Title
Dept/ Agency: Offices of Municipal Council/City Clerk
Action: ( ) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Ceremonial Street Designation
Honoree: Verdell Eure
Date(s): TBD
Official Street Name(s): Intersection of Warren Street and Norfolk Street
Ceremonial Intersection Name: “Verdell ‘Nana” Eure Way”
Sponsor: Luis A. Quintana, Council Member-at-Large
Additional Information:
Ceremonial Street Dedication is to be determined, at the corner of Warren Street and Norfolk Street
body
WHEREAS, Verdell Eure was born on July 12, 1940 in Edison, Georgia, to the late Willie J. Preston and Annie W. Murray, and moved to Newark, New Jersey at the age of 10, where she was educated in the Newark Public Schools and graduated from West Side High School; and
WHEREAS, Verdell Eure married Elbert T. Eure in 1960, and together they raised a loving family in Newark, deeply contributing to the fabric of the Central Ward community; and
WHEREAS, throughout her career and community service, Mrs. Eure worked as an Advocate for Tenants’ Rights with The Newark Tenant Council and as a Head Dietary Services at the Irvington Board of Education, Clara Mass Hospital, and UMDNJ Hospital ; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Eure was elected President of the Tenant Associations at Columbus Homes and Hill Manor Apartments, where she championed youth programs, tenant employment, the Positive Alternative Summer Program, Girl Scout Initiatives, and the Summer Nutrition Program, which served thousands of children breakfast and lunch; and
WHEREAS, after moving to New Hope Village in 1997, Mrs. Eure continued her community work by bringing resources into the development, creating summer programs, at the playground, and ensuring children in the community had access to meals and activities; and
WHEREAS, she became a foster mother in 1076 and over the years, cared for and raised numerous foster children, adopting four, while continuing to mentor and mother many more in the community; and
WHEREAS, Generations of Newark families knew her as “Nana”, a maternal, guiding, and loving presence who kept her doors open to children in need of a safe space, gave freely of her food and care, and ensured that no one in her community went hungry; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Eure was also known as a gifted cook whose home became a weekly gathering place where all were welcomed, embodying the true spirit of generosity, family, and community; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Eure transitioned from this life on January 9, 2024, leaving behind a vast family of children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, godchildren, foster children, friends, and community members who continue to honor her as their matriarch and as a pillar of strength in Newark; and
WHEREAS, naming the corner of Warren Street and Norfolk Street as “Verdell ‘Nana’ Eure Way” would serve as a visible, lasting memorial to a woman whose devotion to God, family, and community uplifted generations of Central Ward residents; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, THAT:
1. The Municipal Council does hereby authorize the honorary and ceremonial renaming of the intersection of Warren Street and Norfolk Street as “Verdell ‘Nana’ Eure Way”.
2. The official name of said streets shall remain as Warren Street and Norfolk Street in its entirety.
STATEMENT
This Resolution authorizes the naming of the intersection of Warren Street and Norfolk Street as “Verdell ‘Nana’ Eure Way”, for honorary and ceremonial purposes.