Flags in Mt. Olive have been half-staff and will remain that way until this weekend to pay respect on the sudden passing of long-time Councilman Daniel Etisi Amianda.
Community, family and friends plan to gather for Amianda’s life-celebration and memorial on Saturday, Dec. 17, from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the William J. Leber Funeral Home, in Chester, followed by a 3 p.m. eulogy. Interment will be held privately by the family.
Amianda, 82, has lived in Budd Like since 1975, raising his family here and serving the community as an elected official for 27 years. He spent the last nine years as a council member and 16 years prior on the Mt. Olive Board of Education. The Mt. Olive Twp. Council started its December 6 council meeting in a moment of silence to honor and recognize their long-time colleague.
“Daniel was a gentle and caring man,” says Council President Joe Nicastro. “He served our community very well. He will be missed.”
Mt. Olive Township posted on its website: “The Township appreciates and will remember his strong commitment to community service and love for Mt. Olive. We share our heartfelt condolences with the Amianda family during this difficult time.”
Mt. Olive Twp. Mayor Rob Greenbaum says “It’s obviously very sad. Daniel was a good-hearted soul who cared about Mt. Olive, his family and charitable organizations in the country he originally came from.”
According to his obituary shared by Willian J. Leber Funeral Home, Amianda died suddenly on November 30.
He was found in his home by police after council members were not able to make contact with Amianda for a few days.
“We were at the ribbon cutting for the solar project and his absence was noted,” says Greenbaum. “Colleen [Labow] suggested to Chief Beecher that they do a welfare check. Daniel was found deceased upon that check.”
According to a Mt. Olive Police report, Det. Lt. Lou Sanchez and Det. Mark Reynolds responded to a welfare check on Nov. 30 at Amianda’s home. “Upon arrival there were several newspapers at the end of the driveway and another newspaper on the front steps,” Reynolds wrote in the report. “There was no answer at the front door or on the video doorbell. The rear sliding door to the home was unlocked,” and when they made entry into the home they found Amianda inside already deceased.
According to his obituary, Amianda was born on December 16, 1939 in El Congo, Kenya to the late Zacharias Matuli Etisi and late Naomi Alumasi Etisi.
His seven older siblings saved money for three years in order to purchase his airline ticket to the United States. He moved to the U.S. in 1961 and received his undergraduate degree from Lincoln College, a historically black university, in 1965. He received his MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1969. Amianda lived in New York City until moving to Budd Lake 47 years ago, where he and his wife, Helena, raised their four children.
He spent his entire career working for the New York City Human Resources Administration.
Jogging was one of his favorite past-times and he was a founding member of New York City's Roadrunner Club, a group instrumental in putting together the NYC Marathon.
He was heavily involved in local politics, serving his ninth year on the Mt. Olive Council, as well as education having served 16 years on the Mt. Olive BOE. As a believer that a strong education could change one's path, Amianda founded the Naomi Nursery School in his hometown of Bunyore, El Congo, Kenya. The school was named after his illiterate but brilliant mother who was unable to attend school in the British colonial system.
Amianda is survived by his wife, Helena Amianda, his son, Mark Oweso Amianda and his daughters, J. Alumasi "Masi" Amianda (husband, Ian Cook), Erica Ayiro Amianda, Naomi Amianda, and grandchildren, Cameron Amianda, Lu Cook, Sinjin Etisi Amianda-Cook, Adam "AJ" Nix, and Austin Nix. He was predeceased by his nephews, James Etisi and Dr. Johnson Obedi Matuli.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the United Negro College fund https://give.uncf.org.
In terms of his replacement on the Mt. Olive Twp. Council, the Republican County Committee will suggest three possible replacements, says Greenbaum. The council will then decide who will finish out Amianda’s term.
“It was a very sad day when we heard of his passing,” says Greenbaum at the council meeting. “He will be missed.”
Adds Councilman John Ferrante, “Knowing Daniel for just less than 10 years, he’ll be missed greatly.”
Concludes Council Vice President Alex Roman, “It affected me, it affected everyone here. Our friends and colleagues can leave from our lives.” It is important to not “take our loved ones for granted.”