New Jersey Executive Mulcahy Dies at 85

Robert "Bob" Mulcahy III, who served 19 years as the president and CEO of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, died Feb. 8. He was 85.

The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, created in 1971, holds the land lease for and provides for the ongoing operation of the MetLife Sports Complex, where the New York Giants and New York Jets play football. Also part of the complex is Meadowlands Racing and Entertainment. The NJSEA purchased Monmouth Park in the state in 1986.

In other racing ties, Mulcahy served chairman of the Thoroughbred Racing Communications in the mid-1990s.

A devoted husband, father, and grandfather helped define true public service in New Jersey and indeed the nation over the past six decades. He led major institutions with excellence and integrity and shaped countless lives.

Born and raised in Short Hills, N.J., Mulcahy attended Millburn High School and graduated from Villanova University in 1958 with a Bachelor of Arts in History. Having joined the Naval ROTC, Mulcahy then served as a naval officer on the USS Leyte CVS-32 and USS Tarawa CVS-40. His years of service helped foster the commitment and discipline he would need in later endeavors.

Mulcahy moved to Mendham, N.J., in 1962 with his wife, Terry, his college sweetheart where they resided for 37 years before moving to Basking Ridge in 1999. After moving to Mendham where he and Terry would raise seven children, Mulcahy entered public service first serving on the council and then being the first member of his party elected mayor since the Civil War.

In 1976, Gov. Brendan Byrne named Mulcahy the state's first Corrections Commissioner and later appointed him New Jersey's first Chief of Staff.

Under his leadership, NJSEA developed into one of the nation's premier sports and entertainment venues. Later, Mulcahy served as director of athletics for Rutgers.

In 2009, Mulcahy was appointed to the governor's Advisory Commission on New Jersey Gaming, Sports, and Entertainment and then as chairman of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority by successive governors of different political parties.

Mulcahy received two of New Jersey's most prestigious honors: induction into the Sports Hall of Fame of New Jersey and the New Jersey Hall of Fame, the latter by popular vote.

Mulcahy is survived by his seven children—Cathleen, Bob, Matthew, Kevin, Muffy, Megan, and Deidre—and 15 grandchildren—Nicholas, Matthew, Alaine, Connor, Tyler, Abigail, Emily, Owen, Katie, Bobby, Drew, Mia, Brady, Annabelle, and Emma Grace. He is also survived by his brother, Bill Mulcahy, and nieces and nephews. Mulcahy is predeceased by his wife of 62 years, Terry, his brother John, and his daughter-in-law Lauren Mulcahy.

A wake will be held Feb. 14 from 4-8 p.m. ET at Saint James Roman Catholic Church, 184 South Finley Avenue, Basking Ridge, N.J. The funeral mass will be celebrated on Feb. 15 at 10 a.m, also at Saint James Roman Catholic Church.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Georgian Court University Angel Fund for Student Emergency Needs in Mulcahy's memory. Donations can be made by visiting https://alumni.georgian.edu/give-now and selecting the Angel Fund or mail donations directly to Georgian Court University Office of Institutional Advancement, 900 Lakewood Avenue, Lakewood, NJ 08701-2697.

Arrangements by Gallaway and Crane Funeral Home (908) 766-0250.