Myron Warren Kronisch

Myron "Mike" W. Kronisch, 92, who advocated passionately for a peaceful alternative to solving international disputes, passed away on Friday, June 21, 2019, surrounded by his loving family. Born in New York City, he lived in Maplewood, N.J., and Livingston, N.J., before retiring to Mt. Arlington, N.J.

He leaves behind his beloved wife of 63 years, Sheila (nee Felzenberg), four loving and devoted children - daughters, Elizabeth (and Marc Lesser), Jennifer (and Steven Benenson), and Rebecca (and Robert Emert), a son, Matthew (and Belle) Kronisch, as well as 11 adoring grandchildren, Danielle (and David) Levine, Madeleine Lesser, Hannah and Rachael Benenson, David (and Monika) and Jacob Emert, and Zachary, Benjamin, Elianna, Shayna and Maxx Kronisch, and a great-grandson, Reece Levine. He is also survived by his sister, Sara (and Richard) Krieger, and was predeceased by his parents, Morris and Stella Kronisch, and his brothers, Drs. Sherman and David Kronisch.

At the age of 17, after a year of college at Rutgers University, Mike enlisted in a program, where he trained to become an Army officer. He commanded a tank unit in Korea, where he served before the war there began. He completed college at Bucknell University and earned a law degree at Rutgers University, followed by a clerkship for the Honorable Justice Nathan Jacobs on the New Jersey Supreme Court.

Mike had a distinguished legal career (including numerous cases resulting in published opinions that changed New Jersey law) focused primarily on personal injury litigation, representing severely injured individuals and their families in medical negligence and product liability matters. He was a long-standing member of the editorial board of the New Jersey Law Journal and he served a term as president of the New Jersey chapter of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, currently NJAJ (New Jersey Association for Justice). He was a mentor and role model to countless attorneys who aimed to learn and to improve their practice.

While the law was his avocation, his passion was peace and justice. His service in Korea and the founding of the United Nations had a profound impact on his worldview. He was determined to find a peaceful means to solve the world's numerous problems so as to avoid war. This early concern grew into a lifelong commitment to work as an activist and leader of several organizations, including the World Federalist Association, Citizens for Global Solutions and the Center for War/Peace Studies. Chief among the aims of these organizations was to improve the effectiveness of the UN by replacing the veto power with a more representative voting system in the General Assembly and the Security Council. Mike worked tirelessly toward this goal, visiting over 50 UN and foreign missions, both in the U.S. and abroad, to promote the idea of a "weighted" voting system.

Aside from being an officer and a gentleman, he was supremely proud of his family, reveled in all of their accomplishments, and loved every one of them dearly.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Center for War/Peace Studies, CWPS, c/o WFM-IGP, 708 Third Avenue, Suite 1715 New York, NY 10017