Obituary of William Farlie

William Newman Farlie Jr., a longtime Montclair resident, former Mayor of Montclair and respected advertising and broadcasting executive, passed away on Friday, December 14 at the age of 76. Born in East Orange, Mr. Farlie was a partner in Gilbert Farlie Inc., an advertising industry management recruiter based in New York, for more than 20 years before retiring in 2002. Prior to that, he was President of Macmillan Electronic Media, also in New York, and held management roles in several New York advertising agencies. Earlier in his career, Mr. Farlie was a broadcasting executive - based in Los Angeles - including roles as the General Manager of KFWB (LA) and later Assistant General Counsel of Westinghouse Broadcasting. Mr. Farlie - known as Bill to his family and friends - served his hometown of Montclair (NJ) in a variety of roles, including as Mayor from 1996-2000. Among his legacies as Mayor was the passage of the Montclair Connection, working with NJ Transit to bring nonstop train service from Montclair to New York City - now known as Midtown Direct. He was also active during that time as Chair of the Board of School Estimate, and was a Trustee of the Montclair Public Library. Following his term as Mayor, he was actively involved in the planning and construction of the Crescent Parking Deck in downtown Montclair. Prior to his political career, Mr. Farlie was involved with the Montclair Art Museum, serving as both a Trustee and as Founder/Director of the museum's independent film festival for several years. He was also involved in the Montclair Board of Education, including a term as a member, and a member of the Board of School Estimate. In addition he was Chairman of the Community Advisory Board at Montclair State University. A graduate of Roselle Park (NJ) public schools, Mr. Farlie graduated from Princeton University in 1957 with a degree in Psychology. He subsequently enrolled in Georgetown University Law Center (Washington, DC) where he earned an LLB (1960) and an LLM (1961). Mr Farlie earned a Prettyman Fellowship, and was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court in Washington, DC. He began his career as a Litigator at Hedrick & Lane in Washington. Mr. Farlie was a longtime member of the Montclair Golf Club and a dedicated parishioner of St. Cassian Church in Upper Montclair, volunteering for many years as a Lector and a member of the Parish Council. He also took great pride in his role as a Lector at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, serving during Wednesday Noon Mass for many years during a lunch-break from the office. Mr. Farlie was an avid gardener, working with all types of plants: including indoor, outdoor, northern and southern horticulture. In addition to gardening, his hobbies included reading and tennis. In recent years, Mr. Farlie divided his time between his homes in Caldwell, NJ and Pompano Beach, FL - where he could often be found playing with his grandchildren, working in the yard, bird-watching or enjoying the outdoor weather. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Barbara (nee Leitzow); four children and their spouses: Elisabeth [Farlie] Bannerot (Frederick) of Stamford, CT; William Farlie III (Patricia) of Wayne, NJ; Craig Farlie (Stacey) of Fort Lauderdale, FL; and Matthew Farlie (Mary) of North Caldwell, NJ; and 10 loving grandchildren. He is also survived by a sister, Mrs. Thomas Murphy (Kathleen) of Basking Ridge.