NJ Advertising Icon Cherenson Passes Away at 94

On Sep 27, 2023

Lee Cherenson, a pioneering icon of the New Jersey public relations and advertising community, passed away on Sept. 25. He was 94.

Born in Boston and raised in Lowell, MA, Cherenson graduated from Boston University in 1951, a member of the initial cohort of students to complete the nation’s first bachelor’s degree program in public relations. He then deployed to Korea with the U.S. Eighth Army.

After the war, Cherenson relocated to New Jersey, where he met and, in 1955, married his wife, Connie. They settled in Livingston to raise their family. In 1958, following stints with several newspapers – including the Star-Ledger – Cherenson founded the public relations and advertising agency Cherenson, Caroll, and Holzer, which later became The Cherenson Group and today is Whippany, NJ-based SCG Advertising + Public Relations.

Cherenson and his wife were extremely involved in Livingston Youth Services, helping to develop a curriculum on interpersonal communication and behavior modification, which they shared with Livingston Public Schools educators via workshops. Cherenson also served on numerous boards, including Livingston’s Big L Booster Cub and The Jewish Historical Society of MetroWest (JHSMW).

Cherenson — who eventually moved to Florham Park with his wife, and then to Boonton after her passing — owned a beachfront home on Long Beach Island. For decades, he and his family spent most of their summers there. After his retirement in 2006, Cherenson retained his voracious appetite for news, spending hours each day digesting online, print, and broadcast coverage of local, national, and international events. He was a passionate fan of the New York Yankees, and also a longtime season tickets holder for the New York Jets.

Cherenson continued to be actively involved with his family until his death, attending many of his grandchildren’s sporting events. He’s survived by his sons, Robert and Michael; his daughter, Linda; daughter-in-law Lisa; son-in-law John; grandchildren Rachel, Ryan (husband

of Cassidy), Cole, Samantha, Alexandra, Steven, and Chris; and great-grandchildren Evie and Kalea. He was pre-deceased by his wife and by his son, Steven.

A private memorial service for Cherenson will be held graveside. In lieu of flowers or food, the family requests that mourners do a good deed in Lee Cherenson’s memory.

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