Obituary of Richard English

Richard English, 86, Local Hero By G.A. Nielsen Scotch Plains, New Jersey - The idyllic concept of a benevolent, local hero, or one man overcoming the odds to rescue the inhabitants of his hometown, has virtually vanished in the 21st century. However, The Last Generation, encompassing the existing octogenarians of today, is rife with individuals of this genre. Richard English, who passed away Christmas Eve at 86 of complications related to dementia and cancer, was a "knight in shining armor" to the citizens of Elizabeth, New Jersey. A veteran of World War II, natural leader, and philanthropist, Richard "Dick" English was everyman's community savior. Born on May 22, 1924 in Elizabeth, Richard English possessed pristine roots. He was a descendant of British nobleman, James English, who settled Englishtown, New Jersey in the 1600s. James English was a "first proprietor," indicating that he had received the land as a reward for valor from England. Richard's distant relations fought in both the American Revolutionary War and Civil War. Francis Annin English, Richard's father, was the State of New Jersey's inheritance tax attorney, and his mother, Helen, the daughter of Calvin B. Orcutt, one of the founding presidents of the Newport News Shipbuilding Company. Growing up on Westminster Avenue, Richard graduated in 1942 from the Pingry School, which was founded by distant relatives, and was president of his class. He went on to major in finance at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania where he presided as president of his fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon. His education was abbreviated when he was drafted into the Second World War, serving as a private in the 23rd infantry, 2nd division. He was featured in LIFE magazine as a sniper on Easter Sunday morning in Leipzig, Germany although he was never proud of this particular moment in his life. In fact, when asked to address a class of public school children on his experiences as a soldier, he flatly refused. Upon returning from the war, Richard completed his degree at Bucknell on the G.I. Bill and entered into the work force. His first job was with B.B. Miller as a real estate agent. In 1953, he ran as the republican candidate for the eleventh ward tax assessor in Elizabeth. Also during this time, he served as a reserve police officer, directing traffic. In 1955, he married Valerie Victoria Youtkus, a local fine artist, and moved to Westfield. In the 1960s, he was employed as a director and vice president of the mortgage division of Central Home Trust Company which later merged with People's Trust to form United Jersey Banks, now Bank of America. In 1975, he left the bank to form his own real estate appraisal company, Richard English, M.A.I. and became one of the leading residential and commercial real estate appraisers in the state, evaluating properties ranging from jazz musician George Benson's estate to the Burry Biscuit factory. His vocational success led to the family's move to Hillside Avenue in Mountainside, where he, Valerie, and his two daughters inhabited a modern glass house, Hidden Hill, which he and his wife designed and built. His vast experience and stellar reputation as a certified real estate appraiser forayed into legal work as a commissioner in the courts of Union County, a position he held until he was 80 years old. As a philanthropist, Richard English was "all over" Elizabeth and Union County. He served on the Urban League when racial tension was at its height in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Driving blind residents to neighborhood functions was something Richard did as a member and past president of the Elizabeth Lion's Club. Honest and decisive, Richard was a board member of Elizabeth General Hospital and was one of the individuals responsible for the merger of General with St. Elizabeth's, forming Trinitas. Every year, he provided scholarships for nursing students graduating from the hospital's degree program and donated generously to the Center for Hope Hospice. As president of the Levitt Foundation, he allocated monies to various charities, such as the YWCA. For the 1977-1980 term, Thomas Dunn, then mayor of Elizabeth, appointed him a member of his public relations staff and committee for the commercial development of Elizabeth. Richard was also on the board of the Evergreen Cemetery, where he once cut the lawn to earn money as a teenager. In addition, he sang in and was president of the Westfield Men's Glee Club, served as treasurer of the Elizabethtown Cotillion, belonged to the Eastern Union County Junior Chamber of Commerce, The Young Republicans, Bucknell Alumni Association, the Bison Club, Elizabeth Town and Country Club, Echo Lake Country Club, and was an active house member of Baltusrol Golf Club, where he assisted with the various U.S. Opens and other tournaments throughout the 1980s. With the passing of Richard English, Elizabeth and Union County have indeed lost a sincere and effective leader and humanitarian, a local hero irreplaceable by modern standards. He is survived by his daughter, Devon English Colby and son-in-law, Harvey Colby of Salt Lake City, Utah; daughter Gwyn English Nielsen of Scotch Plains; grandchildren Saxony Nielsen, a student at UNC-Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Neal and Carl Colby of Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as many nieces and nephews throughout the United States and England. A funeral service will be held at 10:00 am on Thursday December 30th, 2010 at the Community Presbyterian Church of Mountainside, 1459 Deer Path Mountainside, NJ 07092 followed by the interment at Liberty Corner Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Liberty Corner NJ. Visitation will be held on Wednesday at Higgins Home for Funerals 752 Mountain Blvd. Watchung NJ from 2-4 and 7-9 pm. Donations may be made in his loving memory to the Center for Hope Hospice at 1900 Raritan Rd. Scotch Plains NJ 07076.