Mister Mayor, Assemblyman and Freeholder! The longest living former mayor and Second Polish mayor ever in the history of the city of Perth Amboy George Otlowski living to be 97 years old died a happy man. He died in the town he grew up in loved, and ran for so many years. He became ill on the weekend and died at Raritan Bay Medical Center, the very hospital which he helped support. It has been said by all that Mister Mayor loved his town! The son of Polish Immigrants he was born in the part of town called "Chicken town" (named that becasue everyone raised chickens), and later, he began working at age 12 to help support his family at the Barber Asphalt Company.
Later on Mr. Otlowski worked at the former Majestic Theater located on Madison Avenue in Perth Amboy (now the site of the Baptist Cathedral) where it was his job in the 1930s to show off the city when such performers as Jimmy Durante, Jack Benny and Tom Mix, the best-known movie cowboy during the silent-film era, entertained at The Majestic. Otlowski once said in an Interview with the Home News Tribune..."There'd be something big every Saturday night. My job was to take performers to lunch and dinner as the city's host," he recalls.
Otlowski also hosted such people as First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt on the tour of the city, and in 1980 hosted President Jimmy Carter on a tour of the Raritan River Steel plant. The Carters already had hosted Otlowski and his wife at the White House for dinner. Otlowski was a proud Democrat and was proud of having voted for every Democrat candidate for president, from Franklin Roosevelt to Barack Obama.
His Political life had its first start in 1955 when he joined the board of freeholders, where he served as director from 1968 to 1973. He served in the state Assembly from 1974 through 1992, focusing on issues involving mental health and nursing homes. In 1962. he sought a U.S. congressional seat, bucking the county's Democrat Party organization to challenge Edward Patten in a primary. One year later, all was forgiven, and the party permitted him a spot on the freeholder ticket.
In 1965, gubernatorial candidates sparred over the freedom of a Rutgers University professor to openly criticize America's role in Vietnam. Otlowski came down on the side of free speech. He said that..."Freedom belongs to the enlightened, the idiot, the kook and the patriot,'' he said at a party fund raiser.
In 1976, he was elected mayor of the city he loved... Perth Amboy, and served until he was forced to resigned in 1990. In his resignation statement he said of his opponents: "They've made me the center of a destructive campaign. Their relentless attacks upon me and my administration have paralyzed our government.''
His opponent 35-year-old Joseph Vas, a political newcomer replaced Otlowski following a special election and in later years, Mister Mayor could be found walking the streets of his fair city greeting his fellow residents and getting to know new faces! He always spent time at his favorite place the Superior Diner where he will be missed greatly.
His funeral will be Friday March 20th at 9 a.m. from the funeral home followed by a Mass of Christian burial at St. Stephen's Roman Catholic Church at 10 a.m.
Later on Mr. Otlowski worked at the former Majestic Theater located on Madison Avenue in Perth Amboy (now the site of the Baptist Cathedral) where it was his job in the 1930s to show off the city when such performers as Jimmy Durante, Jack Benny and Tom Mix, the best-known movie cowboy during the silent-film era, entertained at The Majestic. Otlowski once said in an Interview with the Home News Tribune..."There'd be something big every Saturday night. My job was to take performers to lunch and dinner as the city's host," he recalls.
Otlowski also hosted such people as First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt on the tour of the city, and in 1980 hosted President Jimmy Carter on a tour of the Raritan River Steel plant. The Carters already had hosted Otlowski and his wife at the White House for dinner. Otlowski was a proud Democrat and was proud of having voted for every Democrat candidate for president, from Franklin Roosevelt to Barack Obama.
His Political life had its first start in 1955 when he joined the board of freeholders, where he served as director from 1968 to 1973. He served in the state Assembly from 1974 through 1992, focusing on issues involving mental health and nursing homes. In 1962. he sought a U.S. congressional seat, bucking the county's Democrat Party organization to challenge Edward Patten in a primary. One year later, all was forgiven, and the party permitted him a spot on the freeholder ticket.
In 1965, gubernatorial candidates sparred over the freedom of a Rutgers University professor to openly criticize America's role in Vietnam. Otlowski came down on the side of free speech. He said that..."Freedom belongs to the enlightened, the idiot, the kook and the patriot,'' he said at a party fund raiser.
In 1976, he was elected mayor of the city he loved... Perth Amboy, and served until he was forced to resigned in 1990. In his resignation statement he said of his opponents: "They've made me the center of a destructive campaign. Their relentless attacks upon me and my administration have paralyzed our government.''
His opponent 35-year-old Joseph Vas, a political newcomer replaced Otlowski following a special election and in later years, Mister Mayor could be found walking the streets of his fair city greeting his fellow residents and getting to know new faces! He always spent time at his favorite place the Superior Diner where he will be missed greatly.
His funeral will be Friday March 20th at 9 a.m. from the funeral home followed by a Mass of Christian burial at St. Stephen's Roman Catholic Church at 10 a.m.
Mister Mayor, Assemblyman and Freeholder! The longest living former mayor and Second Polish mayor ever in the history of the city of Perth Amboy George Otlowski living to be 97 years old died a happy man. He died in the town he grew up in loved, and ran for so many years. He became ill on the weekend and died at Raritan Bay Medical Center, the very hospital which he helped support. It has been said by all that Mister Mayor loved his town! The son of Polish Immigrants he was born in the part of town called "Chicken town" (named that becasue everyone raised chickens), and later, he began working at age 12 to help support his family at the Barber Asphalt Company.
Later on Mr. Otlowski worked at the former Majestic Theater located on Madison Avenue in Perth Amboy (now the site of the Baptist Cathedral) where it was his job in the 1930s to show off the city when such performers as Jimmy Durante, Jack Benny and Tom Mix, the best-known movie cowboy during the silent-film era, entertained at The Majestic. Otlowski once said in an Interview with the Home News Tribune..."There'd be something big every Saturday night. My job was to take performers to lunch and dinner as the city's host," he recalls.
Otlowski also hosted such people as First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt on the tour of the city, and in 1980 hosted President Jimmy Carter on a tour of the Raritan River Steel plant. The Carters already had hosted Otlowski and his wife at the White House for dinner. Otlowski was a proud Democrat and was proud of having voted for every Democrat candidate for president, from Franklin Roosevelt to Barack Obama.
His Political life had its first start in 1955 when he joined the board of freeholders, where he served as director from 1968 to 1973. He served in the state Assembly from 1974 through 1992, focusing on issues involving mental health and nursing homes. In 1962. he sought a U.S. congressional seat, bucking the county's Democrat Party organization to challenge Edward Patten in a primary. One year later, all was forgiven, and the party permitted him a spot on the freeholder ticket.
In 1965, gubernatorial candidates sparred over the freedom of a Rutgers University professor to openly criticize America's role in Vietnam. Otlowski came down on the side of free speech. He said that..."Freedom belongs to the enlightened, the idiot, the kook and the patriot,'' he said at a party fund raiser.
In 1976, he was elected mayor of the city he loved... Perth Amboy, and served until he was forced to resigned in 1990. In his resignation statement he said of his opponents: "They've made me the center of a destructive campaign. Their relentless attacks upon me and my administration have paralyzed our government.''
His opponent 35-year-old Joseph Vas, a political newcomer replaced Otlowski following a special election and in later years, Mister Mayor could be found walking the streets of his fair city greeting his fellow residents and getting to know new faces! He always spent time at his favorite place the Superior Diner where he will be missed greatly.
His funeral will be Friday March 20th at 9 a.m. from the funeral home followed by a Mass of Christian burial at St. Stephen's Roman Catholic Church at 10 a.m.
Later on Mr. Otlowski worked at the former Majestic Theater located on Madison Avenue in Perth Amboy (now the site of the Baptist Cathedral) where it was his job in the 1930s to show off the city when such performers as Jimmy Durante, Jack Benny and Tom Mix, the best-known movie cowboy during the silent-film era, entertained at The Majestic. Otlowski once said in an Interview with the Home News Tribune..."There'd be something big every Saturday night. My job was to take performers to lunch and dinner as the city's host," he recalls.
Otlowski also hosted such people as First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt on the tour of the city, and in 1980 hosted President Jimmy Carter on a tour of the Raritan River Steel plant. The Carters already had hosted Otlowski and his wife at the White House for dinner. Otlowski was a proud Democrat and was proud of having voted for every Democrat candidate for president, from Franklin Roosevelt to Barack Obama.
His Political life had its first start in 1955 when he joined the board of freeholders, where he served as director from 1968 to 1973. He served in the state Assembly from 1974 through 1992, focusing on issues involving mental health and nursing homes. In 1962. he sought a U.S. congressional seat, bucking the county's Democrat Party organization to challenge Edward Patten in a primary. One year later, all was forgiven, and the party permitted him a spot on the freeholder ticket.
In 1965, gubernatorial candidates sparred over the freedom of a Rutgers University professor to openly criticize America's role in Vietnam. Otlowski came down on the side of free speech. He said that..."Freedom belongs to the enlightened, the idiot, the kook and the patriot,'' he said at a party fund raiser.
In 1976, he was elected mayor of the city he loved... Perth Amboy, and served until he was forced to resigned in 1990. In his resignation statement he said of his opponents: "They've made me the center of a destructive campaign. Their relentless attacks upon me and my administration have paralyzed our government.''
His opponent 35-year-old Joseph Vas, a political newcomer replaced Otlowski following a special election and in later years, Mister Mayor could be found walking the streets of his fair city greeting his fellow residents and getting to know new faces! He always spent time at his favorite place the Superior Diner where he will be missed greatly.
His funeral will be Friday March 20th at 9 a.m. from the funeral home followed by a Mass of Christian burial at St. Stephen's Roman Catholic Church at 10 a.m.
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