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NJILGA Mourns Loss of William Holzapfel

  • January 7, 2026

NJILGA Senior Trustee William R. Holzapfel, known to many as Bill, passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at his home in Maplewood, NJ. He was born in Elizabeth, NJ, and spent his entire life in his beloved home state.  For the last 32 years of his career, he served as City Attorney for Elizabeth-his hometown-a role he often described as “the best job I ever had.”   At the time of his death, Bill was a Senior Trustee in the New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys from Union County.  He was also an Associate Counsel of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities. In 2020 he received the Fred G. Stickel III Award from NJILGA.  The Stickel Award is given in recognition of excellence in local government law, exemplary service to the legal profession and unselfish assistance rendered to local governments and other local government attorneys.  It is the highest award given by the New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys.

Bill was admitted to the New Jersey Bar in 1959 and received his B.A. from Union College and his L.L.B., cum laude, from Albany Law School.  Mr. Holzapfel was the recipient of the Diplomate designation in Municipal Law from the New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys and was a long-time Trustee of that organization.  He was a past President of the Union County Bar Association and was a member and Chair of the District XII Ethics Committee and Trustee and Chair of the Clients Security Fund, now known as the Lawyers Fund for Client Protection.  He was a former Chair of the Public Utility Law and Local Government Law Sections of the New Jersey State Bar Association and former Chair of the NJSBA Government and Public Sector Lawyers Committee.  He received the Distinguished Service Award from the New Jersey Utilities Association for his work on the New Jersey Digest of Public Utility Decisions.  In 2000, he received the Professional Lawyer of the Year Award for Union County from the New Jersey Commission on Professionalism in the Law on the recommendation of the Union County Bar Association and he was also elected a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.   He also received the James R. Lacey, Esq. Award for Distinguished Service presented by the Public Utility Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association in Appreciation and Recognition of Distinguished Service to the New Jersey Public Utilities Industry.

Mr. Holzapfel was a retired Colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, having served as an Infantry Officer with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division in the Republic of South Korea in 1954 and 1955.  In parallel with his legal career, he remained active in the Marine Corps Reserve as a Judge Advocate General, retiring with the rank of colonel.  He also received awards from the Greater Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce, Groundwork Elizabeth, Patriots’ Path Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless.  He was a member of the Advisory Board of the Kean University Liberty Hall Center for History and a Director of the Greater Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce. 

A memorial service will be held in 2026 on a date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey or the Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless.

Memoriam

NJILGA Mourns Loss of William Holzapfel

NJILGA Senior Trustee William R. Holzapfel, known to many as Bill, passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at his home in Maplewood, NJ. He was born in Elizabeth, NJ, and spent his entire life in his beloved home state.  For the last 32 years of his career, he served as City Attorney for Elizabeth-his hometown-a role he often described as “the best job I ever had.”   At the time of his death, Bill was a Senior Trustee in the New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys from Union County.  He was also an Associate Counsel of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities. In 2020 he received the Fred G. Stickel III Award from NJILGA.  The Stickel Award is given in recognition of excellence in local government law, exemplary service to the legal profession and unselfish assistance rendered to local governments and other local government attorneys.  It is the highest award given by the New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys.

Bill was admitted to the New Jersey Bar in 1959 and received his B.A. from Union College and his L.L.B., cum laude, from Albany Law School.  Mr. Holzapfel was the recipient of the Diplomate designation in Municipal Law from the New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys and was a long-time Trustee of that organization.  He was a past President of the Union County Bar Association and was a member and Chair of the District XII Ethics Committee and Trustee and Chair of the Clients Security Fund, now known as the Lawyers Fund for Client Protection.  He was a former Chair of the Public Utility Law and Local Government Law Sections of the New Jersey State Bar Association and former Chair of the NJSBA Government and Public Sector Lawyers Committee.  He received the Distinguished Service Award from the New Jersey Utilities Association for his work on the New Jersey Digest of Public Utility Decisions.  In 2000, he received the Professional Lawyer of the Year Award for Union County from the New Jersey Commission on Professionalism in the Law on the recommendation of the Union County Bar Association and he was also elected a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.   He also received the James R. Lacey, Esq. Award for Distinguished Service presented by the Public Utility Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association in Appreciation and Recognition of Distinguished Service to the New Jersey Public Utilities Industry.

Mr. Holzapfel was a retired Colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, having served as an Infantry Officer with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division in the Republic of South Korea in 1954 and 1955.  In parallel with his legal career, he remained active in the Marine Corps Reserve as a Judge Advocate General, retiring with the rank of colonel.  He also received awards from the Greater Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce, Groundwork Elizabeth, Patriots’ Path Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless.  He was a member of the Advisory Board of the Kean University Liberty Hall Center for History and a Director of the Greater Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce. 

A memorial service will be held in 2026 on a date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey or the Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless.