The mayor of Englewood said he is mourning one of the city’s “most extraordinary citizens" in announcing her death from the coronavirus.
Margaret Temple founded the Family Teen Center, a youth performing arts program for residents in Bergen County from ages 11 to 17.
Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes said he spoke with her daughter, following her mother’s death.
“She was a person who loved, and worked, for the benefit of our youth,” Wildes said of Temple in a video posted to his Facebook page.
“COVID-19 has taken some of our very special residents, and though she lived nearby, she was an Englewood resident as far as I’m concerned,” added the mayor.
Referencing the pandemic that, as of Thursday afternoon, had claimed at least 1,700 lives in New Jersey, Wildes said, “I also know that this is disproportionately hurting and hitting the African American community.”
About a quarter of the deaths in New Jersey for which race data was available, as of Tuesday, were black or African American.
“It’s so important that we realize we’re going to get through this together,” he said.
New Jersey as of Thursday afternoon had at least 51,027 confirmed coronavirus cases.
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Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.