Flags will fly at half-staff for one month around the state and a three-day Celebration of Life next week will honor the memory of Lieutenant Governor Sheila Y. Oliver, who died on Tuesday.
The League is sad to report that Lieutenant Governor Sheila Y. Oliver unexpectedly passed away on Tuesday. Governor Murphy has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff from Friday through September 4.
In the League’s public statement, League President Mayor Ray Heck of Millstone Borough reflected, “The Lieutenant Governor was a friend to communities large and small around the State. She helped expand the reach of the Neighborhood Preservation and Mainstreet New Jersey Programs; and in the pandemic and beyond, she helped communities through the Department of Community Affairs–aid that will be felt for years to come. Lt. Gov. Oliver was committed to making New Jersey better, stronger, and more inclusive. We appreciate her lifetime of civic work. She will be missed.”
A three-day Celebration of Life will occur next week. Specific times will be shared as they become available. The preliminary details include:
Thursday, Aug. 10: Members of the public are invited to pay their respects to Lt. Gov. Oliver in the Statehouse Rotunda, where she will lie in state. Oliver will be escorted and accompanied by a rotating honor guard from the New Jersey State Police.
Friday, Aug. 11: In the morning, Lt. Gov. Oliver will be escorted to the Essex courthouse by the State Police honor guard, where the public is again invited to pay respects as she lies in state. There she will be accompanied by a rotating honor guard from the Essex County Sheriff’s Office.
Saturday, Aug. 12: A State Police honor guard will accompany Oliver to the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, where she grew up, for a memorial service open to members of the public. Interment will be private.
League Executive Director Michael Cerra noted, “Sheila Oliver was a trusted and valued partner to the League, harkening back from her days as the State’s first Black Woman Assembly Speaker and through her critical recent work as the State’s first Black Woman Executive Leader. She never stopped trying to be the type of public servant who spoke up for those she represented. We appreciate her efforts on lead paint removal, affordable housing, the distribution of American Rescue Plan Funds, and a wide variety of issues through her work leading the Department of Community Affairs and in the Lt. Governor’s office, serving her State very well and with lasting impacts.”
Contact: Paul Penna, Senior Legislative Analyst, ppenna@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x110.