J. Garfield DeMarco dies Stockton, AtlantiCare mental health series
DEMARCO, from Page 1
Page 4 • Wednesday, May 15, 2019 • The Hammonton Gazette
boards and commissions.
please see page 2.]
One of the boards in Hammon-
His obituary said Garfield De- ton that received his attention and
Marco or “Gar’s” life was a movie
charity was the Oak
in the making. the second
Grove Cemetery asso-
of three children, he was a
ciation, where he served
star football player and
as its longtime president
scholar recruited by every
and treasurer. Oak
top university in the coun-
Grove Cemetery is
try. He decided on Dart-
where DeMarco’s par-
mouth College where he
ents are buried.
shined
academically,
His obituary also said
graduating cum laude
DeMarco loved to re-
with honors and was se-
search his ancestry and
lected as a member of Phi
was a vast collector of
Beta Kappa. Upon gradua- J. Garfield DeMarco antiquities, art and man-
tion from Dartmouth, he
uscripts. He spent days
was awarded a fulbright Scholar- upon days charting his lineage. He
ship to study medieval history at the took great pride in the fact that his
University of Naples, italy, his obit- mother’s family, the alloways,
uary said.
were Quakers who settled in New
His classmates while at Yale Law Jersey in the mid-to-late 1700s. De-
School included former California Marco also loved the heart of the
Governor Jerry Brown, former Pinelands, the town of Chatsworth
United States Senator Gary Hart and its residents. in many ways,
and Congresswoman eleanor Chatsworth was as much his home
Holmes Norton, his obituary said.
as Hammonton, his obituary said.
His obituary said DeMarco never
it is in Chatsworth (Woodland
practiced law. instead, he took over twp.) that he and his siblings do-
the management of the family busi- nated the land where Chatsworth’s
nesses which included a.r. De- Municipal Building stands. the
Marco enterprises and Chatsworth building, which was constructed
Cranberry association, after the with materials indigenous to the ge-
tragic death of his father in a car ographic area, was largely financed
crash on New Year’s eve 1964. His through multiple donations from
father, anthony r. DeMarco, was a
See GARFIELD, Page 10
founding member of the Ocean
Spray farmer’s cooperative. De-
Marco replaced his father on the
Ocean Spray Board of Directors
and served there until the family
farm was sold to the New Jersey
Conservation foundation in 2004.
the farm, which was always a top
five producer of cranberries for
Ocean Spray, was converted into a
natural preserve, the obituary said.
the sport of politics was De-
Marco’s other passion, his obituary
said. from 1974 to 1990, he served
as Burlington County republican
Chairman being named “Chairman
of the Chairman” by Governor
thomas H. Kean in the 1980s. He
served as a New Jersey delegate to
multiple national republican Con-
ventions. for many years, he also
served as the Chairman of the
Burlington County Bridge Com-
mission. DeMarco’s sphere of in-
fluence over the politics of southern
New Jersey was unparalleled dur-
ing this time, his obituary said. His
ability to raise money at elegant
dinners at Le Bec fin in Philadel-
phia enabled him to fund elections
not only in Burlington County but
in other key races in the state, the
obituary said.
according to his obituary, De-
Marco retired from politics in 1990.
Until his death he remained an
active political observer. However,
as he aged, his views and positions
went from right of center to left of
center changing his party affiliation
to independent in the early part of
this decade, his obituary said.
according to his obituary, De-
Marco’s personal life led him to
changes in his political affiliation.
“it should be of no surprise that
this change of heart occurred when
Garfield publicly acknowledged
that he was gay. it also was at this
time that he became an ardent sup-
porter of the campaign to allow for
gay marriage. few rejoiced over
the decision as much as Garfield
and his partner, William “Billy”
Wilson who eventually became his
husband in a ceremony officiated
by Superior Court Judge and author
of Boardwalk Empire Nelson John-
son accompanied by New Jersey
Supreme Court Justice ann Patter-
son in 2015,” DeMarco’s obituary
said.
at the height of his career, his
obituary said, DeMarco was also a
member of the Board of trustees of
the Lebanon State School, the New
Jersey State Public Broadcasting
authority, the Philadelphia Union
League as well as numerous other
AtLANtICARE, from Page 3
long-term health issues. Marino said the ubiquitous
technology that people are exposed to each day is a
common trigger for stress because the blue LeD light
emitted by most television, cell phone and computer
screens can disrupt the circadian rhythm that allows
for regular sleep patterns and shift or suppress the
production of melatonin, a brain chemical that causes
drowsiness and allows for deep sleep.
Marino recommended to use special devices or
phone applications that filter out the amount of blue
light being emitted by a screen by changing the hue
to a warmer, yellow color that is less harsh on the
eyes. While technology is a vital asset that many peo-
ple rely on, Marino said that prolonged exposure to
it can have negative side-effects that raise stress lev-
els, thus making it important to find a balance in life
and take time to “unplug and recharge” when it feels
as though stress is building up.
“When you spend a lot of time in front of that
screen, you’re increasing your chances of some types
of health problems from weight gain to headaches,
especially anxiety and depression as well. Your phone
can make you feel more anxious, especially if you
send a lot of texts and at night the screens keep you
awake because your mind is too amped to switch on
sleep mode. On the other hand, true relaxation, things
like reading a book, drawing, taking a walk or listen-
ing to music, is actually an important part of staying
healthy. When you get enough wind down time each
day, it’s easier to find the energy to make other kinds
of healthy choices,” Marino said.
the atlantiCare Health engagement division’s
Mental Health Series will conclude on Wednesday,
June 5 at noon with “embracing your W.H.Y.,” a
Lunch and Learn workshop that will provide assis-
tance in setting and achieving wellness goals while
cultivating one’s purpose. those interested in attend-
ing either workshop must rSVP in order to receive
free lunch. Visit www.StocktonHammonton.
eventbrite.com to rSVP.
for more information, call (609) 626-3940 or visit
www.Stockton.edu. Stockton University Kramer Hall
is located at 30 front St. in Hammonton.
Memorial Day ceremony begins at 10:30 a.m.
MEMORIAL, from Page 2
and services such as State Veterans
Benefits, Medal Ceremonies, Vet-
erans Service Officers (VSOs), BG
Willian C. Doyle Veterans Ceme-
tery, all state-owned Veteran Me-
morials, Veterans Haven (North
and South) and the State approv-
ing agency for education benefits.
His military awards include the
Legion of Merit, Bronze Star
Medal, several army Commenda-
tion Medals, army achievement
Medals, the afghanistan Cam-
paign Medal, the National Defense
Service Metal, the army Service
ribbon, the Overseas Service rib-
bon, the Global War on terrorism
expeditionary Medal and the
NatO Medal.
Col. Nall is very active with
community and fraternal organiza-
tions. in addition, Col. Nall is a
member of other organizations to
include Veterans of foreign Wars
(life member), american Legion,
Prince Hall affiliated 32nd Degree
Masons and the Omega Delta Up-
silon foundation.
for more information, please
call John DeLucca at (609) 561-
5329.