'Trailblazing' Belleville councilwoman dies after 20 years on governing body

Longtime Belleville Councilwoman Marie Strumolo-Burke died Friday. She was 82.

Having served on the Township Council since 2004, Strumolo-Burke was an influential figure in the community. Additionally, she held the position of president of the Silver Lake Civic Association and served as clerk for the Belleville Planning Board.

Throughout her tenure, Strumolo-Burke championed community engagement and collaboration, earning recognition from various sectors of Belleville. She was honored by the Belleville High School baseball team, the Belleville Police Department, and the Shafter Branch Library. Notably, she led the initiative for the ceremonial renaming of Lake Street to honor former Councilman and Deputy Mayor Angelo Risoli.

Mayor Michael Melham expressed condolences, stating, “The family of the trailblazing councilwoman are in our thoughts and prayers, and I would urge all residents to join me at this time to reflect on her long legacy of leadership and service to the First Ward, including Silver Lake.”

Visitation will be held on Tuesday from 4 to 8 p.m. at O’Boyle Funeral Home, located at 309 Broad St. in Bloomfield. Funeral services are scheduled for Wednesday at 11 a.m. at St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church, 63 Franklin St. in Belleville. Strumolo-Burke will be laid to rest at Glendale Cemetery, located at 28 Hoover Ave. in Bloomfield.

Strumolo-Burke was known for her cooking and wrote "Life in Silver Lake," a regular column in the Belleville Times, per her obituary.

Reflecting on her legacy, Melham remarked, “If you look beyond the myriad honors and awards, you’ll see that it all stemmed from her love of Belleville and her love of her neighbors.”

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Belleville NJ councilwoman Marie Strumolo-Burke dies