Daniel J. O'Hern was a former Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court

New Jersey Supreme Court

The New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It has existed in three different forms under the three different state constitutions since the independence of the state in 1776...

, where he served from August 6, 1981 until his retirement upon his 70th birthday.

Biography

O'Hern was born in Red Bank

Red Bank, New Jersey

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 11,844 people, 5,201 households, and 2,501 families residing in the borough. The population density was 6,639.1 people per square mile . There were 5,450 housing units at an average density of 3,055.0 per square mile...

 in 1930 and attended Regis High School

Regis High School (New York City)

Regis High School is a private Jesuit university-preparatory school for academically gifted Roman Catholic young men located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Annual class enrollment is limited to approximately 135 male students from the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut tri-state area...

 on the Upper East Side

Upper East Side

The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side lies within an area bounded by 59th Street to 96th Street, and the East River to Fifth Avenue-Central Park...

 of Manhattan

Manhattan

Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...

. He graduated from Fordham College

Fordham University

Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...

 in 1951. O'Hern served in the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 from 1951 to 1954, during the Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

, attaining the rank of Lieutenant, Junior Grade

Lieutenant, Junior Grade

Lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, United States Merchant Marine USMM, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade...

. After leaving form active duty, he graduated from Harvard Law School

Harvard Law School

Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...

 in 1957, and served as a clerk to United States Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, Jr.

William J. Brennan, Jr.

William Joseph Brennan, Jr. was an American jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1956 to 1990...

He was an elected official in his hometown of Red Bank, serving on its borough council and as Mayor of Red Bank, New Jersey

Mayor of Red Bank, New Jersey

Mayor of Red Bank, New Jersey:*Pasquale Menna ? to 2014.*Edward J. McKenna, Jr. circa 2004.*Daniel Joseph O'Hern circa 1980.*Michael John Arnone 1978 to 1990.*Benedict R. Nicosia 1962 to 1966....

. Governor of New Jersey

Governor of New Jersey

The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...

 Brendan Byrne

Brendan Byrne

Brendan Thomas Byrne is an American Democratic Party politician from New Jersey, who served as the 47th Governor of New Jersey, from 1974 to 1982.-Early life and education:...

 named him a commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is a government agency in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is responsible for managing the state's natural resources and addressing issues related to pollution...

, and later as Counsel to the Governor. Byrne submitted his Supreme Court nomination to the New Jersey Senate

New Jersey Senate

The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...

, and he was confirmed on May 20, 1981, and sworn in on August 6, 1981.

He retired at age 70, and was replaced by James R. Zazzali

James R. Zazzali

James Ronald Zazzali was the Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court from October 26, 2006 until his retirement on June 17, 2007. He previously served as an associate justice on the Supreme Court from June 14, 2000.-Biography:...

.

O'Hern and his wife Barbara have been residents of Little Silver, New Jersey

Little Silver, New Jersey

Little Silver is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 5,950.Little Silver was established with a Kings Land Grant in 1663 and settled in 1667...

. Their daughter, Eileen Marie O'Hern, married William Kent Luby.

O'Hern died at age 78 on April 1, 2009 due to brain cancer at his home in Red Bank.