Legend, Governor Brendan T Byrne, Dies, end of an Era

One of the most-well known a Democrat,former two-term Gov. Brendan T Byrne, in the state of New Jersey’s history no more, we lost him on Thursday, January 4, 2018. He was the states oldest living Governor. Mobsters called him too ethical to be bought.The graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, born brought up in West Orange. Next town where I live. I am very saddened to hear the death of Governor Brendan T. Byrne Esq. a great personality a great human, a great friend always helped and was always ready to help. I have so many stories to share. I was very lucky to know him so well. He was so down to earth. Last time I met was prior to his 90th birthday and I was invited. That birthday was attended by all Past and the present Governors.

Governor Byrne was an early riser and would start his day with Newspapers, Starledger and NY Times usually that was the time If I had to see him will meet in the early morning, at his short hills residence. We will talk and eat breakfast at his kitchen table. He loved sports and would ride his cycle, told me that the cycle was a gift from his grandkids.

Recently I had been thinking a lot about him lately a lot about him and had planning to visit him soon, During my recent luncheon meeting with former Senator Robert Torricelli, I asked the senator if he knows anything about Governor Byrne & how he is doing, this very dynamic Senator gave a worried look and said,” Adam, Gov. is not doing good and has become weak”, we spend a few minutes talking about him.

Governor Byrne, Truly a gentleman, once during my visit to his place, my car got stuck on the ice, a block away, Thinking, I will be late, I left the car and walked to his residence, Governor saw me walking from his window, opened the front door and invited me in, I hesitated thinking I will dirty all his carpets, with all snow and sleet all over me looking at me he said don’t worry just come in,” one day we all will get burried under that,” and I answered then we will go to a better place, on that he turned back and said, “that I dont know’. he got me a fresh towel to clean up. We went to his kitchen table, he served me hot drink and before AAA could come he dressed up in ski like dress went to the garaje took the showel out with a little pice of carpet and said lets go, I was touched even the bad weather and his age wasnt deterring him from doing good, very respetfully I said Gov. please dont worry, he looked into my eyes and said lets go, I simply followed his instructions, when we reachd my car he saw a garbaje truck coming, signalled them to stop and asked them pointing finger at my car, saying get this trash out they knew who he is and they pulled my car out. Smiled, thanked and gave them a tip asking to go and have coffee. We drove back to his place. There are many many incidences, serious & humorous to share.

“Gov. Byrne was a man who always — always — put doing the right thing ahead of politics, no matter how the difficult the issue,” Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto said in a statement Thursday. “His intelligence, honor, wit and courage combined with his dedication to his country and public service made him a model for all of us in elected office to emulate.”

Once me my wife and daughter Alizah were returning home from my sister’s place, in Livingston, on my crossing old short hills road I saw him walking in his light blue pinstripe suit. I stopped the car to introduce my wife for whom I had taken help many times during her law school, and daughter who was a few years old, he was happy and insisted that we must stop at his house, we went to his house, and settled on the couch, seeing the First lady (Ruthi) walked in all dressed up I asked if they were going out her reply surprised me that they are already late for an iimportant dinner meeting, on hearing this I quickly got up and apologize for stopping by on which Governor Byrne looked at me and said relax dinners and meetings can wait, you are my important guest, he said your daughter and wife are more important and he is honored to meet them, he looked at the Firstt Lady and asked her to get some chocolates for my daughter Alizah.By that time I was already standing and asked them to excuse us, he looked at Alizah with a smile and said return with your father. Looking at me he asked, do you promise that you will bring them back, and on my yes he agreed to let us go. After that every time I met him he inquired about Alizah. After my wife graduated from the Law School, he wrote me again asking me to stop by for coffee with my family.

Apart from many things, Governor Byrne had played many important parts in the life of my family, helping my wife to get into the Law School, reviewing correcting her essay, from initial admission to the time she graduated.One of his first letters he wrote to the Dean is attached.

I read that Gov. Byrne was a no-nonsense prosecutor and a Judge in Essex County during the 1967 Newark riots he walked the streets with a shotgun, famously became known as “the man who couldn’t be bought.”
New Jersey Gov.-elect Phil Murphy, said the former governor Byrne was one of the state’s “most beloved and distinguished favorite sons.”
“He was a man of incredible decency, inscrutable honesty, admirable humility, and tremendous humor,” Murphy, who takes office this month, said in a statement. “He restored New Jersey’s faith that good people to go into politics to do the right things for the right reasons.”

Sometimes I wondered how in spite of being so busy he would take out time to do so many things for others. He knew my mother and loved her hand baked bread and baked parathas, on hearing my mothers death he came down to my house and left flowers, later he told me that he had been friends with the previous owner s of our house, and has been to my place when I was not even born, said he loves it and has fond memories of the place.Gov. sent a card on my father’s death, when we met he asked if I am OK and if I need anything. Even at the 90s, Gov. Byrne was active in politics, presiding as the dean of the powerful and ambitious with his wife, Ruthie, by his side. I would follow him on star ledger He attended numerous public events, would always take calls from reporters will attend funerals of those he met along the way, always ket in touch with those he cared about, and I was one of those lucky ones.

The present Governor Christi said, “My life is richer for having known him as I am sure are the lives of every person who had the privilege to meet him,

You are so Right, Governor Christi, I was one of those privileged ones.
Rest in Peace Governor Byrne New Jersey will remember you and will miss you. You are a star in heaven.My heartfelt condolences to the family friends and the loved ones.