By Mark Rosman
Staff Writer
ALLENTOWN – Borough officials paid tribute to Douglas Anthony, a community volunteer who died Aug. 1, when they convened the Aug. 9 meeting of the Borough Council at the Allentown municipal building.
Anthony was the husband of Councilwoman Angela Anthony.
Following the Pledge of Allegiance which opens each council meeting, Mayor Greg Westfall asked for a moment of silence in memory of Douglas Anthony, who he called “a community leader.”
According to an obituary from the Peppler Funeral Home, Anthony, 51, had been a resident of Allentown since 1998. He had been employed with PSE&G for almost 30 years.
Anthony was a sitting member of the Upper Freehold Regional School District Board of Education and had recently filed to run to retain his seat on the board.
Patricia Hogan, the president of the school board, said, “In the 10 years Douglas Anthony has been seated on the board, he has had tremendous impact in the district. He has been a devout supporter of the FFA program at Allentown High School. He has overseen the planning and building of a new middle school, and the hiring of a new and culture-changing superintendent of schools, Dr. Richard Fitzpatrick.
“He has participated in the implementation of a district-wide anti-bullying initiative and countless challenging underfunded mandates from the state. Doug brought an expertise in union negotiations and was invaluable in maintaining outstanding relations with our administrators, teachers and support staff through some of the most challenging financial times our district has ever experienced.
“Over the years, Doug Anthony has been a member of the Policy, Negotiations, Budget, and Shared Services/Millstone Partnership committees. He has served consecutive terms as vice president of the board. Doug Anthony was a treasured colleague and mentor to our school board members. He led with humility, knowledge, tenacity and dedication. Doug will be impossible to replace in our community, as well as on the school board.
According to the obituary, Anthony was a member of the Allentown Presbyterian Church, served as a Crossroads youth leader and was involved with Allentown Boy Scouts, Troop 180.
In addition to his wife, Anthony is survived by his children, Steven and Cassandra; his father and stepmother, Charles and Ricka Anthony; his brother and sister-in-law, Russell and Wendy Anthony; and other relatives.
