Dr. Morton Murray Rosenberg died Jan. 24. He was 104.

He was born on April 22, 1917 in New York, the oldest child of David and Anna Kramer Rosenberg. He was raised on a family farm in Tom’s River, N.J., and remained there until he enrolled at Rutgers University at the age of 17. He was the first in his family to attend college.

In 1941, he enrolled in a doctoral program at the University of Wisconsin. One day day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, he left school and enlisted in the U.S. Navy out of a sense of duty to his country. He spent the next four years touring the Pacific, where he developed a lifelong love and respect for the water. He returned to his graduate studies and, upon completing his doctoral work, accepted a position at the University of Hawaii. He later served as a dean there for 17 years.

Morton married Shirley Sugerman on July 24, 1970, two days after a blind date in Washington state. They made a home in Hawaii before settling in New Jersey in 1972, where they remained for 50 years until her death in 2020.

When not living at their homes in New Jersey, the Bahamas and Martha’s Vineyard, Morton and Shirley lived an adventurous life traveling the world. They were active in their communities, always surrounded by loving friends and family.

He was a lover of the arts, his morning coffee and his hydrangeas. He dedicated himself to a life of service, particularly to his family. He kept his mind sharp by staying current in world affairs, playing the stock market, and staying connected by hosting various get-togethers. He had recently taken up cryptocurrency.

He will always be remembered as a hardworking seaman, a master of toasts and storytelling, for his unbridled smile and inquisitive mind and his penchant for singing. He lived with dignity and strength from beginning to end.

He is survived by his daughter Madeline Jepson; stepchildren, Carol Reck, Andrew and Joan Sugerman; his grandchildren and their spouses, and his great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife Shirley,

Donations can be made to to Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, Ocean Conservancy, or a charity of choice.