Bowser, former East Orange mayor, dies at age 86

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EAST ORANGE, NJ — Former East Orange Mayor Robert L. Bowser died Saturday, April 2. He was 86 years old.

Bowser held the distinction of being the first black person in East Orange’s history to have been elected to serve a third term as mayor. He served four terms in total, from 1998 to 2014, for a collective 16 years as mayor. He served as the city’s 12th mayor. Bowser hailed from a family whose presence in East Orange dates back to the late 1800s.

He began his professional career as a principal city planner for the Newark Central Planning Board and as a traffic engineer for the township of Montclair. Prior to becoming East Orange mayor, he served the Newark Board of Education as a school district principal engineer in the Design and Construction Department. Browser was president of Bowser Engineers and Associates Inc. for 26 years. This East Orange–based engineering, planning, surveying and architectural design firm grew to become one of the largest minority-owned consulting firms on the East Coast.

Active in numerous community, social and civic affairs, Bowser served on the board of directors for the Girl Scouts of Greater Essex County for 10 years; was a member of the Brick Church Lions Club; was president of the East Orange Kiwanis Club; served as chairperson of the Rutgers University Urban Gardening Program advisory board; was founder and executive director of the Essex County Touch Football League for 26 years; was a member of the Men of Essex; was a board member of the Salvation Army; and was a member of the East Orange General Hospital board of trustees.

Bowser’s professional affiliations included him serving as president of the Northern Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors, and as a member of the National Minority Contractors Association. He served on the board of directors of the National Black Conference of Mayors and co-chaired the conference’s Legislative Committee. He was a member of the National Black Conference of Mayors board of directors and served as the organization’s first vice president and Finance Committee chairperson. Bowser was a founder of the New Jersey Conference of Black Mayors and was selected as president in 2003; he was a member of the United States Conference of Mayors. 

Bowser served on the New Jersey State League of Municipalities executive board as the third vice president. He chaired the league’s Gang and Youth Violence Task Force after it was newly formed, and also served on the league’s Legislative and Economic Development committees, participating in numerous league workshops. He was a member of the New Jersey Urban Mayors Association.

Bowser is survived by his wife, Marilyn; son, David; daughters, Lisa A. Ward and Leslie J. Ward; and a host of family, friends and residents of East Orange.

Photos Courtesy of East Orange City Hall

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