Gordon N. Litwin, attorney, humanitarian, environmentalist, chairman of the board of trustees of Hackensack Meridian Health, died of complications of leukemia April 5 in New York at the age of 90.
He served as founding chairman of Meridian Health, which became New Jersey’s largest health care system. He also served six years as a trustee for the NJ Hospital Association, which honored him in 2005 as Trustee of the Year. Prior to his involvement in healthcare, Mr. Litwin served 10 years as chairman of the board of trustees of Brookdale Community College. He served as councilman and mayor of Little Silver in the late 1960s. A gifted attorney, he specialized in administrative law and public interest environmental litigation. He donated countless hours to serving the American Littoral Society and Clean Ocean Action.
Born and raised in Newark, he practiced law there for over 60 years. He received his bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and his law degree from Harvard. He grew to love the Jersey Shore as a child, summering in Loch Arbor, and developed a passion for boating while serving in the U.S. Coast Guard. After relocating from Essex County to the Shore, he became an avid sailor and cruised from his home to New England several times in Gallia, his beloved Sanderling. He was a longstanding member of Shrewsbury Sailing and Yacht Club. His athletic prowess extended to tennis, golf and ocean swimming.
He was a devoted husband, father, uncle, grand-father and brother, who was loved by countless relatives, friends, associates, clients and colleagues. He is survived by his loving wife Anne Luzzatto; two sons, Richard Litwin of Shrewsbury, and Dr. Peter Litwin and daughter-in-law Christina Berti of Oceanport; son-in-law Michael Mooney of Little Silver; stepson Benjamin Luzzatto and daughter-in-law Alexandra Tydings of Brooklyn; stepdaughter Marisa Luzzatto and son-in-law Paul Neaville of Washington D.C.; nine grandchildren, Andrew Mooney, Sophie, Perry and Rose Litwin, Ruby, Emerson and Maeve Luzzatto, and Evelyn and Calvin Neaville; as well as many nephews, nieces and cousins.
He was predeceased by his daughter Abby Litwin Mooney of Little Silver; grandson Louis Matthew Acerra of Shrewsbury; his first wife Joan Weinstein Litwin; and two sisters, Gloria Steiner and Caroline Rothschild.
A celebration of his life is to be arranged at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hackensack Meridian Medical Center at hackensackumc.org/donate; Clean Ocean Action at cleanoceanaction.org; and American Littoral Society at littoralsociety.org/donate.
This article originally appeared in the April 16th, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
