Friends, family, colleagues, remember life of Roosevelt’s first female mayor
By: Cara Latham
ROOSEVELT Former Mayor Freda Hepner was scrupulously intent on having an honest government in Roosevelt so much so that she was even ridiculed by her peers for once refusing coffee from one of the borough’s vendors.
Ms. Hepner, who died Nov. 8 at the age of 71 after fighting small cell lung cancer for 22 months living a year longer than doctors expected was motivated by her belief in an open government to become involved in "a better community," said her husband, Al Hepner, last week.
"She always believed that democracy demanded that everybody be aware of what’s going on," he said, adding that she was very much in favor of the Sunshine Law, or the Open Public Meeting Act, which was passed in 1975.
Ms. Hepner, of School Lane, was the borough’s first female mayor. She was elected in 1983, and served as mayor from 1984 to 1987. However, she never made a big deal about the fact that she was a female mayor, said Mr. Hepner.
"She didn’t think it was about her," he said. "She thought it was about good, inclusive government."
More importantly, she always made sure that she and council members themselves were not the focus of the meetings, but rather secondary to the issues that they discussed, Mr. Hepner said.
Sometimes, as with any government, when council members got lost in trying to prove their individual points, she was instrumental in "keeping everybody focused on what’s good for Roosevelt, and not trying to make their point," said Carol Watchler, a former councilwoman who served during Ms. Hepner’s mayoral tenure.
"That was just her style, and she did very well," Ms. Watchler said, adding that she was "very good humored, but no nonsense."
While there had already been women council members serving in the government, "at that particular point in history, it was kind of nice to move in that direction (of having a female mayor)," said Ms. Watchler. "She was a good person to take that on."
Mr. Hepner said that two male council members resigned when she became mayor, but that he and his wife never really knew why.
After Mr. and Mrs. Hepner moved to the borough in 1962 from Queens, N.Y., Ms. Hepner became involved in the school board because of a primary concern that their three daughters Suzy, Mindy and Amy had a good, public education, he said.
One of the things she was most renowned for, whether on the school board or as mayor, was "getting a sense of the issue at hand and staying on target," Mr. Hepner said, adding that she was "the opposite of ambiguous."
"She was very specific and very clear-headed about bringing out the major points of an issue and feeling open about tackling them."
During her tenure as mayor, she tried to maintain a "sane" approach to development within the borough, if there was to be any, said Mr. Hepner.
"I think she felt strongly that most folks in town were in favor of living in a small town, and were prepared to shoulder the burden of those consequences of a small town."
Ms. Watchler echoed this sentiment.
"The whole question of development in the space that we have in town was a pressure that existed before she became mayor," she said. "Becoming mayor had to do a little bit with the fact that she hoped to preserve Roosevelt as the unique community that it was."
Ms. Watchler said Ms. Hepner was great leader in that she would stand firm against any pressures that would try to bring about development, and that in addition, she did everything she could to ease fiscal burdens on residents that came from the water/sewer plant.
Roosevelt has its own water/sewer plant, and at the time, the Borough Council had to do a lot in order to keep up with the demands put on the system which was built when the borough was established in 1936 and to come into compliance with more stringent regulations regarding pollution.
But one of "her favorite perks" as mayor was having the chance to marry people, said Mr. Hepner.
In addition, Ms. Hepner was very fond of the borough’s cultural identity. Also during her tenure was the borough’s 50th anniversary celebration in 1986.
Ms. Watchler said that Ms. Hepner encouraged people to join committees to plan for the event. One of the activities was square-dancing, as it was a favorite hobby of Eleanor Roosevelt.
A member from the Roosevelt family and Barbara Boggs Sigmund, Princeton Borough mayor at the time, also came to the celebrations, which took place July 4 of that year, said Mr. Hepner, adding that Ms. Hepner "rejoiced" in the celebrations.
Ms. Hepner, who was an English professor at Brookdale Community College, even wrote part of her Ph.D. dissertation on the participation of government in art, and art in government, said Mr. Hepner. She liked all aspects of art, including music, paintings, theater, and others.
Ms. Watchler said Ms. Hepner was on board when the council approved a grant request for the initiation of the Roosevelt Arts Project, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, with a celebration weekend planned for May.
Most will remember Ms. Hepner for being very involved in the borough, being in touch with the borough employees, and her knowledge of the workings of government, said Ms. Watchler.
She simply thought that "political life in Roosevelt was a microcosm of political life in general in our country," said Mr. Hepner. "She literally felt that the government is not some ‘other,’ but that the government is the people. So, as a person, she ought to be part of the government."

