NJ Transit worker dies from COVID-19 days after birthday, one year before retirement

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An NJ Transit worker, Secaucus resident, and Colombian native died from COVID-19 days after his birthday and just one year before his retirement, Gov. Phil Murphy (D) announced this afternoon.

Luis Fernando Marulanda. Photo courtesy of the governor’s office.

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

“Luis Fernando Marulanda … he came to the United States from Colombia, in Medellin, when he was 22 years old. He lived in Secaucus and was a longtime employee of NJ Transit and New York Waterway before that, taking pride in his work and helping people to get where they needed to go,” Murphy said at today’s COVID-19 press briefing.

“And he was one of those that help pilot the ferries that shuttled residents back home across the Hudson River on 9/11. Throughout this current emergency, he continued serving his passengers as a bus operator for NJ Transit – right until COVID-19 struck him too.”

According to Murphy, Marulanda planned on retiring next year and turned 63 just two weeks ago.

His obituary from the Mack Memorial Home in Secaucus says he was born on April 19th, 1957 and he died on last week, April 27th to be exact.

The governor continued that he is survived by his two children, including a daughter in the military, two brothers, three sisters, and many nieces and nephews.

“And he leaves behind a transit family that will not forget his dedication,” Murphy concluded.

This afternoon, the New Jersey Department of Health reported 15,881 cases of COVID-19 in Hudson County and 845 deaths, the second and third most in the state by county, respectively.


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