Steven B. Kalafer

Steven B. Kalafer, age 71 years, of Gladstone, NJ, died Wednesday, April 21, 2021, at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital, New York City.

Born in West Caldwell, NJ, son of the late Milton and Arlene Kalafer, Steve formerly resided in Milford, NJ, Flemington, NJ and Annandale, NJ before moving to Gladstone ten years ago.

He was the founder and chairman of Flemington Car & Truck Company, and was the Chairman Emeritus of the Somerset Patriots Baseball Team, Bridgewater, NJ, which is now a Class AA affiliate of the New York Yankees. Steve started his auto business in Frenchtown, NJ in 1976 and moved his operations to Flemington in 1979, building one of the most successful automobile franchises.

A graduate of Rider College, Steve was closely involved with numerous community and charitable organizations, was well known as a philanthropist, and was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2020.

He was a member of RWJBarnabas Health Board of Trustees and chairman emeritus of the Somerset Health Care Foundation Board of Trustees. Steve was the chairman and founder of Princeton/American Communications and the Healthcare Information Network, which produced and broadcasted more than 600 hours of health care educational programming to 400 hospitals throughout the United States.

In addition, Steve was the chairman and founding investor of Pharmagistics in Somerset, and the founding investor of RVA Consulting, LLC. He was an Associate Trustee of the board of New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance, and recently retired as a trustee of the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation. He was a Co-Chair of the Chairman's Council of The Actors Fund of America, which gives emergency services to those in the entertainment industry. Steve was also a documentary film producer and earned several Oscar nominations and honors.

Steve will be remembered for many things, his motto, “Be kind, be fair, work hard, earn money, do good” was known to countless people who also knew he meant every word of it.

Among his survivors are his wife of forty-nine years, Suzanne Ent Kalafer: two sons and daughters-in-law, Jonathan and Kori Kalafer of Mendham, NJ and Joshua and Rachael Kalafer of Bernardsville, NJ; and five grandchildren, Zachary, Broden, Caleb, Tristan and Eliott Kalafer.

Graveside services in Flemington Jewish Community Cemetery will be private under the direction of the Holcombe-Fisher Funeral Home, 147 Main Street, Flemington, NJ. There will be no calling hours.

There will be a public celebration of Steve’s life at a later date at the Somerset Patriots TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, NJ.

Memorial contributions in Steve's honor may be made to the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation, 55 West 39th Street, New York, NY 10018, The Actors Fund, 729 7th Avenue 10th Floor, New York, NY 10019 or to the RWJ Somerset Health Care Foundation, 110 Rehill Avenue, Somerville, NJ 08876.

For further information or to leave an online condolence, please visit www.holcombefisher.com.