November 29, 2002: Ray Noll Tribute (Copy)

Ocean County Politics .com

Ray Noll

Tribute To Ray Noll
1912 - 2001

December 14, 2001

To the editor:

The Christmas season is a good time to remember my friend, Ray Noll, who died at the age of 89 on July 25th.

So far as I could ever tell, Ray never sought even a scrap of recognition for his good work on behalf of Manchester Township.

In his obituary, the newspaper said modestly that Ray was "very active in Manchester politics", giving slightly more space to his membership in the Leisure Knoll Brunch Bunch and Fishing Club.

Ray Noll was "very active" in Manchester politics in about the same way as Benjamin Franklin was "very active" in the American Revolution.

There were a number of ambitious partisan types who tried to jump on the good government bandwagon as candidates when indignant citizens saw the need to change the government and make it non-partisan.

In his quiet and modest way, Ray spotted the phonies and respectfully but firmly showed them the door.

True reforms are never accomplished without some pain. Ray's good nature and good sense were vital to the success of the reforms in Manchester.

Part of Ray's legacy, thirteen years after the fact of the terrible corruption that nearly destroyed the local government, is that most people don't even know (or care about) the party allegiance of the public officials who serve locally in Manchester.

Ray Noll was one of three or four individuals who provided the indispensable gentle leadership in a difficult but successful effort that kept loyal Republicans in the same room with loyal Democrats and some very skeptical Independents to come up with a truly non-partisan government which has now stood the test of time.

Ray's good nature and intelligence were vital ingredients in the Manchester miracle - which somehow seemed a little less miraculous when perceptive and creative citizens like himself made it look deceptively easy.

Once I heard him say: "there is no such thing as an indispensable person."

This was one of the few times Ray Noll was wrong about anything important.

Robert K. Haelig Jr.
Toms River