PATERSON — Lawrence “Pat” Kramer Jr., the former mayor who played a pivotal role in the creation of a park at Paterson’s Great Falls, died Thursday night. He was 90.
Kramer’s mayoral terms dated back to the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s, but he remained a prominent public figure in Paterson right up until his death, always attending events celebrating the newest improvements at his beloved Great Falls.
Just three months ago, Kramer led the crowd at Hinchliffe Stadium in singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the historic ballpark’s reopening ceremony.
Kramer loved to highlight Paterson’s legacy as the birthplace of America’s Industrial Revolution at the Great Falls.
“The history should be told again and again,” Kramer said three years ago, during an interview recorded by the National Park Service, “especially for the generations that didn’t hear it yet.”
In that same interview, Kramer talked about his early days in Paterson politics, saying he was part of a group of people in 1966 who wanted to bring change to the city.
“I got the short straw,” Kramer joked about his emergence as a mayoral candidate that year.
A record of service
Kramer served as mayor from 1967 to 1972 and a second time from 1977 to 1982. He sought the Republican nomination for governor in 1981 and finished second in a primary to Thomas Kean.
Under Kramer, the Paterson Great Falls Festival made its debut and he even recruited Phillippe Petit to perform a high wire walk across the waterfall after Petit gained fame for his 1974 stroll between the tops of the Twin Towers.
As mayor, Kramer was credited with picking talented young professionals to City Hall jobs and making trailblazing appointments of African Americans and recent immigrants to key positions. One of his appointees was Bill Pascrell Jr. as public works director. Pascrell went on to become the city’s mayor and has served in Congress since 1997.
“Today our Paterson community mourns the loss of a true public servant and a pillar of our city,” Pascrell said of Kramer’s passing. “Pat had a very special sense of humor that could bring everybody up when they were down. He just made people feel good. I have met great leaders in all walks of life. But few people, anywhere, have done more to help others and have dedicated themselves more to their community than Pat.”
“We’ve lost part of Paterson’s soul that can never be replaced,” Pascrell added.
Contributions to Great Falls park
Community leaders repeatedly emphasized Kramer’s legacy in creating the Great Falls historic district and the park at the waterfall. Kramer set in motion the movement that culminated in the national park at the site.
The current park superintendent, Darren Boch, recalled Kramer’s role in the planning of the park amenities. Boch said Kramer brought “an infectious joy, and of course a funny story or two” to the meetings of the park’s advisory commission.
“He really was as great as they come,” Boch said.
Bob Guarasci, who runs one of Paterson’s most prominent nonprofit corporations, served on the park commission with Kramer.
“I never stopped learning from him,” Guarasci said. “I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that Pat is among the greatest leaders to have served this city in its more than 200-year history.”
Leonard Zax, founder of the Hamilton Partnership nonprofit group that has been pivotal in raising money for a new visitor center at the Great Falls, said Kramer began pushing for the creation of a national park in 1972, almost four decades before it happened.
“Pat inspired many others to join the cause and that is why Paterson has a national park like no other,” Zax said. “Pat Kramer truly made a difference. To see his legacy, go to the Great Falls and look around.”
Kramer was good friends with former mayor Joey Torres, who called his predecessor “Uncle Pat.”
“It’s a great loss for Paterson,” Torres said of Kramer’s death. “He was a very hands-on mayor, a great friend, and great humanitarian.”
“He was what being a public servant was all about,” Torres added. “It was a blessing for anyone who had the privilege to know him and work with him.”
Social justice activist Ernest Rucker called Kramer a “trailblazer during the rough history of Paterson’s Black and white communities,” saying Kramer appointed the city’s first African American deputy mayor.
“He was a friend for life,” Rucker said.
Joe Malinconico is editor of Paterson Press. Email: editor@patersonpress.com