Former East Orange Mayor Dies; City Mourns For Robert Bowser – Patch

EAST ORANGE, NJ — Robert L. Bowser, the former mayor of East Orange, died Saturday at the age of 86.

East Orange city officials announced his passing with a heartfelt social media post. It read:

“On behalf of Mayor Ted R. Green and the East Orange City Council, it is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Mayor Robert L. Bowser, the 12th Mayor of the City of East Orange. Mayor Bowser held the distinction of being the first African American in the history of the City to have been elected to serve a third term, serving 4 terms in total, from 1998 – 2014. He began his professional career as a Principal City Planner for the Newark Central Planning Board and Traffic Engineer for the Township of Montclair. Prior to becoming Mayor, he served the Newark Board of Education as a School District Principal Engineer in the Design and Construction Department. Mayor Bowser served on the New Jersey State League of Municipalities Executive Board as the Third Vice President. He also chaired the newly formed Gang and Youth Violence Task Force as well as served on the Legislative Committee and Economic Development Committee, participating in numerous League workshops. Mayor Bowser was also a member of the New Jersey Urban Mayor’s Association.”

East Orange officials continued:

“Mayor Bowser leaves to mourn his memory his wife Marilyn Bowser, his son David Bowser, daughters Lisa A Ward and Leslie J. Ward and a host of family, friends, and residents of East Orange who will honor and cherish his longstanding memory. We express our deepest condolences and acknowledge the life and notable legacy of former Mayor Bowser. May he rest in perfect peace and his legacy live on through those who loved him.”

The East Orange city website offers more background about Bowser’s contributions to the community. It states:

“Mayor Bowser hails from a family whose presence in East Orange dates back to the late 1800’s and is one of the City’s oldest African American families. He is a graduate of the Newark College of Engineering, now the New Jersey Institute of Technology, earning a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Civil Engineering. Trained as a Civil Engineer, Planner and Surveyor, Mayor Bowser is a Professional Land Surveyor and Professional Planner in the State of New Jersey. He began his professional career as a Principal City Planner for the Newark Central Planning Board and Traffic Engineer for the Township of Montclair. Mayor Browser was president of Bowser Engineers and Associates, Incorporated for twenty-six years. This East Orange-based engineering, planning, surveying and architectural design firm grew to become one of the largest minority-owned consulting firms on the East Coast. Following this experience as the head of a successful business, he became the Director of the East Orange Department of Public Works and served as the Acting City Planner. Prior to becoming Mayor, he served the Newark Board of Education as a School District Principal Engineer in the Design and Construction Department.

“Active in numerous community, social and civic affairs, Mayor Bowser served on the Board of Directors for the Girl Scouts of Greater Essex County, New Jersey for ten years and was a member of the Brick Church Lions Club; President of the East Orange Kiwanis Club and Chairman of the Rutgers University Urban Gardening Program Advisory Board. He was founder and Executive Director of the Essex County Touch Football League for twenty-six years. He is a member of the Men of Essex, Incorporated; Board Member of the Salvation Army and Member of the East Orange General Hospital Board of Trustees.

“Mayor Bowser’s professional affiliations include Past President of the Northern Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors, Incorporated and membership with the National Minority Contractors Association, Incorporated. He is on the

Board of Directors of the National Black Conference of Mayors and co-chairs the Conference’s Legislative Committee. He is a member of the National Black Conference of Mayors’ Board of Directors and serves as the organization’s First Vice President and Finance Committee Chairperson. Mayor Bowser is a Founder of the New Jersey Conference of Black Mayors and was selected as President in 2003 and is a member of the United States Conference of Mayors, Incorporated. He was recently appointed to Acting Governor Richard Codey’s Gang Land Security Task Force Advisory Committee and the State of New Jersey Planning Commission.

“Mayor Bowser serves on the New Jersey State League of Municipalities Executive Board as the Third Vice President. He chairs the newly formed Gang and Youth Violence Task Force. He also serves on the Legislative Committee and Economic Development Committee, participating in numerous League workshops and is a member of the New Jersey Urban Mayor’s Association.”

ROBERT LOUIS BOWSER: OBITUARY

Bowser’s family provided Patch with the following obituary, which further highlights his contributions to Essex County.

“Robert Louis Bowser, the 12th Mayor of East Orange, died peacefully on April 2, 2022, in Pasadena, Maryland. He was 86 years old. Bowser holds the distinction of being the longest serving African American Mayor in city history, completing four terms from 1998 – 2014.

“Mayor Bowser followed in the footsteps of a family whose presence in East Orange dates back to the late 1800’s. The youngest child of Edward T. Bowser, Sr. and Louise Pateman, Bowser was born in the city on December 13, 1935. After graduating from East Orange High School in 1953, he graduated from the Newark College of Engineering (now the New Jersey Institute of Technology); earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering. He began his professional career as a Principal City Planner for the Newark Central Planning Board and Traffic Engineer for the Township of Montclair.

“Before embarking on a political career, he was president of Bowser Engineers and Associates, Incorporated for twenty-six years. This East Orange-based engineering, planning, surveying, and architectural design firm grew to become one of the largest minority-owned consulting firms on the East Coast. Bowser then became the Director of the East Orange Department of Public Works and served as the Acting City Planner. Just before becoming Mayor, he served the Newark Board of Education as a School District Principal Engineer in the Design and Construction Department. Following family tradition, Mayor Bowser was a founding member of Calvary Baptist Church in East Orange.

“It was in 1997 when Bowser decided to run for East Orange Mayor. Building upon his first election won by a slim 52 vote margin, he was re-elected in 2002, 2006 and 2010. While leading one of Essex County’s largest cities, he transformed East Orange in terms of financial stability, reducing violent crime and emphasizing the importance of public education; all resulting in rising property values. He served as President of the National Conference of Black Mayors and the New Jersey League of Municipalities. He was a member of the Board of Directors of East Orange General Hospital.

“Mayor Bowser leaves behind his wife of 32 years Marilyn Bowser, son David Lawrence Bowser of Durham, NC, daughters Lisa A. Ward of Bowie, Maryland, and Leslie J. Ward of Washington D.C., along with a host of immediate family, friends, and residents of East Orange who will honor and cherish his longstanding memory. He was preceded in death by his brothers, architect Edward T. Bowser, Jr., pharmacist Lucius A. Bowser and construction executive and builder Hamilton V. Bowser, Sr.”

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