In Memory of

Joseph Lesser

January 16, 1925 - July 16, 2012

Obituary

Lesser, Joseph, 87 of Cliffside Park, NJ and previously of Tenafly, NJ, passed away peacefully at Englewood Hospital on July 16, 2012. The son of the late Samuel and Hilda Lesser, he is survived by his beloved wife, Arlyne, their children, Eve Lesser Edelstein and Seth Lesser and seven grandchildren, Jennifer, Hilary and Matthew Edelstein, and Lily, Molly, Annabelle and Caroline Lesser. Mr. Lesser grew up in New York City and attended DeWitt Clinton High School, graduating in 1940, at the age of 15.

He then attended Columbia College until he enlisted in the Army in August 1943, serving in the South Pacific and Korea. Upon returning from the war, he completed his bachelor's degree at Columbia and attended Columbia Law School, graduating with a LLB in 1948.Mr. lesser spent most of his professional career with the Legal Department of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, ending his career as the Port Authority's General Attorney/Deputy General Counsel in 1990. During that time he argued a great many cases in the federal and state courts, including the United States Supreme Court.

He also served as chair of the American Bar Association's Section of Urban, State and Local Government, was a member of the American Bar Association's House of Delegates, taught land use regulation at New York University and published a number of law review articles. Upon leaving the Port Authority, he became of counsel to Waters, McPherson, McNeill, P.C., in Secaucus until his retirement in 2000. Active in civic and religious affairs, Mr. Lesser served as President of Temple Sinai in Tenafly, President of the Bergen County Chapter of the American Jewish Committee and Chairman of the Bergen County Committee to Save Soviet Jewry. He also was active in the Tenafly Rotary Club.

Funeral services will be held on July 18, 2012 at Gutterman and Musicant Jewish Funeral Directors, 402 Park Street, Hackensack, NJ at 11:30 a.m. Shiva will be held at the Lesser residence Wednesday 6-9 PM & Thursday 3-9 PM and at the Edelstein residence on Friday 1-8 PM. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Bergen County Chapter of the American Jewish Committee or the Anti-Defamation League.

Service Information

 

Chapel Service

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

11:30am - 12:30am

Gutterman-Musicant Memorial Chapel

402 Park Street

Hackensack, NJ 07601

 

Burial

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

01:30pm - 02:00pm

Mt Lebanon Cemetery

Glendale, NY