A 'Santa Claus' Who Ran For Office In Wyckoff Has Died

WYCKOFF, NJ — Fred Mazzilli served 'til (almost) the end. Born in 1929, the longtime Wyckoff resident served in the local volunteer Fire Department for more than 50 years, retiring only two years ago at age 92.

Mazzilli, who also ran for Town Committee, passed away on Friday at 94.

According to his obituary, Mazzilli was born in Bayonne, worked on his father's ice truck, bartended at the family business, and went on to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in electrical engineering at Brooklyn Polytechnical Institute and a Master's Degree from Stephens Institute of Technology.

"His early career took him overseas working on radar systems on naval aircraft carriers and eventually he became an executive at a startup in New York City that provided computer processing in the days before personal computers," says the obit. "Fred was truly a lifelong learner, and at an age when most people retire he embarked on a new career in insurance."

He also volunteered as Santa Claus at town events, and loved cheering for his grandkids' sports teams.

Services will be this Wednesday and Thursday in Wyckoff, and his family has asked for donations to go to two charities.

Get the service details and read the full obituary here.