West Essex Tribune

Diane Archie, 72, of Livingston, died on April 14. A memorial celebration will be held at a later date for family and friends. Arrangements are in the care of the Nesbitt Funeral Home in Elizabeth.

Former New Jersey First Lady Deborah Bye Kean, died on April 23 at her home at the age of 76. She was the wife of Tom Kean, who served as governor from 1982 to 1990. The family formerly resided in Livingston.

Mrs. Kean was born in Wilmington, Delaware to the late Elizabeth Griffenberg Bye and Robert Bye. She graduated from Tower Hill School in Wilmington and Bennett College in Millbrook, New York. As First Lady of New Jersey, she was instrumental in renovating the governor’s mansion and lobbied to provide funds for day care centers.

She is survived by her husband of 52 years, Thomas Kean; her sons, state Senator Thomas H. Kean, Jr. of Westfield and Reed Kean of Chatham; her daughter, Alexandra Kean Strong of Duxbury, Massachusetts; and seven grandchildren.

Frederick E. Meisenzahl, 99, of Livingston, New Jersey, passed away peacefully on Friday, April 17, 2020 at home, surrounded by his family.

Frederick was born on October 5, 1920 in Newark, New Jersey, to the late Frederick and Emma Meisenzahl. He grew up in Irvington, New Jersey, and moved to Livingston, New Jersey, and lived there for 70 years.

Fred worked for Western Electric for 39 years before retiring in 1978. During that time, he was drafted into the Army and served his country during World War II in Japan.

Once he retired, he fulfilled a dream and traveled the world with the love of his life, Sophie, until her health deteriorated and they were no longer able to.

He was an avid gardener as well as a honey bee keeper/honey maker extraodinaire. His passion for gardening was passed on to his children, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren. Fred also loved animals, namely cats, especially his beloved Suzie Q.

Janet M. Farris passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 25, 2020 in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, at the age of 87.

She was born in Durant, Oklahoma to parents Philip Short and Wilna Holland.

She was predeceased by her parents; a dear aunt, Mildred Holland; and her loving husband, John Farris.

Surviving are her cherished children, Diane Farris, John Farris, Jr. (Maria), Amy Farris (Daniel Bruk), and six nieces and nephews. A great joy in Janet’s life were her endeared grandchildren, Charlotte, Carla, Sara and Peter.

Jan was a 1954 graduate of the University of Oklahoma and moved to New York City shortly after graduation. She married John in 1955, and they made their home in New Jersey, followed by several years in London. They raised their children in Livingston.

Jan loved reading; travel; Long Beach Island; her dogs and cat, and she was an avid sports fan, especially of tennis and college football.

Dr. Barry Lauton of Livingston died on April 22 at St. Barnabas Medical Center at 88 years of age. Born in Bayonne, Dr. Lauton is survived by his wife, Catalina Fiszer Lauton; his children, Julie Lauton and Lisa Lauton; his step-children, George and Lainie Fiszer; Karen Fiszer-Stern and Jeff Stern; four step-grandchildren; and his sister, Joyce Lauton Nestle. He was predeceased by his first wife, Thea Odem Lauton and his daughter, Amy Lauton.

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania and NYU Medical School, Dr. Lauton served as a US Army Captain in Korea. He practiced pediatric medicine in Springfield, and was an attending physician at Saint Barnabas Medical Center and Overlook Hospital. He was a congregant of Temple Beth Ahm in Springfield and Temple Beth Shalom in Livingston. Arrangements are by the Bernheim-Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel.

Thelma Eriksen Reimer, 100, died April 27 of COVID-19.

She was a long-time resident of Livingston and Manasquan, New Jersey.

She was born January 22, 1920 in Jersey City, New Jersey, to the late Christian and Cecelia Eriksen.

She was preceded in death by her husband, William J. Reimer.

Survivors include her sons, David W. Reimer of Indian Land, South Carolina; Alan L. Reimer and his wife, Kathy D. Reimer, of Denver , North Carolina; and two grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren.

Arrangements are under the direction of Codey Jones Funeral Home in Caldwell.

Diane Leslie Auerbach, 70, long-time resident of Livingston, died on April 27, 2020 at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York after a struggle with a bone marrow transplant followed by graft vs. host disease. She is survived by her husband, Andrew, and her children, Meredith and Lee, and grandchild, Piper.

Diane was born to Sam Shapass and Ruth Lochansky in 1949 in Brooklyn, New York. Phillip Shapass was her elder brother, now deceased. She was married to Andrew Auerbach in 1972. They have been Livingston residents since 1977.

She went to Brooklyn College for bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education, and received a certificate in guidance from Kean University in New Jersey.

Her children were her life’s work, and they returned her love many times over. Her example guided them in their own lives. She remained their mentor and friend until the end.

Last week, township officials released a detailed breakdown of the number of COVID-19 cases in town. These statistics were released, in large part, due to residents’ concerns expressed on the topic in recent weeks. It may not have been all the information that health officials are briefed on, but it sure was a heck of a lot.

The information revealed the average age of those who have died from the virus in town, which was in the mid-80s. It also showed what had been suspected but not backed up by facts. Many of the fatal cases in Livingston were coming from our long term care facilities. In fact, the vast majority of Livingston’s deaths – and nearly half of all township cases – have stemmed from the area’s nursing homes. According to the report, nobody younger than 55 had died from COVID-19 in Livingston as of last week. Four residents under 75 years old had died, all with at least one of those cases involving an underlying medical condition.

As Livingston’s contributions continue to arrive, Livingston Philanthropies, Inc. (LPI) volunteers are actively purchasing food items for Newark’s stressed food pantries, announced the Livingston charity’s founder and director, Jeff Friedman.
LPI shipped 80 cases of bottled spring water and 200 loaves of bread to Newark Emergency Services for Families (NESF). Amina Bey, NESF’s executive director said, “In the past two days, Newark Emergency Services for Families has distributed over 500 packages of food, diapers, toiletries and cases of water to the residents of Essex County. Special thanks to our partners, the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, the Salvation Army, and Livingston Philanthropies for their generosity and support.”

The fourth and fifth graders in the Livingston Library’s “XTreme Readers” book club met as scheduled on March 31, despite the coronavirus quarantine, to discuss their regularly scheduled book. However, the meeting was a virtual one, held on Zoom.

The kids already had physical copies of the selection, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, but Gina Vaccaro, the librarian who leads the group, found that many aspects of the meeting had to be changed.

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