exchange. She had a life-long passion for the German-American community in New York, which led to her holding leadership positions with the German-American School Association and the Liederkranz Foundation, among others. Her dedication resulted in her receiving the Knights’ Cross of the Order of Merit (Verdienstkreuz am Bande 1. Klasse) from the Federal Republic of Germany.

Lya found love and companionship in her second marriage to Joseph Pfeifer, with whom she shared more than 32 wonderful years. Through their marriage, she cherished a loving extended family and embraced them as her own. Family was extremely important to her, celebrating achievements of children and grandchildren, while showering them with presents for every birthday and holiday occasion. Lya loved to travel and see the world, but most importantly to visit her close relatives in Germany, specifically in the region of Hamburg. Lya loved her sweets and had a mischievous twinkle in her eye when enjoying her gummy bears, favorite donuts, and vanilla ice cream. However, Lya will always be first remembered for her broad and genuine smile accompanied by her heartfelt and infectious laughter, lighting up the room, and creating a positive atmosphere wherever she went.

Lya is survived by her husband Joseph Pfeifer, her two children, Anne Doering (Jens) and Robert Friedrich (Jane Craig), and her grandchildren Charlie and Cole Friedrich and Felix Doering, as well as her two step daughters Jena Boomhower (Chuck) and Lorraine Pfeifer, her three step grandchildren, Carl Boomhower (Meredith), Erica Boomhower, and Isabelle Boomhower (Ben, fiancé), and a step great grandson Charles Joseph Boomhower.

To honor her, the family is hosting a visitation at Vander Plaat Funeral Home in Wyckoff, NJ, on Thursday, May 28, from 4-8pm. There will also be a funeral and graveside service at Cypress Hills Cemetery in Queens, NY on Friday, May 29, at 11am.

In lieu of flowers, and with great appreciation, donations in Lya’s memory may be made to the nonprofit organization, Oasis. oasisnj.org

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