Robert F. Walsh, Former Howell Mayor And Councilman, Dies At 61

HOWELL, NJ — Robert Francis Walsh, who served Howell Township as mayor and as a councilman for a dozen years, has died. He was 61.

Mr. Walsh died peacefully at home on Thursday, according to obituary information submitted by Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home on behalf of his family.

He was born in Jersey City but had lived in Monmouth County since 1965. He graduated from Manalapan High School in 1976, and later settled in Howell. He was a self-made businessman and a self-starter, owning Center State Mortgage and later was the co-founder of Patriot Mortgage.

Mr. Walsh began his civil service in 2006, after winning election to the township council in November 2005. He served as a councilman until 2009, then served as Howell's mayor from 2009 to 2012. He returned to the council in 2013 and continued public service until 2018.

Township officials honored Mr. Walsh in 2019 by naming the road that loops around the municipal building in his honor, Robert F. Walsh Way. He also was the recipient of the 2017 Man of the Year Award in Howell.

"Bob made a lasting impression on his community and his efforts continue to benefit the residents to this day," his family said in his obituary.

Mr. Walsh was a member of the Eagle Oaks Country Club in Farmingdale, where you could find him on Wednesdays enjoying a cigar after playing 9 holes. Bob was a giver to all those in need and had supported the Howell PAL, the Optimist Club, Autism NJ and Brennan Stands Alone Foundation, along with too many charitable organizations to name.

"Though his accomplishments were many, he measured his success by his family. Bob will be remembered for his generosity, dedication and leadership. His sense of humor and big personality left an unforgettable impression on everyone he had the pleasure of meeting," his family wrote.

He is predeceased by his mother, Sandra Lovenguth; and his niece, Veronica Parlacoski. Bob is survived by his wife of 30 years, Michelle Walsh; his children, Nicole Parikh and her husband, Parth, of Collingswood; Shannon Cohen and her husband, William, of Philadelphia; and Sean Walsh of Collingswood; a grandson, Dev Parikh; his siblings, Joseph Walsh and his wife, Anne, of Spring Lake; James Walsh and his wife, Lynn, of Freehold Township, and Fern Parlacoski of Manalapan; his stepfather, Ronald Lovenguth of Manalapan; beloved many in-laws; numerous nieces and nephews, and his faithful canine companion, Bodie.

Visitation will be held at the Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home, 100 Elton-Adelphia Road (Route 524), Freehold Township, on from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 27, 2020. Relatives and friends are invited to attend his 11 a.m. funeral service at the funeral home on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020. Interment will follow in Old Tennent Cemetery, Manalapan.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Mr. Walsh may be made to the Development Office, Bancroft, 1255 Caldwell Road, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034. For information, directions or condolence messages to the family, visit www.claytonfuneralhome.com

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