Livingston Tribune

Jonathan Bruce Kiselik died on June 9 at age 56. He grew up in Livingston and later lived in Glen Ridge and Lincoln Park. He leaves his parents, Teri and Paul Kiselik of Livingston; a brother, Daniel (Alice) of Baltimore, Maryland; his nephews, James and Andrew; and so many long-standing friends. To quote one, “The enduring nature of true friendships, like that with Jon, is their ability to persist in spite of age and wear, and, after death, that their memories serve as guideposts for life’s passion, perseverance, and unpredictability.” Jon loved people and they responded to his kindness and warmth.

Margaret D. Giordano of Cedar Grove, formerly of Whiting, New Jersey, passed away on Wednesday, June 10, 2020 at age 99.

Born on January 7, 1921, in Orange, New Jersey to C. Elmer and Ella (Arale) Klein, Margaret, along with her sister, Betty, grew up in the Orange Valley. Upon leaving school, she worked at one of the small leather factories in the area. With the outbreak of World War II, Marge changed jobs, making bomb sites for planes. She married Bob Giordano

She married Bob Giordano in 1943, accompanying him to California prior to his deployment to the Pacific Theater of operations. Bob left for the South Pacific, eventually landing on Iwo Jima, and Margaret returned to the Orange Valley and later secured a job with Monroe Industries as a technician.

Next week, Livingston High School’s Class of 2020 will attend their virtual graduation (a programming note: so as not to “spoil” the speeches for those who got their copy of the Tribune prior to the ceremony, our special graduation section will run in two weeks, on Thursday, July 2). In all likelihood, that cyber ceremony will be supplemented by a still-in-development inperson celebration a few weeks later.

Surely, none of these students expected their graduation to be quite like this as they’ve thought about the day through the years (if they did, we have some follow up questions). But this was the hand the Class of 2020 was dealt. And in no way does the strangeness of this moment minimize their amazing accomplishment, the capstone on an incredible education.

By Jeff Friedman
Editor’s Note: This week, Jeff Friedman, founder and director of Living-ston Philanthropies, Inc., reflects on the plight of the homeless with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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In my role as director of Livingston Philanthropies, Inc. (LPI), I continue to interact with our long-time distribution associates during the pandemic. It’s a fact that conditions are just horrible for the homeless and profoundly poor. It is even worse than before the emergency – much worse.

More than a hundred people joined the “Black Lives Matter Protest Against Racism and Oppression” at the Livingston Town Center on Sunday afternoon.

Lauren Posklensky, Livingston High School class of 2016, and Nicolas Ramirez, class of 2020, organized the event, along with LHS graduates Dev Rathod (class of 2018) and Alex Herbst (class of 2016).

“We aim not only to mourn the deaths of Black citizens as the result of police brutality and racism, but to petition for specific and immediate change in Livingston to ensure a better future,” said Posklensky.

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As of Wednesday morning, June 10, the Essex County health department has reported that a total of 491 Livingston residents have tested positive for COVID-19. 64 of those residents have died as a result of the virus.

On Friday, June 5, Governor Phil Murphy extended the public health emergency in New Jersey an additional 30 days.

“We will continue our path forward, while remaining vigilant and prepared to act should there be a new outbreak of COVID-19,” Governor Murphy said.

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Livingston High School’s Class of 2020 will have an in-person graduation after all. Details were still being discussed as of press time Wednesday, but the news was confirmed following Governor Phil Murphy’s Tuesday declaration allowing outdoor gatherings of up to 500 people beginning July 3.

On Tuesday night, following Governor Murphy’s announcement, principal Mark Stern sent a letter to the Class of 2020 and their families, inviting them to take a survey to determine what they would like to do for an in-person graduation. The administration will be accepting feedback from the surveys through 3 p.m. on Thursday.

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LuvLivLocal, a combined initiative of the Township of Livingston and the The Livingston Community Partnership (Business Improvement District/BID), has been working to support independently owned Livingston businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last month, LuvLivLocal created a grant program to help businesses negatively impacted by the crisis. This week, it has announced that zoning regulations have been temporarily relaxed through the end of the year to help businesses that have been permitted to re-open by the state.

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Dr. William Shapiro, formerly of Livingston, died on June 1 at 90 after battling Lewy Body Dementia.

Born in Irvington to Irving Shapiro and Molly Blinder, and raised in Newark, Shapiro graduated from Rutgers University Newark and earned two master’s degrees and a doctorate from Columbia University.

After serving in the United States Army during the Korean War, Shapiro taught history at Lincoln Junior High, Mountain High and West Orange High Schools.

He lived in Livingston for about 20 years. In the 1980s, he helped lead an effort to keep Harrison School open. In 1997, he ran a grassroots campaign for the New Jersey State Assembly. Upon retirement, Shapiro moved

Upon retirement, Shapiro moved to Jackson and then to Parkland, Florida.

He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Gail; his son, Michael Shapiro; his daughter, Jan Johannsen; his daughter-in-law, Lauryn Shapiro; his son-in-law, Randy Johannsen, and four grandchildren.

Lucia Ilaria, 87, of Livingston, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, June 2, 2020.

A resident of Livingston for over 60 years, Lucia is survived by her children Mike, Paul, and Deborah; her brother, Joseph Roselli; her grandchildren, Michael, Jr., Derek and his wife, Vanessa, Anthony, Francesca, Nicole, and Elizabeth; her nieces, Helen and Donna; her nephews, Patrick, Richard, and Robert Roselli; and six great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her son, Peter; her husband, Gabriel; her mother, Ida; her father, Patsy; and her brothers, Richard, Ralph and Patsy Jr. Born in Newark on November 8,

Born in Newark on November 8, 1932, Lucia was a great athlete and a well-educated young woman. She was hitting home runs long before her brother Joe, who went on to play baseball professionally for the Giants Farm Club. The family’s athletic genes clearly passed down to her youngest grandson, Michael. Lucia was a talented hairdresser, who