Former Newbury Township Trustee Glen Eric Quigley, of Newbury, passed away in Mayfield Heights, at the age of 77, on Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. He was surrounded by loving family and friends as he succumbed to the long-term effects of a respiratory illness.
Born in Troy, N.Y., in 1946, Glen grew up in a family of seven in New York’s Hudson Valley, where his father served as a clergyman and later civil rights activist at the Central Presbyterian Church of Haverstraw, N.Y.
With his parents, two sisters and two brothers, his family moved in 1960 to Meadville, Pa., and then by 1963 to Cleveland Heights, where he graduated high school in 1965.
In 1967, Glen married the absolute love of his life, Mary Jane Winiski, of Cleveland. Together they raised two daughters, Kimberly Schwartz, now of Newbury, and Tracey Fronk, of Montville Township; and a son, Eric, of Newbury.
During his career, Glen ran two successful automobile repair and service businesses in Cleveland and Cleveland Heights before moving his family to Newbury.
In Newbury, he served for seven years as a volunteer fireman, volunteered his time as a soccer coach, engaged in innumerable activities with his children and loving wife, Mary Jane, through 4-H and The Great Geauga County Fair, and began his involvement in representative government.
Over a 22-year period, Glen repeatedly was elected as a Trustee of the Newbury Township Board, serving both as vice-chair and chair for many terms. When Glen retired at the end of this past year, Newbury Township Trustees passed a resolution honoring him at their Jan. 3, 2024, meeting. “We can all agree that during the time Glen spent as a trustee, he left Newbury in a better place,” said his fellow Trustee Bill Skomrock.
Glen was a dedicated Democrat, having served for 14 years as treasurer for the Geauga County Democratic Party, and participated in innumerable fundraisers and campaign events for many office holders in his area.
In 2007, Glen was appointed the position of Geauga County Recorder and held that office until 2009.
It was through his nearly single-minded determination Veterans Memorial Park in Newbury was established several years ago. Over a two-year period, he orchestrated a community-wide effort to bring that about. It now stands as a proud centerpiece for Newbury at the intersection of Route 87 and Auburn Road.
Glen graduated from Kent State University and was nominated by the Geauga County Democratic Party to run for a seat as Geauga County Commissioner in 2002.
He served as a Scoutmaster and volunteered with the local Jaycees.
Glen was a committed environmentalist through his work protecting local wildlife and water resources. He led a successful effort to prevent the citing of an asphalt plant in Newbury.
Glen loved the arts, music and the theater, and especially loved sharing it all with his family.
He deeply mourned the passing of his wife, Mary Jane, several years ago and they are both survived by two daughters, a son, three grandsons, two granddaughters, two brothers, two sisters and numerous nieces and nephews.
Glen was a man of kindness, decency, honor, duty to his community, good humor, industriousness and generosity. His children and siblings acclaimed his depth of intelligence, his desire for more knowledge in all things and his passion in passing it on to others. “He always wanted to enrich the lives of those around him and truly saw people for who they are,” said his daughter Tracey Fronk. “He was a very wise man. He was my hero.”
Glen will live on in the hearts of those who loved him.
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