At 90 years old, Hester Davis wasn’t just the New Jersey Department of Labor’s oldest employee. She was also the oldest labor department employee in the nation — and most importantly — the “bedrock” of her community, her family said.
The West Orange native, who spent more than five decades working for the state agency, with no intentions of retiring, died on Sept. 29, her family said this week.
“Hester Davis was the epitome of a devoted public servant who helped countless residents throughout the course of her over 50 years at the New Jersey Department of Labor,” Gov. Phil Murphy said in an emailed statement Thursday.
“I want to extend my deepest condolences to Hester’s family on her passing. Her service to our state will never be forgotten,” he wrote.
In 2021, Davis marked her 50th anniversary with the state labor department, a milestone acknowledged by Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo as equal to “two careers for most workers.”
Davis would never fail to mention to her family and friends that she received not one, but two, congratulatory calls from Gov. Murphy on her accomplishments, her grandson, Earl Brown said.
Until her passing, Davis worked as a case worker at the Youth One Stop Career Shop in Newark, where she assisted young people between the ages of 16 and 24 in finding employment opportunities.
During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, when many workers her age retired or quit, Davis continued to mentor and help people in her community find employment.
And though she couldn’t be in her office, she took online courses and learned how to use platforms like Zoom and Excel to continue to do her job, her family said.
“There was never going to be a barrier for her to stop helping other people,” said Brown who’s also a professor at Montclair State University.
“She was a person that when a lot of people who just wanted to give up, got fired or furloughed.. .they had a conversation with my grandmother and that motivated them,” he said.
Her commitment to service extended into her community, notably at her church, where she dedicated decades as a member of Park Avenue Christian Church Disciples of Christ.
Pastor Harriet Wallace said Davis was a “pillar” of the church and was she known as the member who would always give someone a hug and a kiss.
While working full-time during the pandemic, Davis also served a a caregiver for her 90-year-old husband, Joshua Davis Jr. They were married for more than 65 years before his death in 2021.
In Davis’ own words to NJ Advance Media in 2021, “God helps those who help themselves. But if you could help somebody else, one way or another it comes back to you.”
Hester Davis and her husband Joshua Davis Jr. They were married for more than 65 years. (Photo courtesy of Earl Brown)Photo courtesy of Earl Brown
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Nyah Marshall may be reached at Nmarshall@njadvancemedia.com.
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