Lawrence Bilder

Lawrence Bilder, retired New Jersey judge and naval officer, passed away peacefully on February 11, 2018, in the presence of his beloved wife, Veronica.

Larry was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1923. He was a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and Harvard Law School. In 1990, he received an LLM from the University of Virginia Law School. He practiced law in Newark at the family law firm, Bilder, Bilder, and Kaufman, from 1954 to 1962. He then served on the staff of Governor Richard J. Hughes of New Jersey as Secretary and Executive Assistant, and as Counsel to the Governor. In 1968, he began over three decades of service as a judge with the New Jersey judiciary. He served for a decade and a half as a Judge of the Superior Court and then as a judge of the Appellate Division. Larry’s commitment to the judiciary led him to continue to work as a recall judge after his mandatory retirement. He maintained an active interest in legal reform and was a member of the American Law Institute and the Committee on Appellate Practice of the Appellate Judges Conference of the American Bar Association. Larry was a proud Annapolis graduate and served on active duty from 1946 to 1949 and 1951 to 1953. He remained active in the reserves and retired with the rank of Commander in 1983.

Larry had a long and wonderful marriage to his great love, the former Veronica Nooney. Larry loved the opera and the ballet but he was happiest at the house in Forked River accompanied by Veronica and their dog, Brandy. Larry cared deeply about doing the right thing and was devoted to his family.  He is survived by his wife, Veronica, his brother, Richard, and Richard’s wife, Sally, and his nieces and nephew, Mary Sarah, Anne, David, and Deborah

. Donations in Larry’s memory to Christ the King Preparatory, Newark, NJ would be appreciated.

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