By JF Grodeska
ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS – The opening of the Atlantic Highlands Planning Board special meeting Sept. 19 became a somber affair as council member Brian Dougherty announced the passing of Atlantic Highlands’ first woman mayor, Helen Marchetti, at 98 years of age. There was a moment of silence.
Marchetti was a passionate advocate for her hometown. Born April 7, 1925, she lived her entire life in Atlantic Highlands in the home where she grew up. Over the course of her lifetime, she was a member of the Atlantic Highlands Borough Council, became the first woman to be elected mayor of Atlantic Highlands and was a member of the Atlantic Highlands Planning Board, the recreation council, the harbor commission and the school board. Marchetti was also active in the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club, chairing several committees, the Atlantic Highlands Historical Society, the Lions Club (where she established a scholarship in honor of her late husband, Peter Marchetti), the Atlantic Highlands Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary and the St. Agnes Senior Club.
In 1999 the Monmouth County Library began a project called “Remembering The 20th Century: An Oral History of Monmouth County.” On Oct. 20, 2000, interviewer Ellen Williams sat down with Marchetti, and they spoke of her past and her love of Atlantic Highlands and her neighbors.
Marchetti painted a picture of the town where she grew up. “I have a lot of good childhood memories here in Atlantic Highlands. In fact, I was born and raised in Atlantic Highlands, and I still live in the house that I was born in. As far as my memories are concerned, at an early age, one of the things I do remember is the amusement park that we had over here on Bay Avenue.”
“We would look forward to that amusement park opening because they had a scenic railway or rollercoaster, and we would get free rides to shine up the rails that had become corroded from the snow and the bad weather over the wintertime.”
She spoke about her time as mayor, the lone woman on an all-male council. “I was the first female mayor of Atlantic Highlands,” she said in the oral history. “Everybody had discussions and differences of opinion and all that. But we always agreed, before we went to a council meeting, and before they went out of that room, I made sure that everybody was in agreement because there’s nothing worse than getting to the council meeting and sitting up there and arguing back and forth because then people who came to the meeting would wonder, ‘What is going on here?’ ”
Brian Dougherty, a current council member and Marchetti’s neighbor, said, “Helen was the best next-door neighbor a family moving into Atlantic Highlands could ever ask for. She immediately treated us like family and instantly became a member of ours. She would spend Christmas mornings with us, watching our kids open their presents and joining us for pancakes and bacon. We would join her as often as we could for a Dewars on the porch. Our kids couldn’t wait to share good news with her, or just sit and yell at cars speeding down Center Avenue while Helen blew her whistle.
“We loved to hear her stories about the Atlantic Highlands of her childhood, always marveling at the fact that she was born in her current bedroom. No one loved Atlantic Highlands more than Helen. We will miss her terribly.”
Susan Mikaitis knew Marchetti through the yacht club. “I worked closely with Helen for many years on the AHYC Membership Committee. Helen was the chair of the committee and ran a very tight ship. Helen was sharp, fun, and generous with her time and resources. In her almost 100 years of life, Helen paved the way for many and was quite progressive in advancing the role of women. Among her many contributions, she was the first female mayor of her beloved Atlantic Highlands. She had friends of every age and was well-loved by those who knew her. It was an honor to call Helen my friend and I shall miss her. Cheers to you, Helen, on a life well lived.”
Lou Melillo, twice Commodore of the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club, remembers Marchetti fondly. “When I first became Commodore in 2004, Helen was always the ‘master of ceremony,’ especially during the change of watch on Jan. 1. She greeted those in attendance, of which
many town officials were fresh off of getting sworn in. She seemed to always know what to say to make them feel a welcomed part of the YC family. She carried on this ‘tradition’ for many years. She always had a smile and made people feel like family. Helen also participated in the women’s auxiliary and was an integral part of changing our bylaws to allow women as primary members with the ability to vote. We will certainly miss Helen and hope she keeps an eye out for all of us.”
Helen Marchetti was a kind-hearted person who loved her town and her neighbors. She was a driving force in all that she endeavored to achieve. And she was loved.
To read the entire “Remembering The 20th Century: An Oral History of Monmouth County” interview with Marchetti go to visitmonmouth.com/oralhistory and click on “Select an Interview.”
The article originally appeared in the September 28 – October 4, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
