Ocean County Grants Laurel Hester’s Dying Wish
More news on benefits from New Jersey: Ocean County, which does not grant health or other benefits to the same-sex partners of their employees, has decided to make an exception for Laurel Hester (after first rejecting her plea), a former lieutenant with the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office who has inoperable brain cancer. It is unknown whether Ocean County will extend benefits to all same-sex partners of county workers.
[...] Laurel Hester, the former lieutenant with New Jersey’s Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office who won her fight to pass on pension benefits to her domestic partner, Stacie Andree, last month, lost her battle with lung cancer on Saturday in the couple’s home in Point Pleasant. This New York Times piece, forwarded by Sue, quotes Ms. Andree: “I can’t help but feel relieved that she’s not in pain anymore and she’s going to be taken care of… She’s done a lot of good.” [...]