Herbert C. Kaplan

Hon. Herbert C. Kaplan, Judge and Gentleman, dies at 89 Hon. Herbert C. Kaplan, retired Middlesex County Judge and treasured family man, died peacefully at home, surrounded by loved ones, in Westfield, New Jersey on February 3, 2024. He was 89 years old. Born in 1934 to attorney Samuel and kindergarten teacher Irene Kaplan, he grew up in Carteret, New Jersey at a time long before the NJ Turnpike replaced the forests there, making it the perfect spot to nurture his inner-Huckleberry Finn. He and his friends would hunt for pelts before the school day began, and wander on their own adventures in their free time, maybe fishing or roasting potatoes for a snack. In high school, he ran track and was involved in a range of activities including the Literary Staff and Hunting & Fishing Club. But one of his greatest achievements there was leading a protest to cancel the annual senior trip to Washington, DC. It was 1952 and many aspects of life in the nation's capital were segregated. By going on this trip, the only two African American students in the class would have to stay behind. With class consensus, the trip was cancelled. His deep connection to nature, coupled with working summers as a teen on dairy farms in Sussex County, NJ, shaped his choice of major, Forestry, at North Carolina State University. There, he was captain of the wrestling team and a member of the ROTC. After graduating from college, he fulfilled his ROTC obligation as an officer at Fort Bliss, Texas, where he led the cutting-edge Nike Missile operation. Not long after returning to New Jersey in 1957, he entered Seton Hall Law School and joined his father's practice after graduation. As a young attorney in 1965 he set a landmark precedent in the Supreme Court that is still referenced in contemporary cases. From there his career's trajectory went from Prosecutor to Judge within the Middlesex County Court System. But perhaps the highlight of his career was when a stray dog was abandoned at night court; he brought her home and Ginger became a member of the family for many years to come. Hon. Kaplan was a rated chess player who participated in competitions worldwide. He had a commercial pilot's license and began violin lessons in his late 40s. His record collection was mostly Beethoven but included Santana and The Who as well. He and his wife Arleen had a life filled with love and adventures, with favorite moments being on Horseshoe Bay Beach in Bermuda and summer literature classes at Oxford University in England. She passed away in 2015 soon after their 56th wedding anniversary. Hon. Kaplan was also pre-deceased by his beloved first wife, high school sweetheart Selma (nee Harnick), in 1957. His sister Susan died in 2018. Surviving are his daughter Lydia, his son Roy (Caroline), grandchildren Julia (William), Deanna, Evan, and Louly, and great-granddaughters Fiona and Cassidy. In his memory, please enjoy a steak dinner and toast him with a vodka gimlet on the rocks. He would have loved that.
Funeral Services were held under the care of Synowiecki Funeral Home, 56 Carteret Ave., Carteret, NJ.