Former Ridgewood Mayor Patrick Mancuso Dies At 84

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — Patrick "Pat" A. Mancuso, the former mayor of Ridgewood for four consecutive terms and a village council member for more than two decades, passed away last week at age 84, according to his obituary.

Born in 1938 in New York, Mancuso, during his political tenure, was "instrumental" in expanding downtown Ridgewood with restaurants and cafes, widening sidewalks, and implementing beautification projects, his obituary said.

Mancuso rallied village residents to save Veterans Memorial Field, when there was a push to "carve the field into a fire station," his obituary said. He even led a march through downtown Ridgewood to overturn the plans, and the field remains a "lively activity center" to this day.

Remembered as a "proud American," Mancuso loved Ridgewood's July 4th parade, and giving speeches each year on Veterans Day and Memorial Day, his obituary said. He was honored in 2015, when the village named the new senior center at 131 North Maple Avenue after him.

Mancuso served as President of the Ridgewood Junior Football and the Ridgewood High School Football Scholarship Committee. A devout Catholic, he was also a longtime parishioner of Ridgewood's Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church.

After Mancuso graduated from Fordham University, he was accepted to the U.S. Navy's Officer Candidate School in Rhode Island, where he was assigned to the Beach Jumpers, a special warfare unit.

He was honorably discharged after three years to pursue a sales career, first finding success at IBM, Honeywell and ADT before starting his own computer-leasing business, Palman Enterprises, at age 42. He ended his professional career at the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission, retiring in 2007.

Survived by his wife of more than 60 years, Marie; and his four children and seven grandchildren, Mancuso, especially during his final years, insisted on an "unrelenting positivity" that defined him and his legacy, his obituary said.

"His positive assessment of life was amazing, optimistic through any obstacle," the obituary added. "Even at the end, he'd say he was 'terrific,' reminding his loved ones that they 'made his day.'"

His obituary was published McMillan-Small Funeral Home and Crematory in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where he moved in 2018 with his wife.

"Rest In Peace, Pat," his obituary said. "Until we meet again..."