Eugene Bilenker
Eugene N. Bilenker, 92, of Elizabeth died Oct. 19, 2013. Born in Brooklyn, he had resided in Elizabeth since 1958.
Dr. Bilenker devoted his career to food quality improvement, new products, and food process development. He was a former section head at the Curtiss Wright Industrial and Scientific Products Division, project leader at the Maxwell House Division of General Foods, director of quality control at T.J. Lipton Co. for 13 years, and director of quality assurance at Wakefern Supermarkets. From 1975 to 1997 he was vice president of Quality Assurance and R&D for the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co. chain of supermarkets.
He earned a BA in biology at Brooklyn College, an MS in Dairy Manufacturing at the University of Connecticut, and a PhD in 1956 in Food Technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
He served in World War II as a technical sergeant in charge of clinical chemistry at U.S. Army general hospitals.
He was an active member of the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey, where he served on several committees, and served as a delegate to the Jewish Agency for Israel’s annual meeting in Israel. He served on the board of directors of the YM-YWHA of Union County in the mid-70s and was a member of the Food Lodge of B’nai B’rith. He was a member and supporter of the Jewish Educational Center, Elizabeth, from 1958 to the present.
He is survived by his wife, Ruth Margaretten Bilenker; two daughters, Susan of Sarasota, Fla., and Vicki of Elizabeth; his son, Jim (Lanie) of Hillsborough; and two granddaughters.
Services were held Oct. 21 at the Jewish Educational Center with arrangements by Bernheim-Apter-Kreitzman Suburban Funeral Chapel, Livingston.
comments