Obituary of Charles J. Fortenbacker

Charles Jacob Fortenbacker Born June 9, 1930 on Stonehouse Road in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, the youngest son of the late Catherine and Paul Fortenbacker, and the brother of the late Paul Fortenbacker. Graduated from Liberty Corner School in 1944 and Bernards High in 1948. He excelled in baseball at Bernards High in 1947 and 1948, making All County team in both years and first team all-state in 1948, earning him a tryout with the St. Louis Browns. He was inducted into the Bernards High Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000. He joined the United States Marine Corps in 1948 and was active for the Korean War, reaching the rank of Sargent before being honorably discharged in 1952. He joined the Bernards Township Police Department in 1955, under the late Chief Harry Allen as a special police officer and became a patrolman in 1956. At that time, the BTPD was a three member department. Charlie graduated fourth from the New Jersey State Police Academy in 1956, in a class on 52 municipal offices. He was promoted the Sargent in 1960 when the department expanded to five officers. He attended many police oriented classes that included drug enforcement, radar enforcement, organized crime, and emergency management. He was promoted to Lieutenantin 1967. He graduated from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia in 1976, being the first Somerset Hills Police Officer to graduate from the Academy. He was promoted to Captain in 1976, then Chief in 1991. He retired in 1998, when the department had 29 officers. His career in the Bernards Township Police Department spanned 42 years. Charlie was an exempt member of the Liberty Corner Fire Company, having served as secretary for 10 years. He was a charter member of the Liberty Corner First Aid Squad, having been part of the founding group in 1965. He was also a charter member on PBA Local 139 since 1959 and a charter member of the NJ Police Traffic Officers Association since 1974. In 1998, he was awarded the Anthony Parenti Achievement award for his 25 years of dedicated service to the association. Charlie was also very active in youth baseball since 1968, and was one builders of the Basking Ridge Little League complex on Valley Road. In 1991, Field 1 at the complex was named in his honor, as well as his wife Carmen's for their commitment to the children of Bernards Township. He served as President of BRLL from 1983 to 1997, and currently held the position of District Administrator for District 17. He is survived by his loving wife of 55 years Carmen (Ansede), two sons - Charles of Glen Gardner and Craig of Basking Ridge, as well as five grandchildren, Katelynn, Meghan, Melissa, Connor, and Zachary. A Liturgy of Christian burial will be held on Tuesday January 3, 2012 at 11am at the St James Church, 184 South Finley Ave, Basking Ridge, NJ followed by entombment in the Somerset Hills Memorial Park 95 Mt Airy Road, Basking Ridge. Relatives and friends are invited to visit with the family on Monday January 2, 2012 from 2-4 and 6-9pm at the Gallaway and Crane Funeral Home, 101 South Finley Ave, Basking Ridge, NJ. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Liberty Corner First Aid Squid P.O. Box 57, Liberty Corner, N.J. 07938. For more information please contact the funeral home at 908-766-0250 or to light an online condolence candle visit our website www.gcfuneralhome.com.