Dan Weissman, renowned Star-Ledger statehouse reporter, dies at 87

Dan Weissman, a legendary and widely respected journalist who spent three decades as a Star-Ledger statehouse reporter during the newspaper’s glory days, died last night after suffering several strokes last week.  He was 87.

Weissman began working at the Paterson Morning Call and the Herald News in the early 1960s, and moved to the Star-Ledger in 1971.  He covered eight gubernatorial campaigns and hundreds of legislative campaigns.

For many years, he wrote a column on New Jersey politics for the Star-Ledger.

“He was an incredibly nice man and one helluva hardworking reporter respected by everyone in Trenton in the Ledger’s heyday,” said a longtime Star-Ledger colleague, Guy Sterling.

Following his retirement, Weissman taught journalism at Rutgers University.  He occasionally wrote for his old newspaper, including an obituary of another statehouse reporter, Vincent Zarate.  He also chronicled his experiences with his wife, Marcia, who had Alzheimer’s for several years before her death in 2012.

Weissman is survived by his sons and grandchildren.