Arline M. Friscia passed away on Wednesday, October 16, 2019 surrounded by her loving family at JFK Medical Center in Edison. She was 84 years old.

Mrs. Friscia attended Newark public schools and Benedictine Academy in Elizabeth. She received a B.A in Music from Caldwell College and an M.A. in Administration and Supervision from Seton Hall University. She also received certification in Labor Studies from Oxford University in England. Arline was a founding member of the Statewide Women's Summit, former president of the Woodbridge Business and Professional Women and former Vice Chair Women of the Middlesex County Commission on the Status of Women.

Arline was a former member of the New Jersey General Assembly having served from January 1996 to January 2004 representing the 19th Legislative District which includes Woodbridge, Carteret, Perth Amboy, South Amboy and Sayreville. She was the Chairperson of the Labor Committee, served on the Education Committee and on the Law and Society Committee. She also was Chairperson of the Committee on Business Efficiency in the Schools, as well as serving on the State Employment and Training Commission. In the Assembly, she sponsored a bill that expanded the state's family leave law by allowing those on leave to collect unemployment for 12 weeks and made New Jersey the first state in the nation to adopt a provision requiring all business with 50 or more employees to hire back an employee at the same or comparable position after they return from their leave.

Arline served as Councilwoman-at-Large in Woodbridge Township from 1987-1991 where she was actively involved in issues concerning recreation for children, young adults and socially deprived youngsters. Her networking and lobbying efforts to promote the Mammography Bill in New Jersey were effective with the successful passage of the bill. As a volunteer, Arline worked very closely with, and raised money for, the Middlesex County Battered Women's Shelter. She was very involved with the Domestic Violence Rape Crisis Center in Middlesex County and worked with the Woodbridge Office on Aging in senior violence and stalking cases.

Much of Arline's work was focused on helping. For over 18 years, she served as UniServ Director for the New Jersey Education Association. Here, she negotiated on behalf of public employees for the NJEA. Arline also worked very closely with Chambers of Commerce to promote daycare centers for children whose parents were both employed. She also assisted with day care centers to help restore their funding. Arline believed that public officials should be accountable to the people and understand the importance of listening to her constituents. In her efforts to help people who cannot afford health care, she worked with the Jewish Heritage Foundation, an organization that operates health care facilities for those without health insurance.

As an Assemblywoman, she prided herself on helping those who had no representation in Trenton. Her official constituents obtained homestead rebates and home heating assistance and assistance in dealing with bureaucracy at whatever level. She was committed to the presentation of historical sites, and her office raised money for the restoration of the Proprietary House in Perth Amboy – the only standing original governor's mansion in the country.

She is predeceased by her husband, William McArdle; and brother, Robert S. Friscia.

Surviving are her nieces, Dona Brown and her husband, Lewis, Sharon Schneider and her husband, Gregory, and Kathy Carnovale and her husband, Paul; nephew, Robert C. Friscia and his wife, Janet; sister in law, Maryann Friscia; great nieces, Valerie, Emily and Samantha; and great nephews, Dominick, Victor and Nicholas.

Visitation for family and friends will be on Sunday, October 20, 2019 from 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at Costello-Greiner Funeral Home, 44 Green Street, Woodbridge.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Our Lady of Mount Virgin Saint Vincent De Paul Food Pantry, 600 Harris Avenue, Middlesex, NJ 08846. Please make checks payable to Virgin Saint Vincent De Paul Food Pantry and state in memory of Arline Friscia and donor's return address.