Freehold's veteran tax collector retires

Ed Lewis has been collecting taxes in Freehold Borough for almost 40 years. Lewis, 80, who retired from his position as Freehold Borough's tax collector in December, was honored by the Borough Council on Dec. 15 with a resolution commemorating his retirement.

Ed Lewis When asked how he dealt with the position of tax collector, Lewis said, "You take it all in stride. People would call me and ask me for information about deductions, especially senior deductions, and I would help them. I enjoyed the job very much. I especially enjoyed working with the people in the office at Borough Hall, as well as the various mayors I served under."

Lewis said he does not have any immediate plans on how to fill the two full days a week that he worked at Borough Hall, but said he will work on those plans after the holidays.

Lewis, a lifelong resident of the borough, attended local elementary schools and graduated from Freehold High School. He graduated from Seton Hall University in 1952, majoring in business. Lewis was in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1946-48, serving 19 months in China, and he served in the U.S. Army from 1952-54.

According to the council's resolution, Lewis served Freehold Borough in a number of ways, including his contributions to the Knights of Columbus, where he served as grand knight, and the hours he devoted to raising funds for handicapped children, among other worthwhile endeavors.

He still serves as an usher at St. Rose of Lima Church and is a member of the Marine Corps League Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds Detachment, the American Legion and other community organizations. He served on the Borough Council from 1967-69 and on Freehold's transportation and parking committees.

Lewis has been the borough's tax collector under four mayors — Roger Kane, William Boyle, Jack McGackin and Michael Wilson. He has been a member of the New Jersey Tax Collectors and Treasurers Association and the Monmouth Ocean Tax Collectors Association, serving as president from 1989-90.

Lewis served on the Freehold Borough Board of Education for 16 years in the 1970s and 1980s. He left the school board when he was named the town's tax collector.

The longtime part-time tax collector also worked full-time in the insurance industry, taking a position with Metropolitan Life in 1955 and remaining there until his retirement from the company in 1991.

He was elected to the position of Freehold Borough's treasurer/tax collector in 1972 and remained in that position until last month.

Lewis married his wife, Dolores, in 1952 and the couple settled on Mead Avenue where they lived until 1982, when they had a home built on Brookwood Drive. They recently moved to The Villages, Howell.

Ed and Dolores Lewis raised their four children, Debbie Hoffman, Keith Lewis, Kevin Lewis and Betsy Yurowski, in the borough.