Obituary of Charles W. Kraus

Charles W. Kraus, Community Leader and World War II Veteran passed away at the age of 96, on Friday February 10, 2012 in Boca Raton, FL. He was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1915 and raised in Bogota, New Jersey. He is preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Margaret Gannon Kraus. They resided in Bergen County, New Jersey (Bogota, Franklin Lakes, and Mahwah) before retiring in 1978 to Boca Raton, Florida. Mr. Kraus graduated from Bogota High School in 1933 after he was elected Class President all four years. After high school, he graduated from the American Institute of Banking. Mr. Kraus served on the Bogota Board of Education and, at the age of 28, was the youngest School Board President in the state of New Jersey. He was also a member of Bogota's Borough Council and served as the Bogota Police Commissioner. In World War II, Mr. Kraus was an Ensign in the Supply Corps in the United States Merchant Marine stationed in New York and San Francisco. Assigned to the S.S. Howell Lykes, Mr. Kraus saw combat in the Pacific in 1944 in The Battle of Leyte Gulf during the invasion of the Philippines. After the war, Mr. Kraus returned to Bergen County New Jersey to resume his banking and political career. He was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly in 1953, holding that post for eleven years. He was Bergen County Road Supervisor and Director of Public Works from 1958-1969. He was a Republican National Convention delegate in 1960 and 1964. Mr. Kraus was New Jersey gubernatorial campaign manager for his boyhood friend, Walter Jones, the former head of the State Republican Party in 1960. Mr. Kraus was an instructor at the American Institute of Banking, the New Jersey Savings Institute of Education, and Dale Carnegie. He served on the Board of Directors at Bogota National Bank, Banker's National Bank, Oakland State Bank, Elmwood State Bank, and Suburban Savings and Loan. Mr. Kraus was instrumental in the expansion of community banking in Bergen and surrounding counties. Upon retirement, Charlie remained active and engaged in the community. In 1980, he was elected the first President of The Esplanade Condominium Association in Boca Raton, Florida. He held that position for twelve years and served on the Board of Directors for 27 years. Charlie is survived by his three daughters: Peggy Ann Calitre (Phil) of Ramsey, NJ; Barbara Katherine Vasell (Tom) of Mt. Laurel, NJ; and Susan M. Gallitano (Joe) of Sagamore Beach, MA. He is also survived by five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Visiting will be held on Saturday, February 18 form 8:30 -10:30 AM at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home, (www.vpfh.com), 257 Godwin Ave., Wyckoff, NJ. A Funeral Mass will follow at 11:30 AM at Most Blessed Sacrament RC Church, 787 Franklin Lakes Rd., Franklin Lakes, NJ. Interment will take place in Christ the King Cemetery, Franklin Lakes, NJ. Charlie and his wife, Margaret, established a scholarship memorial fund and, in lieu of flowers, asked that contributions be sent to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, 101 Academy Dr., Buzzards Bay, MA 02532-1803 in memory of Margaret and Charles W. Kraus or Hospice of Palm Beach County, 5300 East Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33407.