Michelle O. Badger Obituary (1958 - 2021)

Michelle O. Badger of Orange, New Jersey, passed away on Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, NJ at the age of 63. Natural Burial Services will take place at The Rosemont Cemetery, Rosemont, NJ on Monday, November 15, 2021 at 1:00 pm. Michelle was born in Newark, New Jersey at Beth Israel Hospital on March 4, 1958. She attended Newark and East Orange grammar schools and graduated from St. Vincent Academy High School. She received her BS degree from Ramapo College and her MSW from Rutgers University. Because of the neglect towards living with HIV, Michelle was an avid supporter of women's rights. She served on the Board of Directors for the New Jersey Women and AIDS Network and held the position of Co-chairperson. Michelle gave numerous lectures on HIV and AIDS throughout the State of New Jersey. To that end she devoted countless hours to improving the lives of women with HIV. Michelle always displayed a sense of caring in her work, whether she was at UMDNJ counseling and testing pregnant women for HIV infection or serving on a committee to decide what services are needed within a given community. Her devotion to helping others overshadowed her own need for care. Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 1992, Michelle did not retreat to a place of being cared for. However, she began encouraging others with chronic, life-threatening illnesses to face the challenges of life. Due to her incredible resilience and steadfast determination, she successfully authored her story of her walk with MS that was published in 1994. Michelle was a member of several professional organizations throughout her lifetime that included New Jersey Division of Alcoholism and Mental Health, The Governor's AIDS Advisory Council and African American Women United Against AIDS, Inc. to name a few. Additionally, she was a member of Zeta Phi Bet Sorority, Inc. where she joined Gamma Omicron Zeta Chapter in 1991. As a member of Gamma Omicron Zeta Chapter she was active in the Stork's Nest Program and was instrumental in helping them win the prestigious March of Dimes Triangle Award for Excellence in program services in 2001. She was preceded in death by her father, Ordean Badger, Jr., her grandparents and her aunt/godmother, Yvonne Estwick Sealy. Michelle leaves to cherish her memory, her loving spouse of 30 years, Betty Thomas and her beloved mother, Gladys Estwick Ross. She was very close with her cousins, Donald, Richard, Quinton, Janice, Sylvia, Celeste, Allison and others to name a few. She will also be missed by her many friends and sorority sisters. Memorial donations to Town Clock Community Development Corp., 11 Bayard Street #301, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 or to the Bulldog Club of America Rescue Network; Treasurer, Bulldog Club of America Rescue Network, 5753 Highway 85 North #4404, Crestview, FL 32536-9365 would be appreciated. Condolences may be left at www.proutfuneralhome.com.