Flags in New Jersey are flying at half-staff today to honor the life of former Rep. Frank J. Guarini, Jr., who died on June 20 at age 101.
“Frank Guarini dedicated more than a lifetime to serving New Jersey and our country with distinction in uniform, in the State Senate, in Congress, and through his extraordinary philanthropic work,” said Gov. Mikie Sherrill, who signed Executive Order No. 20 on Thursday. “His leadership helped shape our state and strengthen our nation. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and all those whose lives were touched by his remarkable generosity.”
Sherrill credited Guarini with spearheading the creation of the Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission—later renamed the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission. His bill established a comprehensive regional planning framework for 18,000 acres spanning 14 contiguous municipalities in Bergen and Hudson counties.
Guarini represented Hudson County in the State Senate from 1966 to 1972, and in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1979 to 1993. He was a former Hudson County Democratic Chairman.
His passing leaves former Rep. Harold Hollenbeck as New Jersey’s oldest-living former congressman. Hollenbeck, 87, served as an East Rutherford councilman, assemblyman, and state senator before his election to his first of three terms in Congress in 1976. He later served as a Superior Court Judge.