Parsippany To Dedicate Gazebo To Its First Woman Mayor

PARSIPPANY, NJ — In honor of departed former Mayor Marceil “Mimi” Letts, Parsippany will dedicate the Veterans Park gazebo in her memory at 2 p.m. Sept. 17.

Letts served as mayor of Parsippany from 1994-2005 and remains the only woman to hold the role in township history. She was instrumental in building the main branch library on Halsey Road, Veterans Park and the Raoul Wallenberg monument. She died Sept. 15, 2019, at age 80.

“There will never be another Mimi Letts,” said Mayor Michael Soriano. “She was a fearless leader who got things done, thanks to her passion for improvement and steadfast determination. I’m honored to have called her not just a colleague, but a mentor to the end."

Letts was also a member of the Planning Board and served as president of the board of directors of Parsippany’s Senior Citizen Housing Corp. She served on the Zoning Board of Adjustment, Parsippany’s Historical Society and the Kiwanis Club, and worked closely with New Jersey’s Highlands Council.

At the time of her passing, Rep. Mikie Sherrill called Letts a "trailblazer and a champion of having more women engaged in politics in New Jersey. … Mimi’s commitment to advocacy and to the residents of Parsippany continued even after leaving the mayor’s office."

All residents are invited to the event, but the township requests mask-wearing and social distancing. For more information, call the Mayor’s Action Center at 973-263-4262, or email action@parsippany.net.

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