3-Day Celebration of Life For NJ Lt. Gov Sheila Oliver Begins Thursday: What To Know

NEW JERSEY — A three-day state memorial begins Thursday for Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver, a trailblazing politician who died suddenly last week.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced that the three-day “Celebration of Life” will take place from Thursday, Aug. 10 to Saturday, Aug. 12. Oliver, an Essex County native who became the first Black woman to serve as speaker of the New Jersey Assembly, served as lieutenant governor beginning in 2018.

Oliver was hospitalized Monday, July 31 and her family announced she died the following day. Her cause of death has not been publicly released. Related article – NJ Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver Dies At 71 After Hospitalization

Murphy has not yet indicated who Oliver’s successor will be. He has 45 days from the date of her passing to choose a new lieutenant governor.

Murphy ordered all American and New Jersey state flags to be lowered to half-staff from Aug. 4 until Sept. 4, in recognition and remembrance of Oliver.

The governor headed back to Italy for family vacation at the end of last week, leaving Senate President Nicholas Scutari as acting governor until Wednesday, per New Jersey constitutional mandate. He has returned to New Jersey for the services.

Celebration of life details

Members of the public may pay their respects to Oliver, as her body will lie in state in the Rotunda of the New Jersey State Capitol from 11 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 10. The Honor Guard of the New Jersey State Police will escort her there.

Murphy’s office said this is the first time in state history that an elected official has had that honor at the Capitol in Trenton. A rotating Honor Guard from State Police will stand guard.

Oliver will also lie in repose at the Essex County Historic Courthouse in Newark on Friday, Aug. 11, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.. A rotating Honor Guard from the the Essex County Sheriff’s Office will accompany her.

A memorial service on Saturday, Aug. 12 at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart is open to the public; the service begins at 10 a.m. Rev. Al Sharpton will give the eulogy. The Honor Guard of the New Jersey State Police will escort the casket to Oliver’s final resting place, where she will be interred privately.

“As we come together in shared mourning over the loss of our family member and friend Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver, we will remember the legacy she leaves behind as a changemaker and trailblazer,” Murphy said in a statement. “Together, we will honor and celebrate her remarkable contributions to the state she loved, recognizing the profound impact she had on the millions of people who call New Jersey home.”

Oliver's family asked that donations be made to the Sheila Y. Oliver Civic Association in lieu of flowers. This nonprofit, founded in 2019, helps support young women of color who are interested in government, public policy, and community organizing.

Donations can be mailed to: The Sheila Y. Oliver Civic Association, c/o Genova Burns LLC, 494 Broad Street - 5th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102