Shirley Katz

Shirley Katz, nee Finkelstein, 101, passed away on May 31, 2023. The funeral is being held at Bernheim Apter Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel, 68 Old Short Hills Rd., Livingston, NJ, on Sunday, June 4, 2023 at 11AM.

Shirley was born in Newark, NJ on July 24, 1921. She was a graduate of Weequahic High School and worked at the draft board in Newark during WWII. She was married to Arthur Katz for almost 70 years, until his passing in 2013. Shirley met her husband at Bradley Beach in New Jersey. The story goes that Shirley was walking on the beach with some friends when she saw this young man serenading some of his friends with his ukelele. Arthur, the ukulele player, and she became husband and wife not long after their chance

meeting. Shirley and Arthur first settled down in Hillside, NJ, and later moved to West Orange, where they lived for over 54 years. Shirley spent the last 10 years of her life at Cedar St. Commons in Livingston, NJ.

Shirley worked part-time for Johnson and Johnson, while she was raising her family. She loved traveling with Arthur, especially on cruises. She was an avid bridge player, and she enjoyed playing tennis with the girls and sometimes mixed doubles with her husband. She belonged to many charitable organizations, and she had a very wide circle of friends, both young and old. Almost everyone admired her vitality and joie de vivre.

Shirley is survived by two sons, Lawrence and William, Lawrence's wife, Diane Michael, three grandchildren, Zachary, Phoebe, and Zoe, their spouses, Maggie, Chris, and Russell, and 5 precious great grandchildren, Izzy, Mimi, William, Elizabeth, William, and Lucy.

In lieu of flowers, if anyone would like to make a donation in memory of Shirley Katz, you can send a check to Friends of the Livingston Library, 10 Robert H. Harp Drive, Livingston, NJ 07039. Attn: Barbara Bye or you can go to their website where you can navigate to the Donate Tab.

My mom took advantage of the many free events held at the library and she always enjoyed going there.