John F. Patrick did much to serve Lakewood over the years

By way of this letter, I wish to express my sincere condolences to the family of John F. Patrick, who recently passed away.

John left a proud and distinguished legacy in his career. He was a true educator; a Lakewood teacher who went on to share his expertise with other schools, eventually to rise to the stature of superintendent of the Lake-wood School District.

His contributions in community service encompassed a wide range of talent, from sharing his business savvy with the Lake-wood zoning board and the municipal utility authority to his socially conscious side, with his dedicated service to Habitat for Humanity and the Lakewood Environmental Action Federa-tion.

He was athletic, earning varsity letters himself, and he took that flair for sports to a position of leadership, coaching and leading Lakewood’s track team to several victories. This, too, was another way to enhance the lives of the community’s youth, who he so adored.

And then there was the civic-minded John, who always remained active in politics and ran himself for public office.

No matter what avenue of life you knew John Patrick from, you always had a story of how he tried to make it better for those around him, be it for the children, the town, the homeless, the underprivileged, or just a cause John Patrick felt was right.

To learn that he donated his own money to the Lakewood Board of Education to establish a scholarship for needy graduates underscores how genuine and earnest he took his respon-sibility to teach, beyond the expected, to a level of true personal mission.

That is why he will remain in our hearts the perennial educator. He will continue to guide our children through his memory as the admirable and notable role model he was.

Regardless of whether John Patrick will be remembered for the many hats he wore, he most certainly will be remembered for why he wore them.

Robert W. Singer

Senator, District 30

Township Committeeman

Lakewood