The longtime Newark and New Jersey advocate suffered a heart attack over the weekend. Watch video
MANASQUAN -- When Al Koeppe was given a leadership award from Rutgers-Newark in 2013 - one of many accolades he accrued for his work around the Garden State - he reflected on his professional experiences as president of what was then New Jersey Bell, and of PSE&G.
From the blue collar workers at those companies, Koeppe said in an interview with his alma mater Rutgers-Newark, he learned "a culture of interdependency...(and) a sense of community."
"When I became an executive...I felt a heavy obligation to those men and women," he said. "It was very easy for me to invest what time I had outside of the work environment in community activities."
Koeppe, who had a reputation across New Jersey and in Newark specifically for his professional, economic, and community-based work, died Tuesday after suffering a heart attack over the weekend, his family confirmed. He was 70 years old.
His resume is extensive and impressive. But family members say his personal pursuits were what they hold dearest.
"He was just an absolute role model for how to be a dad," Koeppe's son, Adam, said Tuesday. "He was so great to his grandkids. He was totally devoted to them."
"He was the best dad and grandfather that anyone could have," his daughter, Allison added.
Koeppe leaves behind his wife, Anne, two children, daughter-in-law Kristine, son-in-law Brad, five grandchildren - Shane, Jake, Skylar, Andrew, and Jack - and an entire city of people who are mourning the loss.
"Newark has lost one of our all time great civic leaders and I have lost a dear friend and treasured advisor," city Mayor Ras Baraka said in a statement to NJ Advance Media.
"Al Koeppe was a giant in the business community and a true public servant. He co-chaired my Transition Team and led more than 200 Newarkers to produce an extraordinary blueprint for our new administration that continues to guide us today. As Mayor, I have relied on Al for wise advice on a wide range of critical city issues from municipal finances to development plans, to job creation and more."
Koeppe grew up modestly in Jersey City, the son of a longshoreman. He was the first in his family to attend college, at Rutgers-Newark, and received a law degree from Seton Hall.
He began working with New Jersey Bell in 1969. After becoming a trial attorney during AT&T's Department of Justice antitrust case, he was elected president and CEO of New Jersey Bell in 1993.
He moved to PSE&G in 1995, became president and Chief Operating Officer in 2000, and retired in 2003.
Throughout his career and after, he held countless positions in government and nonprofit groups.
He has been Chairman of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority since 2003. In a statement Tuesday, Gov. Chris Christie, who appointed Koeppe to the position, said the state had "lost a giant."
"His work at PSEG, his tireless commitment to the city of Newark and his dedication to growing jobs and bolstering the economy all over our state were unrivaled over the last four decades," Christie said.
Koeppe also served as a director of Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield of New Jersey, chair of the New Jersey Higher Education Commission and the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, and as a trustee for the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice and St. Benedict's Prep School in Newark - among others. He also helped found the Newark Alliance in 1999, a nonprofit dedicated to improving economic conditions and education in the city.
"He was just a great guy, and an inspiring guy, I'd say," said Rev. Edwin Leahy, a longtime friend of Koeppe's and headmaster of St. Benedict's Prep.
"On his way to work everyday, he would stop at a different (PSE&G) garage, and just have coffee with the guys. ... That sort of gives you an idea of the kind of guy he was."
Friends and business associates praised Koeppe Tuesday and shared stories that showed off what they called a "goofy" and "hilarious" personality.
At PSE&G, he served as a mentor to both Ralph LaRossa, the utility's current president and chief operating officer, and Ralph Izzo, its chairman, president and CEO.
"I think the state lost a true advocate today," LaRossa said. "He never lost sight of where he came from, or what was important to him."
In between stories about the former executive, Izzo added, "even the mere mention of Al's name brings a smile to my face."
A viewing will be held at the Colonial Funeral Home in Brick on Friday, Dec. 9, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. A funeral mass will be held Saturday, Dec. 10 at 10 a.m. at the Church of St. Denis in Manasquan, where Koeppe lived.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the RWJ Barnabas Health Foundation and to St. Benedict's Prep in Newark.
Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.