Obituary of Amber Barbara Granger
Amber Barbara Granger of Boonton, NJ passed away Monday, May 15, 2023. She was 47 years old.
Amber was born in October 1975 in Roanoke VA. A consistently adorable and enthusiastic child, she was a “thrill-seeker” who adored roller coasters, water parks, and other outlets for her energy and sense of fun. While in grade school Amber acted in several Mill Mountain Theatre productions, beginning with the role of “Amaryllis” in “The Music Man” and continuing with two Christmas shows written by her father.
She moved to New Jersey in 1990 and graduated from Nutley High School in 1993. Always smart and especially gifted in math and the sciences, Amber first attended RPI in architecture, switched to civil engineering, then took time off before ultimately earning her Bachelor of Science in geology at Rutgers. This was followed in 2005 by a Master’s in geology, for which she developed a special project that caught the attention and approval of her professors.
A few months after graduation Amber was hired as staff geologist by Haley and Aldrich, the Massachusetts-based consulting engineering firm, and began work at their Parsippany NJ office, developing projects in the field in various states in the Northeast, moving up in status over the years, and proving herself a knowledgeable and congenial employee. She attended several geologic conferences as participant and attendee, and earned yet another degree, in geological engineering, from the Missouri University of Science and Technology, which included a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Machu Picchu in Peru.
Along the way Amber took a number of jobs, including a stint as a teacher of Music Together for preschool children and their parents. She met her life partner Michael Sylvester in the mid-90’s, and in 2006 they bought a home together in Boonton NJ.
All of us in her family and her many friends are extremely proud of her. Amber was sweet and funny, meticulous in her work, and a lover of good food and drink. To say she will be missed is an understatement. She will always live in our hearts.
