Wife of former assemblyman dies – New Jersey Globe | New Jersey Politics

Mary Margaret “Maggie” Wilson, the wife of former Assemblyman Jack Wilson (D-Westfield), has died.  She was 95.   A nurse, Wilson raised six children as the wife of a popular Union County politician.  Jack Wilson, a Democrat, was elected to the Assembly in 1957 on a ticket with Gov. Robert Meyner, winning a countywide, at-large seat.  He was re-elected in 1959 and 1961 what was then a Republican-leaning but highly competitive swing county; he won one race by 335 votes out of nearly 160,000 cast.  In 1963, Wilson and Assemblyman James McGowan (D-Elizabeth) faced off in a State Senate primary for the chance to take on incumbent Nelson Stamler (R-Scotch Plains); McGowan won with 64%.  Jack Wilson passed away six years ago.

David Durkin, the son of the late Raymond Durkin, a former New Jersey Democratic State Chairman and Essex County Democratic Chairman, and the brother of Essex County Clerk Christopher Durkin, has died.  He was 50.

Peter Bellini, a former Hazlet Planning Board member, died on July 25.  He was 97. Bellini was a U.S. Army World War II veteran.

Anne Palfy, who was active in Somerset County Democratic politics, died on July 25.  She was 86.  Palfy was a member of the Manville Democratic Club, the Somerset County Democratic Committee, and the Somerset County Federation of Democratic Women, where she was the recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Extraordinary Volunteer Service Award.  Her late husband, Al Palfy, was mayor of Manville.