The Passing of Mayor Frank Gambatese
It is with deep sorrow that South Brunswick Township Manager Bernard Hvozdovic announces the passing of longtime South Brunswick Mayor Frank Gambatese. He passed away after a brief illness Saturday morning. Mayor Gambatese was the longest serving mayor in history of South Brunswick. He previously served as mayor of West Paterson. In 2015 he was elected into the New Jersey League of Municipalities Hall of Fame.
Mayor Gambatese will be remembered as a tireless advocate for the Township. In the 20 years since he was elected to office, he worked diligently to improve the quality of life for the residents of South Brunswick Township. As the chief ambassador for the Township he attracted hundreds of new businesses into the Township including Target, Best Buy and Coca-Cola, to name a few. He was a strong advocate for preservation and open space. One of his greatest achievements as Mayor’s involved a five year negotiation process where the State of New Jersey invested nearly $2.8 million in a 60 acre property that was once the historic Princeton Nursery site which still features unique plants and historic buildings. This purchase was part of a larger 187 acre preservation partnership between the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Green Acres Program, Princeton University and South Brunswick Township. He also worked to address infrastructure needs of the community by securing $11 million dollars in federal grants to study the widening of Route 1.
Mayor Gambatese is survived by his sons, Franc Jr. of West Windsor, N.J., and John Paul of South Brunswick; his daughters, MaryAnne Bross of Livingston, N.J., Rosemary Peng of Piscataway, N.J., and Christine Alencewicz of Baldwinsville, N.Y.; and 11 grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
