OBITUARIES

Albert Edward Pelham, affectionately known by many names — Al, Alpine, Big Pine, Mr. Pelham, Uncle Albert, Dad, Pops and his most beloved title, Coach — died on Aug. 19, 2021. He was 71.

Mr. Pelham was born in 1950 at Mountainside hospital. After returning from the Army in 1971, he met the love of his life, Audrey Jones, and they married on Nov. 19, 1975. He became father to Dwayne Jones, his wife’s adolescent son, and in 1977 the couple had a daughter, Rhonda.

In 1997 Mr. Pelham was downsized from his job at Prudential and decided that this was the ideal time to start giving back to the community in a more significant way. He helped start a summer program, Project Oasis, through the Montclair Neighborhood Development Corp. (MNDC), whose mission is to enrich Montclair teenagers in education, recreation and cultural awareness. He was proud of Project Oasis, of how it evolved over time and of its impact, touching thousands of young people for 24 years and counting.nd was raised in Montclair. He attended Montclair public schools through graduation from Montclair High School in 1968.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he served for three years and was honorably discharged in 1971. He attended Bloomfield College and graduated in 1979 with a bachelor’s in accounting. Following his graduation, Mr. Pelham embarked upon a corporate career at Prudential Insurance Co., where he held numerous roles and ascended into leadership during his 18-year career.

Mr. Pelham deepened his service to MNDC over the years, eventually serving as its executive director, a role he held until the end of his life. In addition to his leadership of MNDC, he played an integral role in the operations of the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN), an organization he served for 20 years, most recently as director of human resources.

His civic leadership was expansive, including longtime leadership of the Montclair branch of the NAACP and co-chairmanship of the Montclair African-American Heritage Foundation.

Over the years, he earned countless awards for his leadership and commitment to the community. While all of his titles were impressive and his awards well-earned, Mr. Pelham didn’t care about receiving accolades or credit.

He cared only about the work and ensuring that community needs were met, with the goal of impacting as many lives as possible. He tackled the most difficult challenges facing Montclair, head-on, and was a master at developing and nurturing relationships at every level of government to get things done, often more quickly than anyone could imagine possible.