Sen. Anthony R. Bucco, who represented District 25 (Morris County), passed away on September 16, 2019. He served in different elected positions for more than 40 years from a member of the Boonton governing body to Mayor, Morris County Freeholder, member of the New Jersey General Assembly, and State Senator, serving under several gubernatorial administrations.
Senator Bucco worked hard on an array of public policy issues that affected people’s lives and was respected on both sides of the political aisle. He worked collaboratively on a bi-partisan basis to reap positive benefits for people. He had a special passion for entrepreneurship and small businesses. That passion emanated from the fact that he himself was a business owner, understanding the challenges of running a business. Bucco was president of Baker Titan Adhesives, a manufacturing company in Paterson.
In addition to being a voice for good causes in the Legislature, he served as a volunteer and board member for many non-profit organizations. Bucco was a deep man of faith who attended Mass every morning before beginning his day.
“Senator Bucco (“Tony”) was one of our greatest advocates and a great human being. I will miss him immensely at the State House on my advocacy rounds there. Our network owes him our gratitude as he was always there for us and was primarily responsible for assisting in the restoration of state funding during the Christie administration and subsequently in collaboration with the Senate Budget Committee Chairman and other key members,” observed Deborah K. Smarth, NJSBDC network Chief Operating Officer and Associate State Director. “He was there to take my calls, met with me on short notice, and when he could offer important information, he always shared his vantage points.”
Despite having many great advocates in the Legislature over the years, Smarth noted that “he was one of a kind. We will surely miss him and all his good deeds.”
The NJSBDC network extends its sympathy to Senator Bucco’s widow, Helen, his son Assemblyman Anthony M. Bucco, and the entire Bucco family.
The Senator was remembered in a special memorial service scheduled for October 6 at Morris County College in Randolph, NJ. Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean, Jr. and Senate President Steve Sweeney addressed the audience about the special attributes of Tony Bucco emphasizing that his word could be taken to the bank (or something like that); Former Governor Chris Christie addressed the audience by video as he was out of state, paying high tributes to the Senator.