Lawrence Carlbon

Lawrence "Larry" Kress Carlbon, 88, passed away on Saturday, April 1, 2017, at his home in Hackettstown, surrounded by his loving family.
Mr. Carlbon was a longtime member of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and was a lifelong supporter of all arts.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Barbara Hafley Carlbon. He leaves a brother, Joel Sandt Carlbon, of Mendham, and was predeceased by brother Edward Lundberg Carlbon, and his parents, Edward Adolph and Elizabeth Kress Carlbon.
He is survived by his children, daughter Susan Carlbon Hirshberg and her husband Daniel, and sons Lawrence Frederick Carlbon and his wife Rebecca, and Scott Leon Carlbon and fiance Sarah Jacob, and his grandchildren, Julie Flanigan, Nathan Hirshberg and his wife Jessica, Lauren Carlbon, Melanie Hirshberg DeStefano, Alexander Kress Carlbon, Lilah and Eva Fleishman. He was anticipating the birth of his first great-grandson.
Mr. Carlbon had been active in Community Service throughout his life, as a member of the Union Township Board of Education, including as President, on the Township's Planning and Zoning Board, including as Chairman, and was the Township Historian.
He had a great passion, however, for the arts and culture. He was one of the earliest supporters of The Hunterdon Art Museum, where he served as President and worked hard to help restore and preserve it, and became a lifetime Board Member; The Hunterdon County Cultural and Heritage Commission Board Vice-Chair, where he was dedicated to helping farmers preserve their land, as well as many conservation and cultural efforts. Mr. Carlbon also enthusiastically served as a Council Member on the New Jersey State Council on the Arts since 2000, under six different Governors, and had been a tireless advocate for artists and the venues that promote them.
Mr. Carlbon was born in Perth Amboy, growing up in Metuchen, later moving to Westfield. He served in Japan at the end of World War II and graduated from Rutgers University. He and his wife moved to Pattenburg, Hunterdon County, and together restored and lived on a small historic farm for almost 50 years where they, and their children and grandchildren, created lasting memories. For most of those years he also commuted to New York City, where he was a Senior VP at Dickie Raymond Advertising and Needham, Harper and Steers Advertising. He retired from the advertising business 30 years ago.
In recent years, he and his wife lived in Burlington, NJ, and for the past two years in Hackettstown, NJ.
Mr. Carlbon will be remembered by many as a loving and caring friend, mentor, husband, father and grandfather, and always as a committed contributor to his community.
A private internment was at Fairview Cemetery, Westfield. Friends and family are invited to a Celebration of his Life that will be held at the Hunterdon Art Museum, 7 Lower Center St., Clinton, NJ on Sunday April 23 beginning at 2 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, a contribution to the Hunterdon Art Museum, The Shepherd's Fund at the House of the Good Shepherd in Hackettstown, or Compassionate Care Hospice is appreciated.