Details about funeral services for Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver have been announced.
A state funeral will be held for Oliver on Aug. 12 as the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark. It is part of a three-day celebration of her life.
Oliver will lie in state on Aug. 10 at the New Jersey State House Rotunda. She will then be escorted to the Essex County Historic Courthouse where she will lie in state on Aug. 11.
Gov. Phil Murphy ordered all United States and New Jersey state flags located at state buildings and facilities will be lowered to half-staff in honor of the lieutenant governor.
Murphy returned to New Jersey Thursday afternoon after being away in Italy on a family vacation. He said that asking Oliver to be his running mate was “the best decision I ever made.”
“While Lieutenant Governor Oliver’s passing leaves a void in our state that can never truly be filled, she leaves behind a model of public service and integrity that serves as a template for us all,” Murphy wrote in a statement.
Murphy was expected to meet with Oliver’s family Thursday evening to pay his respects.
Oliver died Tuesday after being hospitalized Monday for an undisclosed medical issue. A cause of death has not yet been released.
Murphy has 45 days following the lieutenant governor's death to name a successor, according to the state constitution. The person chosen does not need to be approved by state lawmakers.