Governor Murphy's Administration is entering uncharted waters facing a looming deadline to choose a successor for the late lieutenant governor Sheila Oliver who died suddenly earlier this month at the age of 71. the governor must now tap someone to fill the post for the remainder of her term and according to the state constitution there's just about a month left to do so Oliver was only the second person to ever hold the position advocacy groups have already called on the governor to appoint another black woman noting it would be a fitting tribute to her Legacy members of the public were invited to pay their final respects to the lieutenant governor during a three-day celebration of life culminating this weekend with a service at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark where Oliver the first black woman elected to Statewide office in New Jersey history was remembered as a Trailblazer who became a champion of her community senior political correspondent David Cruz reports with an honor guard bagpipes flags and all the formality of a state funeral lieutenant governor Sheila Oliver arrived at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark for a final farewell greeted by those in politics community service and others who she'd help throughout her career in public service inside it was what the Reverend bustosaurus called the Basilica Baptist Church two dozen speakers representing The Life and Times of the lieutenant governor remembered her with passionate presentations she taught us you can be pro-black without big anti-white for the poor without hating on the rich ES right now even though she always looked reserved very fine she kept the slingshot out of person for pulling up a chair at tables they only had us waiting on for interjecting your voice and conversations that were about us there was humor here today though you needed it for a three-hour service despite the best efforts of the Reverend so asking each for the discipline thank you in the name of the Sheila Oliver who shut me down stick to your time come you think it was easy for 14 years to be between Gil and Oliver trust in his combat today sleepovers after Oasis of an apartment on the weekends when I was a kid I used to think of people overlooking New York City or something but really it was at the city of East Orange there was a call to Arms here also the Governor and others exhorting celebrants to walk the walk as Oliver did so one of the many like tragedies of Sheila's loss is hard work she and I we were elected and then reelected to finish this job together and it breaks my heart to say that's no longer possible so New Jersey I need you we need you to finish the job together I need you to stand up and honor Sheila's Legacy by joining together to fight as one New Jersey family rest on our shoulders my dear friends and sister for everything that you have done for us it is our time to do it for you the process of naming a successor begins now speculation and recommendations are rolling in it'll be hard to top Oliver's impact on the state and there is concern that a powerful Progressive voice is now gone from the front office and many will look to the governor to ease those fears in the weeks ahead invoking a frequent Oliver refrain I'll be watching I'm David Cruz NJ Spotlight news