History-Making Mayor In Bergen Co. Dies, Community Mourns: Sources

ENGLEWOOD, NJ — Flags were flown at half-staff last week in Englewood as residents and neighboring communities mourned the death of the city's first female mayor, Sondra "Sandy" Greenberg, according to authorities.

Greenberg, who served as mayor from 1976 to 1982, died on Dec. 27 at age 93.

Remembered as a highly engaged community activist and a loyal member of the Democratic Party, Greenberg will be sorely missed, her friends and colleagues said of her.

"(Greenberg) reveled in the intergenerational success of the city and will always be regarded for her wit, tenacity and strength of her convictions," Mayor Michael Wildes said in a statement following her death. "Her warm smile yet strength is what will be remembered."

Notably, Greenberg was central to the planning and organizing of major community arts festivals, "paved the way" for the John Harms Center for the Arts (now Bergen Performing Arts Center), and created a board to encourage architectural design standards, according to Wildes.

"When we look around our city — not just buildings, but government, community organizations, and our very culture — we continue to see the impact of her work and imagination," he added.

News of Greenberg's death reverberated throughout the public sphere, as local and state officials paid tribute to the late mayor on social media.

"(Greenberg) was a legend," city Councilman Ken Rosenzweig said. "She was a constant source of wise advice and counsel."

"So sorry to learn of Sandy... (an) all-around good liberal warrior," Loretta Weinberg, former New Jersey Senate Majority Leader, said. "Her voice and ideas will be missed."

Not only was Greenberg a "mover and shaker," Wildes said, she was, more importantly, a loving mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend.

"I can’t think of a more appropriate way to honor her legacy," Wildes said, "than for all of us to aspire to the same level of foresight and determination she gave to us for so many years."