Henry N. Luther III, Former Parsippany Mayor, Dies

PARSIPPANY, NJ — Henry N. Luther III, an attorney and former Parsippany mayor, passed away on May 13, 2017.

Luther served as the township's mayor from beginning in 1966 after the sudden death of John Walsh. He was elected to two terms, before resuming his law practice.

Luther was born in Teaneck, and was a championship swimmer as a student. He served in the United States Marines Corp.; after his discharge, he worked as a signal operator for a railroad while attending Rutgers Law School.

From an obituary posted by the township:

The Township’s experience began with Henry N. Luther III when he ran for Council in the 1960s. He soon became Council President and assumed the title of Mayor upon the untimely death of Mayor John Walsh in 1966. Henry ran twice more for Mayor but decided against running for another term. He resumed his law practice and went on to serve in the administration of Governor Brendan Byrne as Director of the Lottery Commission and then as the Governor’s Executive Secretary. In 1977, Mr. Luther served as campaign manager for Brendan Byrne and once again turned to law, forming the firm of Dillon, Bitar & Luther in Morristown. That same year, he was sworn in as New Jersey Commissioner for the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor and remained there until 1983. When Mimi Letts became Mayor of Parsippany in 1994, she appointed Dillon, Bitar & Luther as the Township Attorney.

In addition to his many professional accomplishments, he was a family man who adored his grandchildren, according to his obituary. According to an obituary:

Henry loved to play cards with his grandchildren. It would start as a match game when they were young, with two or three cards, and eventually they all would play 10-card Gin Rummy. He also had a love for the New York Times crossword puzzle, which the grandchildren also came to love. He always stressed the importance of reading to his children and grandchildren. Whether it was a newspaper or a book (or two) he always had something to read wherever he went.

He is predeceased by his wife, Irene, and his son, Matthew. He is survived by his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and his partner, Marge Sullivan.

A visitation will be held Saturday, May 20th from 1:00-5:00 p.m. at the Par-Troy Funeral Home (95 Parsippany Road, Parsippany). A Memorial Service to honor his life will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his name to the Parsippany-Troy Hills Public Library Foundation.

Image via Shutterstock

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