Local businessman/philanthropist granted his final wish for burial
Myron Adler, the Bergen County businessman and entrepreneur who also was a co-founder of the non-profit Adler Aphasia Center in Maywood, received his final wish on August 6, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, on what would have been his 94th birthday.
Attended by his wife of 68 years, Elaine, and their four children, their grandchildren, and close friends, Mr. Adler received a formal military burial, complete with an honor guard and a bugler playing taps, three years after his death.
Mr. Adler enlisted in the Army after Pearl Harbor and served from 1942 to 1946. Stationed in Germany, France, and Austria, he fought in the Battle of Normandy under General George S. Patton. His decorations include the Bronze Star, the American Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. Mike and Elaine were married in 1949 and co-founded the Myron Manufacturing Corp. the same year. Today, it remains one of Bergen County’s largest businesses.
In 1993, Mr. Adler suffered a stroke after bypass surgery, which led to aphasia. After his stroke, he found that conventional speech therapy did not improve his ability to communicate. Following a worldwide mission to explore existing speech clinics, he and Ms. Adler discovered a handful of unique approaches that were helping people with aphasia boost their quality of life and improve their communication. Inspired by these programs, the couple created the Adler Aphasia Center in Maywood.
Mr. Adler demonstrated his deep commitment to people living with aphasia and was a tireless advocate in raising awareness about the disorder. He was a longtime board member of the National Aphasia Association and a driving force behind the creation of Aphasia Access, a national consortium of health care and community leaders whose mission is to advance lifelong communication access for people with aphasia. With the success of the Maywood Center came the Adler Aphasia Center at Hadassah College in Jerusalem, reaching the aphasia community on an international level.
Mr. Adler helped to guide the Adler Aphasia Center in developing its profile as a model of excellence in the worldwide aphasia community. There are other centers in the United States modeled on this flagship program, and many more rehabilitation centers throughout the country that have benefited from the center’s professional expertise. He also served his community as a board member of many local and regional organizations and was the recipient of many national and state awards.
Elaine Adler said, ‘‘It was a bittersweet day. Thanks to the support and help of New Jersey Senators Loretta Weinberg and Cory Booker, along with others, Mike got his final wish.”
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