Obituary of Robert Marcalus

Robert Louis Marcalus passed away at home surrounded by family on August 4, 2014. He was born in Plainfield, N.J. in 1921. Robert grew up in Elizabeth, NJ and attended the Pingry School and the University of Vermont. Mr. Marcalus enlisted in the United States Navy in World War II, served on an attack transport ship and was honorably discharged in 1946. After naval service, Robert resumed his employment with the family business Marcalus Manufacturing Co, which was started by his father, Nicholas, in 1932. Robert was a self-taught papermaker with exceptional interpersonal skills. The family business eventually evolved into Marcal Paper Mills, Inc... Robert had a tireless work ethic. His astute business leadership enabled him to oversee business operations in Elmwood Park, Bloomfield, Philadelphia, Massachusetts, California, Florida, Maine and New Hampshire. In 1970 Robert became President of Marcal. Upon the death of his father in 1979, he became Chairman of the Board and CEO. Marcal continued to operate as a family business until 2008. Even with all of his business responsibilities, he knew by name and he knew the personal stories of the many hundreds of people that worked for the company. For over 45 years and up to his passing, Robert was President of Green Acre Woodlands, Inc., a timberlands and real estate investment company. Working closely with the NH Forest Legacy Program, Robert's leadership of Green Acre resulted in the preservation of thousands of acres of New Hampshire forests for open spaces, agriculture and public recreational use. Robert Marcalus had been a member and President of the Wyckoff NJ Board of Education, Board Member of the Wyckoff NJ YMCA, and a Trustee and Regent of St. Peter's College, Jersey City, N.J. He was a Director of the Delaware Otsego Corporation, Cooperstown, N.Y., Director of Valley National Bank, Wayne, N.J. and was a Director of the American Forest and Paper Association of Washington, D.C. as well as having been a Director of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, he served on the Boards of the Foundation For Free Enterprise and numerous other not-for-profit institutions. He also served as Director of numerous other banks and organizations. Robert particularly enjoyed his forty two year relationship with St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center Foundation as a Trustee where he also had served as the Foundation's President. Robert was the recipient of numerous honors from many organizations such as by the Directors of the Bergen Community College Foundation at their 4th Annual Medallion Awards Dinner in 1988, he received the 7th Annual Felician College Founder's Day Award in 1989, and in 1992 he was the recipient of the Torch of Learning Award by the Lautenberg Center for General and Tumor Immunology at the Hebrew University and he was honored at the Sixth Annual Legacy Award Dinner of the William Paterson University in 1995. In 2008, Robert received the Dean McNulty Service Award from The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson. Mr. Marcalus had conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters in 1978 by Southern Benedictine College, Cullman, Alabama, the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters by Felician College, Lodi, N.J. in 1995. In addition, in 1996 St. Peter's College, Jersey City, N.J. also conferred the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters. Mr. Marcalus was a longtime member and devoted parishioner of the Church Of Saint Elizabeth, Wyckoff, NJ. He married his childhood sweetheart, the former Norma Altenburg. Robert and Norma recently celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary. They have lived in Wyckoff, N.J. since 1946. Robert and Norma are parents of son Nicholas and wife Emily of Sugarloaf, PA, daughter Jeannette and husband Charles Bonin of Morristown, NJ, predeceased son Robert survived by daughter-in-law Dariel of Pompton Plains, NJ, daughter Anne Sedler of Hawthorne NJ, daughter Lisa Perkowski of Basking Ridge, NJ and son Peter and wife Karen of Oakland, NJ. They are blessed with 17 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren. He was a devoted husband, loving father, generous patron to many individuals and charities. He deeply believed in service to the community. Robert will be remembered as a true gentleman in every sense and an individual who cared about people. There will be a celebration of Robert's life with a Mass of Christian Burial at The Church of St. Elizabeth, 700 Wyckoff Ave, Wyckoff, NJ on Friday August 8th at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in his memory to Saint Joseph's Regional Medical Center Foundation, Paterson, NJ. Donation link at http://bit.ly/1olR54p