Obituary of Michael M. Sternlieb

Michael Sternlieb, 70, of Lakewood, New Jersey, passed away peacefully on December 17th. Born on March 8, 1954, in Brooklyn, New York where he lived until moving to Freehold Township in 1966. He lived in Toms River for most of his life, where he started and raised his family. He was preceded in death by his parents, Melvin and Sheila Sternlieb, and granddaughter, Paige Sternlieb. He is survived by his devoted wife, Laurie, two brothers, David (Eve) and Scott (Sue), and cousin Sharon (Chris) Licata. He is also survived by his three sons, Paul (Colleen), Josh (Sydney), and Bryan (Jill) Sternlieb, and his three grandchildren, Cora, Beau, and Miles Sternlieb.

Michael was a lover of music and die-hard New York sports fan. He watched every Mets game and cheered for both the Jets and the Giants, even as his sons told him he couldn’t be a fan of both. He had the ability to recall batting averages, ERAs, total touchdown passes, and other stats as if he watched the game yesterday. He was also an active member within the New Jersey wrestling community, continuing to follow local wrestling teams long after his sons had graduated and moved on from the sport.

Anyone who met Michael over the last 9 years quickly learned that he was a recipient of a heart and kidney transplant. The unselfish donation from a mother after a tragic accident enabled him to share in the joy of watching his three sons get married and the birth of his three grandchildren. Michael made it his mission to educate people regarding the importance of electing to be an organ donor. He seized the opportunity to share his personal story with thousands of high school students, believing that if he could inspire even one person to become an organ donor, he could help save lives and provide others with the precious gift of time with their loved ones, just as he had received.

A grave-side funeral will be held on Wednesday, December 18th at 11:00 am at B’Nai Israel Memorial Park Cemetery (1224 W Whitty Road, Toms River, NJ 08755). Shiva will be held at Michael’s son Josh’s home following the funeral. In leu of flowers, donations to the New Jersey Sharing Network in Michael’s honor would be greatly appreciated. Please also consider electing to be an organ donor so others can receive the gift of life that Michael and his family received.

https://www.sharingnetworkfoundation.org/Contribute