finally tonight State and U.S flags will fly at half staff in New Jersey to honor the life of lieutenant governor Sheila Oliver who died unexpectedly Tuesday at the age of 71 after a brief hospitalization at cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston for an undisclosed medical condition Oliver was the first black woman to serve as the state's assembly speaker then the first in New Jersey history to be elected to Statewide office Governor Murphy was on a family vacation in Italy when he got the news he cut that overseas trip short and returned home to New Jersey today reportedly meeting privately with Oliver's family to pay his respects the governor has 45 days to name a new lieutenant governor a requirement of the State Constitution Oliver's family hasn't made funeral arrangements public yet and is asking for privacy during this time