Stephen V. Lane, Jr., 92, of Palm Beach Gardens, FL, passed away peacefully on March 19, 2019 surrounded by his family. He was born in Brooklyn, NY on March 18, 1927 to the late Stephen V., Sr. and Ethel Lane. At the age of four, Steve and his family moved to Lakewood, NJ where he grew up to become one of the most prominent and influential figures in the Ocean County community.
After graduating from Lakewood High School, Steve went on to attend Rutgers College of Pharmacy. After graduating in 1947, he returned to his hometown and interned at Lakewood Pharmacy which he later purchased in 1955. It was in Lakewood that he met his bride, Ruth Kniesser, whom he married on October 18, 1953. In 1960, he entered into a partnership and formed Lane Drugs which quickly expanded to 25 pharmacies with over 450 employees throughout Ocean, Monmouth and Burlington Counties.
Steve was also a founding partner of radio stations WOBM FM/AM, Buckelew & Associates and Monmouth Cablevision. With so many professional commitments, Steve always found time to serve his community. Through the years, he served in numerous leadership positions: Chairman of the Board at the Kimball Medical Center, Chairman of the Lakewood Planning Board and Chairman of the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce. In addition, he was a member of the Board of Trustees of the St. Barnabas Healthcare System, the Board of Directors of the Jersey Shore Savings & Loan Association, the First Aid Squad and the Lions Club.
Throughout his career, Steve was the recipient of many awards including Ocean County Pharmacist of the Year, the Lakewood Distinguished Citizen’s Award, the Kimball Medical Center Humanitarian Award, the Boy Scouts Good Scout Award and the Rutgers University School of Pharmacy Alumnus of the Year Award. The Emergency Department at Kimball Medical Center was named in his honor.
With all of Steve’s professional achievements, his greatest joy was spending time with his family and his dog, Sassy. He enjoyed traveling and in his later years, became an avid golfer.
Steve is survived by his wife of 65 years, Ruth Lane; two daughters, Laurel Oyen and her husband, Eric, and Melodie Lane O’Connor and her husband, Curt; a son, Stephen Lane III; and a granddaughter, Stephanie Oyen and her husband, Bhaskar Ganguly.
In addition to his parents, Steve was predeceased by a sister, Marilynn Morris and a brother, Robert Lane.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, March 27, 2019 from 5:00-7:00pm at Aycock-Riverside Funeral and Cremation Center, 1112 Military Trail, Jupiter, FL. A Funeral Service will be held on Thursday, March 28, 2019 at 11:00am at the Funeral home. Burial will take place at a later date at Riverside Memorial Park in Tequesta, FL.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Stephen’s memory may be made to Place of Hope, 9078 Isaiah Lane, Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
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