Obituaries

Former Morris Freeholder Laureys Dies at 81

County leader leaves behind legacy of human services advocacy.

Four-term Morris County Freeholder Cecilia Laureys, an advocate for human services throughout the county and the first female Netcong council member, died at St. Clare's Hospital in Dover on Sunday. She was 81.

Laureys, also known as "Cissy" to her relatives and friends, was serving her 25th year on the Netcong Council, according to her obituary on the Netcong Funeral Home's website.

Laureys decided to run for the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders in the 1980s after she grew concerned about the board's consideration of building a mass-burn trash incinerator near water supply, her obituary said. She ran for freeholder and won her first bid.

Once elected, Laureys focused her efforts on improving human services in the county. She was well-known for making strides in the county's offerings of mental health and drug rehabilitation services.

She is also known for having been a contentious challenger to then-Morris County Freeholder Chris Christie, now New Jersey's governor, according to The Star-Ledger. Laureys defeated Christie in a race for her freeholder spot after he unseated her in the 1990s. She, along with two other freeholders, sued Christie and requested a public apology after a campaign ad on his behalf claimed she was under investigation by the Morris County Prosecutor's Office, the Ledger reported.

A funeral mass will be held for Laureys on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at St. Theresa's Church, 151 Main Street in Roxbury. Interment will follow at Stanhope Union Cemetery. Those wishing to make a donation in Laureys' name can do so at the Skylands Center Offering Autism Programs, Doctors Park Building 3, Seber Road, Hackettstown, NJ, 07840.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here