Gerald L. Gump, 88, former Barrington official

Gerald L. Gump, 88, president of the Barrington Board of Education in the 1960s, died of congestive heart failure Wednesday, March 11, at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center in Camden.

A resident of Barrington for more than 40 years, he had lived at Collingswood Manor, an assisted living facility, for the last four years.

Mr. Gump was born in Fairmont, W.Va., and graduated from Bridgeton (N.J.) High School in 1943. At the end of World War II, he helped run an oxygen generation plant on Saipan, his daughter Suzanne Fegley said.

After earning a bachelor's degree in business management from La Salle College (now University), Mr. Gump began a 35-year career with New Jersey Bell Telephone Co. as an office manager. When he retired at 62, he was a district manager in the Newark area.

He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Haddon Heights for more than 50 years and served on its board of trustees for 30 years, for a time as board president, his daughter said.

For a while, she said, he was finance committee chair for the West Jersey Presbytery, which consists of 64 churches.

In remarks prepared for Mr. Gump's memorial service, Harold Leadbeater, a friend for 40 years, wrote of "the part Jerry played in major decisions and projects in our church."

Mr. Gump, he wrote, was "responsible for the personnel committee and evangelism, taught Sunday school, and served on at least three pastor search committees."

Given his work on several renovations at the church, Leadbeater wrote, Mr. Gump "possessed the imagination and vision, energy and effort and drive to succeed equal to a CEO of a major corporation."

His daughter said that Mr. Gump "was very dedicated to giving back to others. He was especially proud of his work with the United Way."

"He used to do commercials for United Way," she said. "When my kids were little, they loved seeing their grandfather on TV."

Besides his daughter, Mr. Gump is survived by a son, Michael; another daughter, Janet Beck; a sister; 10 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. His wife, Judith, died in 2010.

A visitation was set from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 21, at First Presbyterian Church, 28 Seventh Ave., Haddon Heights, N.J. 08035, before a 2 p.m. memorial service there, with private interment.

Donations may be sent to the church at the above address.

Condolences may be offered to the family at kainmurphy.com.