Obituary of John Benedict Doherty

John B. Doherty died on Friday October 14th, 2005 at Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center. Born in New York City; has resided in Green Brook since 1963. Retired from National Starch and Chemical Company in 1992 as Corporate Vice President, External Affairs following 39 years of service. He held various management positions in technical service, sales and marketing and was Chairman of the National Starch and Chemical Foundation, Inc. He also served as Chairman of the Government Relations Committee of Unilever USA, the then parent company of National Starch. He was a founding member of St. Luke parish in North Plainfield where he was a Eucharistic minister and reader. He was also a Knight Commander of Mount Manresa, the Jesuit Retreat House in Staten Island, N.Y. He was Vice President of the SERRA Club of Somerset County. In 1996 he was awarded the Regina Nostra Medal by the Most Reverend Edward T. Hughes, then Bishop of Metuchen. A U.S. Army veteran, he was educated at Adelphi University, Garden City, N.Y. where he obtained an A.B. degree in Chemistry. He also attended the Advanced Business School at Columbia University in N.Y. He served on the boards of several business and civic organizations including The Chemical Industry Council of New Jersey as Vice Chairman, The Somerset Alliance for the Future and Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center where he was Chairman of the Board of Governors from 1993 through 1996. He was a member of the first Board of the Solaris Health System. He was a former Vice President of the Green Brook Board of Education and also served on the Townships Planning Board and as President of the Green Brook Little League. His is survived by his wife Margaret S. and their four children; Margaret T. of New York City, John S. of Branchburg, Therese Morelli of Pacific Palisades, CA and Ann Doherty-Londin of Maui, HI; as well as four grandchildren and a brother, David N. of New Milford. Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday at 9:00 am from the Higgins Home for Funerals, 752 Mountain Blvd., Watchung, followed by a 9:30 am funeral Mass at St. Lukes R.C. Church in North Plainfield and entombment at Somerset Hills Memorial Park Cemetery in Basking Ridge. Visitation will be held on Tuesday from 2-4 & 7-9 pm at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made either to the Parkinsons Disease Foundation, Gift Processing Center, P.O. Box 96268 Washington, D.C. 20090-6268 (Checks payable to: Parkinsons Disease Foundation)or Mount Manresa Jesuit Retreat House, 239 Fingerboard Road, Staten Island, NY.10305