Obituary of The Honorable John J. Gibbons

     John J.  Gibbons, 94, a beloved father, grandfather and great-grandfather, formerly of Short Hills and Hyannis, Ma., passed away peacefully on December 9, 2018 having just celebrated his 94th birthday.  The Honorable John J. Gibbons was a distinguished judge legal scholar and lawyer. He was predeceased by his beloved wife Mary Jeanne  Boyle Gibbons. He is survived by his four daughters, Mary E. Whipple, Nora F. Cary, Deirdre E. Kvartunas and

Maude A. Houston; three sons Daniel J., Richard G. and David C., 13 grandchildren and 1 great grandson, as well as a sister, Theresa O'Boyle and a brother, James Gibbons.

     Born in Newark, Judge Gibbons grew up in Belleville. He attended St. Benedict's Prep and The College of the Holy Cross, where he later served as a member of the Board of Trustees. He served in the United States Navy from 1943-1946. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1950, where he was a member of the Law Review, he joined Crummy & Considine (today Gibbons P.C.). In January of 1970, he was appointed by Richard Nixon to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, where he served for 20 years, the last three of which as Chief Judge. During this time he authored more than 800 opinions.

     He left the bench to become the Richard J. Hughes Professor of Law at Seton Hall University School of Law. In April of 1990, Judge Gibbons rejoined his former firm, which at that time was named Crummy, Del Deo, Dolan, Griffinger & Vecchione, and would become known as Gibbons, Del Deo, Dolan, Griffinger & Vecchione in 1997, and then Gibbons P.C. in 2007.

    In the more than 65 years of legal and public service, Judge Gibbons handled numerous cases involving significant constitutional and civil rights issues.  This representation has included pursuing marriage equality rights for New Jersey’s LGBT population; challenging the constitutionality of Megan’s Law; opposing the Attorney General’s decision to close deportation proceedings to the public for detainees arrested in the wake of 9/11; challenging racial profiling on the New Jersey Turnpike; serving as an advocate for inner city students in the landmark Abbott v. Burke school finance litigation; and defending battered and low-income women in cases concerning domestic violence, criminal prosecution for injuries to their unborn fetuses, and denial of welfare to children in families already receiving welfare.

    Throughout his career, Judge Gibbons also focused his efforts on ending capital punishment. As a member of the executive committee of New Jerseyans for an Alternative to the Death Penalty, and was a leading force in the abolishment of the death penalty in New Jersey in 2007. A nationally recognized attorney, Judge Gibbons has received the Lifetime Achievement Award by The American Lawyer (2005), was named one of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America by The National Law Journal (2006), and was honored as the Lawyer of the Year by the New Jersey Law Journal (2004).

    Judge Gibbons was a Past President of the New Jersey State Bar Association; Life Member of the American Law Institute; and Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. At various times throughout his career, he was a member of the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association and a Chair of its Committee on Fair Trial and Free Press; Director of the American Arbitration Association; a Trustee and Trustee Emeritus of the Practicing Law Institute; and a Trustee of The Fund for New Jersey. He also sat on the Board of  Cristo Rey Newark High School.

    Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Funeral Mass at St. Rose Of Lima Church, 50 Short Hills Ave, Short Hills on Saturday, December 15th  at 11:15 AM. Interment Private.  Visitation will be held at Preston Funeral Home 153 South Orange Ave, South Orange on  Friday, 3:00 - 8:00PM. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be sent to the  Judge John J. Gibbons Fund for Justice at Equal Justice USA, 81 Prospect Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 (ejusa.org)  would be appreciated. For more information or to send condolences please visit prestonfuneralhome.net