The following are my thoughts and reflections. They are not to be considered official statements of the municipal government or the elected officials of Lawrence Township. If you have no interest in what I think, move along, and have a wonderful day!
Pasquale
A. Colavita, Jr. (January 5, 1945 – September 20, 2022)
Today, September 26, 2022, Pasquale "Pat"
Colavita, Jr. was laid to rest at a funeral mass at St. Ann Parish. I have known
Pat pretty much my entire life. The Colavitas from the Eldridge Park area are a
family engrained in the DNA of our community, and our families have always been
fondly connected through longstanding friendships. As a life-long resident, Pat's
light shown brightly during his life as a teacher, public servant, community
leader, and a warm, loving, charismatic yet humble human being. For those who
may not know him, over decades, he served his community in a variety of elected
positions: Lawrence Township Board of
Education, Lawrence Township Municipal Council (and as Mayor), and Mercer
County Freeholder (now known as Commissioner) and gave his time and talents to
too many charities to mention here. His
daughter, Courtney Colavita, gave a wonderful eulogy – one of the best I have
heard in the many funerals attended. She eloquently captured the "man"
that proudly was her father. Setting aside the list of his accomplishments
(which were many), she focused on his human qualities that deeply connected him
to so many people from so many walks of life. Of the many characteristics of
her father she talked about, the one that resonated the most with me is that when
you spoke with him, he made you feel like you were the most important person in
a room filled with "important" people. He was present in the moment
and made sure to personally connect with you – and just as quick, he was off
speaking with someone else, giving them that same feeling! The man could work a
room like no other!
From time to time, I have "difficult"
conversations with residents when they call to complain about one thing or
another. It is a part of the gig but never fun. About two weeks ago, I had a
resident call to complain about an incident that had nothing to do with
municipal operations. I directed him to the utility involved and moved along
with my day. A short while later, he called back to tell me that the matter was
taken care of, but he wanted me to know I was no help to him. Quite
surprisingly, and out of nowhere, the resident blurted out, "you are just like your father and just like
Pat Colavita!" Now, being an astute listener and hearing the tone in
his voice, I quickly realized his comment was meant to hurt me. I further surmised
he was someone that judged the character of a person by their voter registration.
I ended the call - leaned back and rubbed my eyes - readying myself for the next
challenge of the day. But as the surprise of his comment wore off, and I
implemented some positive thinking strategies, a smile crossed my face, and I
thought… "OK, I am just like my Dad
and Pat Colavita, huh?" "Not
too shabby, Kevin." I will take that comment "FOR THE WIN!" God
bless you and rest in peace, Pasquale. You, Sir, had a life well lived, and you
did it with style and grace!
