Report To The Community 2021

74
Joan Borneman Earl Best Elayne Lite
remembering
those we lost
Marva Nichols
njpac.org
Amy Liss
Kevin Williams
Everyone at the Arts Center
mourns the loss of members of
the NJPAC family who passed
away in 2021. All these dear
friends contributed greatly
to advancing our work and
mission, and to enriching our
Arts Center community.
Earl Best, a community
organizer also known as
“The Street Doctor,” who served
many years on NJPAC’s Council
of Elders, passed away in
December. A native Newarker,
he grew up in the South Ward.
Best served 17 years in prison
after he was convicted of bank
robbery. Upon his release, he
dedicated his life to helping
those in need in his hometown,
founding the Street Warriors,
a group that advocated for
nonviolence and increased
opportunities for young people.
Joan Borneman, of Livingston,
served as a volunteer for
NJPAC for decades. Named
Volunteer of the Year in 1999,
Joan staffed every Dodge
Poetry Festival at NJPAC, held
the record for chairing the most
Volunteer Appreciation Dinners,
and was a steadfast friend
to hundreds of Arts Center
students and their families.
She passed away in February.
Amy Liss, of Summit, was
a longtime supporter and
advocate for the Arts Center;
her generosity was particularly
focused on bolstering NJPAC’s
work in education. Her extensive
philanthropy supported the Ms.
Foundation, the Summit Library,
the Newark Conservancy,
the Newark Museum of Art,
Overlook Hospital, the Jewish
Federation and the New Jersey
Symphony, among many others.
She passed away in September.
Elayne Lite, a volunteer at the
Arts Center since its opening
night, died in December. A
teacher for four decades,
in her retirement she spent
thousands of hours volunteering
at NJPAC and was named
Volunteer of the Year in 2000.
She worked with students at
the Center for Arts Education,
assisted the Development
team and led public tours of
the campus, guiding numerous
Arts Center staffers through the
theaters on their first visits.
“Lady” Ella D. Jones,
a reading specialist with
the Newark Public Schools,
became an usher and then
a volunteer at NJPAC after
she retired. She was also
a charter member of the
Jubilation Choir, which
was led by her great-niece,
Dr. Stefanie Minatee. She was
named the Volunteer of the
Year in 2001. She published a
memoir, titled 32,870 Days and
Counting, on the occasion of
her 90th birthday. There were
indeed many more days left
to count; she passed away
in November, age 103.
James Mtume, a jazz and
R&B musician, songwriter,
producer and activist, passed
away in January 2022.
Originally known for his work
as a percussionist with Miles
Davis, he later wrote R&B hits
for his own band, Mtume,
and for performers including
Stephanie Mills and Roberta
Flack. His hit, “Juicy Fruit,” was
later famously sampled by
Notorious B.I.G. for his song,
“Juicy,” which topped charts
in 1994. In 2021, Mtume helped
arrange the performance of
The Last Poets at NJPAC’s
TD James Moody Jazz Festival.
Marva Nichols, an NJPAC
usher for 18 years before her
retirement in the spring of 2021,
passed away in July. Known
for her sharp wit and high
spirits, Marva always made
a point of reaching out to
colleagues on their birthdays,
and kept in touch with her
team even during the long
months of pandemic closure.
Geraldine Richardson,
of Elizabeth, a member of
NJPAC’s Finance department
for 19 years, passed away
in November. She served as
the Arts Center’s Accounts
Payable Staff Accountant, a
role in which she handled tens
of thousands of invoices every
year. Often reserved, she was
known by her friends for her
quiet sense of humor — and
her love of soap operas.
Paula Rubi Cruz, a native of El
Salvador who made her home
in Newark, joined NJPAC’s
housekeeping team in 2001
and became an essential
member of the department
during her decades of service.
A hard worker who always
arrived at the Arts Center with
a smile for her colleagues,
she was respected by
everyone in her department.
She passed away in July.
Kevin Williams served as
an usher and later Assistant
Head Usher at NJPAC for 13
years, before leaving the Arts
Center in 2016. Known for his
exceptional fashion sense and
bright smile, he made it a point
to return to NJPAC to visit the
usher team several times a year.
He passed away in August. •
njpac.org 75