Andrea Tuber, a long-time resident of Livingston passed away on November 11, 2022, at the age of 84. She is survived by her devoted husband of 63 years Dr. Harry Tuber, daughters Karen Ricker (Stephen), Patricia Tuber (Renee Lentino), Michelle Beers (Michael) and grandchildren Samantha and Allison Ricker, Brandon (Elisabeth) Lentino, and Evan and Eric Beers. Andrea will be greatly missed by her sister Saralie Pennington (Tom Herz), niece Daria Pennington (Danny Ripps) and great-nephews Jonathan and Samson Ripps.
Andrea was born on January 26, 1938 in Waterbury, CT, daughter of the late Helen and Samuel Bisnovich. She graduated from Boston University in 1959, married the love of her life, Harry, that June and afterwards moved to Lawton, OK when her husband was stationed at Fort Sill. In Oklahoma, Andrea worked as a case worker for the Comanche County Oklahoma Welfare Department and also taught 3rd grade. This is where she honed her deep passion for education and civil rights for everyone. Her work on the reservations and in the low-income school system made her acutely aware of social disparities. These experiences shaped her life going forward.
She and her husband moved to West Orange in 1961 after his discharge from the Army and started a family. Soon after, they moved to Livingston where she lived for the past 57 years. Andrea valued community service and volunteered for several agencies and causes that focused on social justice issues and poverty. After the birth of her third child, she went back to school and received her master’s degree in Special Education from Kean University and worked part-time as a special education teacher in the East Orange and Parsippany School systems. She retired from teaching in 1992.
Andrea was very active in the civil rights movement after the Newark Riots in the 1960s. She became a volunteer with the Green Circle curriculum program teaching children the importance of accepting all people as equal regardless of race, creed, religion, ethnicity and culture. She taught this curriculum throughout the North Jersey area. During the 1980s, Andrea volunteered her teaching skills to help Russian immigrants learn English in the “Russian Feeder Schools.” Through the 1990s, Andrea was very active in her synagogue especially in organizing a rotating Sunday Soup Kitchen in West Orange with Temple Beth Shalom and five other houses of worship. She was very proud of this interfaith collaboration that came together to feed families in need. This was when she became known for her wonderful baked ziti.
Andrea was also very active with the Livingston Library as a volunteer helping with various clerical tasks and the serving refreshments at the library’s monthly senior programs. She was also an active member of the township’s Committee on Disabilities for many years and helped champion access for non-ambulatory people and inclusion in all activities for anyone with special needs.
Andrea was a proud member of the Essex County Democratic Committee and hosted “coffees” for many candidates running for office. She also volunteered at the poles during elections as a challenger for many years.
If you asked Andrea what her greatest accomplishment was she would say her family. She was so proud of her three girls, and her five grandchildren and would “kvell” over everyone’s achievements. Andrea was deeply loved and will be greatly missed by her family, friends and community.
Donations in Andrea’s memory may be made to the Friends of the Livingston Library (https://www.livingstonlibrary.org/friends.html) or Temple Beth Shalom in Livingston (https://www.tbsnj.org/support-tbs)
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