Livingston New Jersey news

Helen Shumsky passed away on April 15 at age 97. She was living at the Chatham Hills Subacute Care Center at the time. Helen was a long-time resident of Livingston, having lived in a quaint colonial house on Wardell Road for over 60 years. She and her husband, Peter, who died in 1983, purchased the Wardell house in 1952.

Helen and Peter had one child, a daughter, Petrina, born about 1949. Besides raising Petrina, Helen’s primary activities in her young adult years revolved around her job at Bamberger’s in Morristown. Helen was a buyer and later a floor manager for women’s clothing sales. She retired from Bamberger’s in the 1980s.

While Helen was an active young adult, her most notable achievements occurred when she was a senior. Helen was an active member of the Livingston Historical Society, the Livingston Women’s Club and the Livingston AARP Chapter.

J. Lynn Safran (née Englander), formerly of Livingston, died on Friday, May 29. She had resided at the retirement community Cedar Crest in Pompton Plains for the past seven years, after having lived in Livingston for almost 47 years.

Born in Newark to Julia and Jay Englander, she grew up in West Orange, and went to Cornell University where she studied history and psychology. She earned her master’s degree at Montclair State University.

Lynn taught in New York for one year before joining the Livingston High School staff. Her tenure there was short as she became a member of the original Heritage Junior High School teaching staff. Former students have commented about being in her Heritage social studies class at Mt. Pleasant when JFK was killed.

Jeffrey Alan Cohen, 78, died on Monday, May 25, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, he lived in Livingston for over 45 years.

Mr. Cohen was a graduate of Georgetown University and received his MBA from the University of Michigan. He was a franchise owner of Valpak Direct Marketing Systems, which he co-owned for over 40 years.

He was the husband of the late Marsha Cohen for 50 years; the father of Jamie Kirschner (Eric) and Robyn Lozier (Mike); the grandfather of four; and the brother of Neal Cohen (Janet).

Mr. Cohen will be buried privately by his family at B’nai Abraham Memorial Park, Union.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (https://app.mobilecause.com/vf/PFFTribute/JeffCohen).

Bernice Stein (née Braverman), formerly Bernice Schnell, of Livingston, New Jersey, died on May 25, 2020, on her birthday, surrounded by her children and grandchildren.

Bernice was a devoted mother, grandmother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt and loyal friend. In addition to a distinguished teaching and legal career, Bernice was a competitive bridge player, avid theatre goer, book club enthusiast, world traveler, advanced puzzler, accomplished knitter, unabashed chocoholic, a generous supporter of the arts, and a fierce defender of the underdog and underserved.

Bernice was born in Newark, attended Hillside High School, Rutgers College (Phi Beta Kappa), and Rutgers Law School. She married Richard (Dick) Schnell in 1957, with whom she had two sons, David and Gordon. Richard died in 1971. She married the Hon. Kenneth R. Stein in 1974, who died in 2018.

HONORING THE LIFE OF GEORGE FLOYD: Livingston Police Chief Gary Marshuetz, along with Captains John Drumm and Thomas Smith, attended a service at the Fifth Precinct in Newark on Monday, June 1. They joined in solidarity with other Essex County executives in honoring the life of George Floyd and in denouncing the actions of the former Minneapolis police officers that led to his death. Shown here are Chief Marshuetz; Essex County prosecutor Theodore Stephens and Essex County prosecutor’s office Chief of Detectives Mitchell McGuire; and captains Drumm and Smith.

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FIFTY NIFTY UNITED STATES: Bob Bucich, an artist and Livingston Kiwanis member, recently painted a map of the United States on the blacktop outside of Riker Hill Elementary School. Bucich worked on the project with his granddaughter, a high school student. He had previously painted a map at the school ten years ago, with the help of his then seven-year-old daughter. After the blacktop was resurfaced, he was asked to work his magic again. The paint used was donated by Livingston Kiwanis. MI Photo

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We are approaching the end of month three – the entirety of spring! – of staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are finally beginning to see our state gradually “open back up.” As Governor Phil Murphy continues to say on a daily basis, we are not out of the woods yet. We must continue to be cautious, wash our hands frequently, and practice social distancing, as well as following all other safety guidelines. But cases in our area have been on a downward trend for weeks, and hospitalizations have dropped at an even steadier rate. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its guidelines to say that the virus does not spread easily from contaminated surfaces and objects. So activities like a game of catch may not be far off.

With the coronavirus pandemic putting an end to its collection of coats, clothing, toiletries, and personal items for the homeless, Livingston Philanthropies, Inc. (LPI) has been adapting well to its new role of food distribution.
“It seems like yesterday when we discussed becoming a 501(c)(3), thereby unleashing the legal ability to accept monetary contributions,” noted founder and director Jeff Friedman. “That was two years ago. Through the efforts of Livingston non-profit heroes Walter Levine, Esq. and Alan Karpas, Livingston Philanthropies, Inc. was created after seven years as a well-oiled volunteer operation, which it continues to be today as a non-profit corporation in our ninth season of giving.”

Editor’s Note: Livingston High School tennis coach Elliot Lovi submitted this reflection on the loss of the Lancer boys’ tennis team’s season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Last Thursday, May 21, 2020, was the day that the Livingston High School boys’ tennis team had hoped to compete in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA), Group IV State Tournament semi-finals and finals. The North Jersey Sectional final had been scheduled for Monday, May 18, with the State Tournament today at Mercer County Park, West Windsor. The COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic ended the spring sports season for all New Jersey public and non-public high schools on May 3 with governor Phil Murphy’s announcement that all New Jersey schools will be closed for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year, followed by the NJSIAA statement cancelling the season. The LHS tennis team’s last practice on the Memorial Park tennis courts was on March 13.

Irwin Hoffer, formerly of Livingston, died on April 16. He also resided in Cedar Grove and Boynton Beach, Florida.

Born in Jersey City, he graduated from the New York University School of Business and served in the U.S. Navy.

Mr. Hoffer founded Hudson Quilting Company and later served as vice president of operations for Channel Home Centers. He was a past president of Congregation Beth Ahm of Verona.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Barbara (“Cookie”); his son, Larry (Janet); his daughter, Marcy (Robby) Berkowitz; a sister, Edie Dickes of Boca Raton, Florida; a brother, David of Deerfield Beach, Florida; and five grandchildren.

Private services were held April 20. Memorial contributions may be made to B’nai Shalom, West Orange, or the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.