Honey Gantner, Njsga's Ultimate Volunteer, Will Be Missed

Honey (Schembeck) Gantner , who embodied the spirit of the NJSGA’s “ultimate volunteer” passed away on Friday, April 26, at age 89.

Honey, a long-time member of the North Jersey Country Club, began her volunteer work with the NJSGA in 1994 and continued with it through 2010. She was a familiar face at every NJSGA event, a face everyone could count on for a smile and a warm greeting.

The New Jersey State Golf Association in October honored Honey by naming its Volunteer of the Year Award the “Honey Gantner Award,” which will recognize the top NJSGA volunteer each year. It is the first award in the history of the NJSGA to be named after an individual.

Viewing will be Monday,April 29, at Bizub-Quinlan Funeral Home, 1313 Van Houten Ave., Clifton, N.J. 07013. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made by mail to the NJSGA Caddie Scholarship Foundation, 3 Golf Drive, Suite 206, Kenilworth, NJ 07033 or donations can be made directly online by CLICKING HERE.

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“Honey was a big part of the New Jersey State Golf Association and a fixture for many years at our tournaments,” stated Steve Foehl, NJSGA executive director

“She volunteered her time so generously and spent many hours assisting with anything that needed to be done. We will miss her wry wit and gentle demeanor, but mostly we'll miss her wonderful attitude and her smile,” he added.

Tom McGovern, NJSGA president, presented the first volunteer award to Mrs. Gantner herself at the association’s annual meeting October 11 at the Canoe Brook Country Club in Summit.

“Honey Gantner of North Jersey has been the volunteer of volunteers,” McGovern said. “She did anything and everything for the staff. She’d be there from sunup to sundown and even in less than perfect weather.”

Saying she was honored and humbled, Honey told a sizeable audience: “I’m overwhelmed and very grateful. I can’t believe I’m receiving an award for something I so thoroughly enjoy. I’m so thrilled that each year a volunteer will be honored.”

She worked closely with NJSGA tournament director Mike McAneny.

“Honey had an incredible amount of energy. But more than that, she was the nicest, most generous person you’ll ever run into. She is the type of person any golf or non-golf organization would want. A countless number of people around New Jersey know Honey for her volunteer work. She did all the busy work behind the scenes that people don’t recognize. She was essential for making everything run smoothly,” McAneny said.

“What really makes her special is that she never would take credit for it. She’s did it because she loved it,” he added.

Honey spent 50 years operating her own dance studio, the Hollywood School of Dancing in Union City, beginning in 1945 with her late husband, Louis. A former dancer, she shared the stage in USO shows during World War II with such personalities as Jackie Gleason and Sammy Davis Jr.

“I loved going to the tournaments. I want to thank all of the NJSGA staff. They made me feel like a member of an extended family. I love all of you,” Honey stated at the annual meeting this past October. “These days, my life is very different and I wish I could just hop in my car and go to the tournaments.

“It’s been a wonderful life. I know I’m truly blessed with so many caring and loyal friends,” she said that day.