Marion Price, Former Council Member, Is Mourned In Metuchen

METUCHEN, NJ — The Borough Council has announced the death Tuesday of former Councilmember Marion Price, 66.

And mourning bunting will be hung at Borough Hall in her honor and also to honor late Councilmember James Dudley, who died on Jan. 23, the borough said.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of former Council Member Marion Price, who played a crucial role in shaping Metuchen into the place that it is today," Mayor Jonathan M. Busch said in a statement on social media.

"Marion grew up on Highland Avenue and moved back to Metuchen as an adult. Soon after coming home in the mid-1990s, she became actively involved in attempts to revitalize our downtown, which had been suffering as the result of a weak economy and significant competition from local malls," he said.

"Marion made it her mission to change our trajectory. As chairperson of the Metuchen Development Commission, she worked to attract new businesses to our downtown and took important steps like adding decorative banners, planters and benches to our Main Street. At the time, she explained that these steps were some 'of the most positive things that we can do for the town. The appearance of the town is one of the best ways we can attract businesses.' "

Busch recalled that Price was elected to the Borough Council in 1999 where she eventually became "a highly effective council president and continued her efforts to revitalize our community, which carried Metuchen into the 21st century. I will never forget watching Marion during Council Meetings when my family and I first moved to Metuchen in 2005. Her leadership, confidence and strength guided our community forward and helped reassure so many of us that we had made a wise decision to choose Metuchen. Marion was an inspiration," he said.

Learn about services for Price here. Visitation will be held on Friday, Feb. 16, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Flynn and Son/Koyen Funeral Home, 319 Amboy Ave., Metuchen.

Read more about Councilmember Dudley in a past Patch article.