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“We ask all New Jerseyans to put Governor Byrne and his family in your prayers tonight,” Gov. Chris Christie said in a statement Thursday.
Byrne had a long career of public service, serving as counsel to Governor Meyner, Deputy Attorney General, Essex County Prosecutor, Superior Court Judge and two-term Governor of New Jersey.
“He did each of those jobs with integrity, honesty, intelligence, wit and flair,” Christie said. “He cared deeply for the state's environment, led the charge for the development of the Meadowlands Complex and for the establishment of casino gaming in Atlantic City.”
Byrne, who served in World War II, was a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School.
“He was the proud father of seven children and was a treasure to his home state where in 2011, he was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame,” Christie said.
“On a personal note, Mary Pat and I express our deepest condolences to his wife Ruthie and his entire family,” said Christie, who called Byrne a “mentor and a friend.”
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