James Thomas Phillips

The HON. JAMES T. PHILLIPS, 60, passed away on February 1, 2014, surrounded by friends and family.  Jim, a life-long resident of Old Bridge Township, dedicated his life to serving others.  Jim was a New Jersey State Senator, a member of the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and, most recently, Mayor of Old Bridge Township from 2004 to 2011.  Over the years, he also served as a member of various public entities, including the Laurence Harbor Fire Department, the Old Bridge Board of Fire Commissioners, the Old Bridge Municipal Utilities Authority, the Middlesex County Economic Development Commission, the Old Bridge Planning Board, and the Old Bridge Township Housing and Redevelopment Agency.  A lifelong Democrat, he was an elected delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2012 and also served as the Old Bridge Democratic Party Chairman. Jim was honored by various organizations, including the Middlesex County AFL-CIO, the Hatikvah Lodge and the YMCA of Western Monmouth County, for his immeasurable commitment to the residents of Old Bridge and Middlesex County.
Jim strove to be defined not by the titles he held but by the good works he accomplished.  As the founding member of “Yes for Open Space,” he successfully aided the passage of the Middlesex County Open Space and Farmland Preservation Referendum, which ultimately led to the preservation of thousands of acres of open space, including Cottrell Farm, the Old Bridge Waterfront Park, and the John A. Phillips Wildlife Preserve.   He also facilitated the construction of Maher Manor and Costello Homes, which provide affordable housing for seniors and the disabled; and the Old Bridge YMCA, where his own grandchildren are now learning to swim alongside countless other Old Bridge residents.
Jim believed that the return on these investments is not measured in dollars and cents but in decades of public use and enjoyment.  He always maintained that government existed to protect the quality of life of a community and that public policy is tool to that end.  Whether it was hiring more police officers, changing the course of land use regulation or finding kids a place to play these were accomplishments born of his desire to make Old Bridge a better place to live.
Jim was a proud graduate of St. Mary’s High School in South Amboy and Villanova University.  An accountant and Certified Municipal Financial Officer by profession, he retired in December 2013 from his position as Middlesex County Treasurer.  
Jim has been a pillar in his community and in his family.  His wisdom, charity, humanity, and wit are the legacy he leaves his family and friends.  Jim’s passing has forever changed the lives of his wife, Janet, of 35 years; his daughter Joanne of Jersey City; his son James and his girlfriend Jessica Simeone of Freehold; his daughter and her husband, Jennifer and Steven Smith of Old Bridge; his grandchildren Thomas and Luke; his brother and sister-in-law John and Julie Phillips of Manalapan; his sister and brother-in-law Janice and John Dibling of Manalapan; and his many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.  He will live forever in their hearts.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, February 5, from 7-9PM; Thursday, February 6, from 2-4 & 7-9PM, at Day Funeral Home, 361 Maple Place,  Keyport, NJ 07735; and will be followed by a Mass of Christian Burial on Friday, February 7, 9AM at St. Lawrence Roman Catholic Church in Laurence Harbor.  Memorial contributions may be made to the Old Bridge YMCA, One Mannino Park Drive, Old Bridge, New Jersey 08857.