August T. Lembo, who was serving as a law clerk to Brendan Byrne in 1973 when Byrne suddenly resigned from the bench to seek the Democratic nomination for governor, died on February 1. He was 78 and had battled Lewy body dementia for the last few years.
After Byrne became governor, Lembo became an Assistant Counsel to the Governor — a member of Byrne’s original counsel’s office. He later served as deputy director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, and joined Carella Byrne Bain & Gilfillian, the North Jersey law firm Byrne joined after his two terms as governor.
In 1986, Lembo sought an unexpired one-year term on the Caldwell Borough Council for a seat left vacant when Geraldine Hagan resigned a few months earlier. He ran on a ticket headed by Democrat George Imperial, who had resigned as a municipal court judge to challenge Republican Irene Gibbons, a councilwoman. Lembo defeated Republican Sparky Adams by about fourteen votes, 50.3% to 49.7%.
Lembo sought a full term in 1987 and was the top vote-getter. Lembo ran about 215 votes ahead of Republican Edward Condit. He lost his seat in 1990 as part of a Republican sweep that included Gibbons ousting Imperiale in a rematch.
He later served as a Deputy Attorney General under Gov. James Florio, and as assistant counsel at St. Michael’s Medical Center.
A Celebration of Life mass will be held on February 28 at 10 AM at St. Aloysius Church in Caldwell.
