community news from Livingston

Dr. Bruce H. Greene, president of Temple B’nai Abraham, died April 16 from COVID-19.

Born September 18, 1958, he grew up in Livingston and graduated from Livingston High School. After graduating from Franklin and Marshall College, he attended the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) School of Osteopathic Medicine. He had maintained a child and adolescent psychiatry practice in West Orange since 1990.

Dr. Greene was the husband of Susan Greene and the father of Mark Greene.

Private funeral services were held April 17.

Virtual shiva minyans were held beginning Saturday, April 18. They will continue today, Thursday, April 23, at 7 p.m. on Zoom, information is available from the temple.

On Sunday, April 12, Jadyn Liebman, a sophomore at Livingston High School, ran her own half-marathon around town to raise money for the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund. The fund organizes and coordinates resources to fight the medical, social, and economic impact of COVID-19 on New Jersey’s most vulnerable. To date, Liebman has raised over $550 for the fund, and is planning another run this summer.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/

Peter Lawrence Eisen was born to Helaine (nee Kaplus) Eisen and Gerald Eisen on February 3, 1967, and departed this life on April 4, 2020. Peter grew up in Livingston, New Jersey, and attended Livingston High School and UMass, where he was president of his fraternity, Sigma Alpha Mu. After graduating with a business degree, he worked for over 30 years in the financial compliance field.

During that time he had his beloved daughter Alora, his best friend and the light of his life. He also spent many joyful years married to his true love, Laura. His love for them is an everlasting love.

Peter was a funny, generous, kind, and selfless man. Some of Peter’s favorite things were concerts (especially Foreigner), the Devils, the Giants, the Nets, trips to the beach, meals at the diner, and devoting his Saturdays coaching special needs children at the Wolves Basketball Academy.

Ethel M. Sheehan, 93, entered eternal rest on April 16, 2020. Born in Jersey City, she was the oldest of three daughters of Leo A. and Marie J. Marshall. She lived in Irvington before moving to Livingston, which was her home for 55 years before moving to Brighton Gardens, Florham Park, and then to Green Hill, West Orange. Her summer home at Lake Lenape was one of her greatest joys.

She was predeceased by her husband, Francis X. Sheehan, Sr., and her sisters, Joan Snyder and Noreen Coutin.

Ethel graduated from Mt. St. Dominic Academy, received a B.S. degree from Fairfield University, an M.A. degree from Seton Hall University, and numerous additional certifications. She retired after 44 years as a public school teacher. She began her career in Ridgefield Park before moving on to Newark and then to Hanover Township, where she spent 30 years and was instrumental in designing, developing, and improving reading and disabilities education programs.

Bertram Feid, 94, of Livingston passed away peacefully at home on April 18, 2020. A service for immediate family will be held on April 22, 2020, at the Cody and Mackey Funeral Home, 107 Essex Street, Boonton, New Jersey. Burial will follow at Rockaway Valley Cemetery.

Born in Orange, New Jersey, the son of August and Mae Feid, Bert was raised in Orange and graduated from Orange High School. He played the trumpet in the high school marching band and enjoyed football games. He was a member of the VFW Post #2856 and enjoyed marching in the Memorial Day Parade. He was a member of the Master Masons, Corinthian Union Lodge #11 in Livingston. Bert enjoyed vacationing on the Jersey Shore at Ocean Beach and Stone Harbor. Camp of the Woods in the Adirondacks was also a special place for family vacations.

Byung Moo Lee passed away on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 at his home surrounded by his family. He and his wife, Young Soon Lee, moved to Livingston over 50 years ago and raised their three children there.

Byung was a loving husband, father, friend, elder and artist. He was married to Young for over 53 years and always put family first. He founded Academy Dental Laboratories, practiced with the Maplewood Dental Group and then worked side by side with his son, Dr. Jason K. Lee, at Advanced Cosmetic & Laser Dentistry located in Dover, New Jersey.

He was grateful for the sacrifices US military soldiers made to his home country, South Korea, during the Korean War. He raised money to build a Korean War Veteran Memorial at the Livingston Oval.

He was always available to help those in need of dental work whether it was locally or internationally. His dental craftsmanship was world renowned and recognized as being a mixture of sturdy, realistic and artistic.

Gloria Oertzen, aged 92, of Livingston, New Jersey, passed away on Saturday, April 11, 2020.

She was the beloved wife of Edward C. Oertzen, predeceased; the loving mother of Edward Oertzen, Carolyn Oertzen, and Linda Oertzen Ciccarelli; the devoted grandmother to Brittany Ciccarelli, Joseph Ciccarelli, and Michelle Ciccarelli; and the dear sister to Raymond Arleo, predeceased.

Private graveside services were held on Thursday, April 16. A memorial service will be held in the near future.

Next week, the Township Council and the Board of Education will both hold discussions concerning their respective annual budgets. The Council will present theirs at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 27, during a livestreamed meeting. Comments may be submitted to livcomments@livingstonnj.org. At the same time, the Board will hold a public hearing about its budget, also livestreamed. Comments can be sent to budgetquestions@livingston.org.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/

Each morning, for the past few weeks, the West Essex Tribune has posted the latest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Livingston on our Facebook page. We also report the number of cases and deaths in Essex County, the amount of negative tests in the county, and the state counts, along with any additional information we receive that day. In addition, we publish the most up-to-date of those figures in this paper each week, along with the national and global counts.

Lately, however, we have started to receive comments about what we report, what we do not report, and why we report these numbers at all.

To read more please log in or subscribe to the digital edition http://www.etypeservices.com/West%20Essex%20TribuneID480/

By Jeff Friedman
Editor’s Note: This week, Livingston Philanthropies, Inc. founder and director Jeff Friedman reflects on how the pandemic has changed so much in our lives, including the way LPI assists the homeless.
    •    •    •
It is difficult to visualize Livingston Philanthropies, Inc. (LPI) making regular deliveries to distribution associates in Newark just five short weeks ago. LPI volunteers distributed new men’s socks and toiletries gift bags at Penn Station just a week earlier, and delivered a large women’s wardrobe to our friends at Willing Heart Community Center’s Clothing Boutique.