William Jeffrey Wittkop

Jeff was born on April 26, 1948 to the late Charles J. and Doris Wittkop in Trenton, NJ. Raised in Lawrenceville and Hopewell Township, New Jersey he was a lifelong resident of Pennington Borough. Widowed by his wife of 49 years, Jacquelyn, and predeceased by his brothers David and Michael, he is survived by his children Ken (Courtney), Kyle, and Kelly, his grandchildren, Gavin, Bryce, Tessa, and Brandon, his brother Raymond, and several nieces and nephews.

A 1966 graduate of Hopewell Valley Central High School, Jeff led an incredible life and succeeded in every aspect. In his younger years, he enjoyed racing his '35 Ford at New Egypt Speedway and Wall Stadium. Early in his career, he owned and operated his own excavation business which he proudly credited for excavating the foundation for Mrs. Johnson’s mansion which is now located at the Jasna Polana Golf Course. From there, Jeff began Pennington Wrecker Service which he owned and operated for over 20 years.

Jeff was a pioneer in the towing and recovery industry, most notably for the expertise of up-righting hazardous materials and gasoline tankers with the use of airbags. He was also recognized for industrial accident extrication with the use of his towing and recovery equipment and was a former executive member of The Towing and Recovery Association of America (TRAA). Throughout his career he was called upon by colleagues in the field to provide assistance or act as an expert on many incidents.

Jeff was an inventor. He patented the device called the Brake Buddy and owned and operated Remote Braking Systems. The Brake Buddy revolutionized safety within the towing industry worldwide with its purpose of safely providing braking on tow truck loads.

Jeff was a founding member of The Garden State Towing Association (GSTA) in 1987. GSTA is an association of tow owners and operators throughout the State of New Jersey that preserves the safety and the rights of its members through government legislation. He is credited with co-authoring the first Garden State Towing Association handbook.

Jeff dedicated his life to Pennington Borough. Early in his career, he was an officer of the Pennington Borough Police Department and later he served as an honorary member of the Pennington Fire Company, driving trucks whenever needed. In his role as Superintendent of Public Works for over 20 years, he was instrumental in revamping and raising the bar of many of the Borough’s public works services and systems that continue to positively impact the residents of Pennington. One of his greatest contributions included the design and construction of the new Public Works building in 2007 which he relentlessly pushed for. In 2014, he proudly purchased Paradox, a member of the Hopewell Valley Ox Stampede that stands outside Pennington Borough Hall to this day. Often referred to as "Mr. Pennington", his legacy as a core member of this community will live on for years to come.

Jeff enjoyed hunting with his nephew Colin and niece Heather, following the stock market, tending to his rose gardens, watching NASCAR races, and rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs, but most of all he loved his children, grandchildren, and his two cats Leila and Tigor.

The family would like to thank Rose Yacovone and Dave Stout for their years of friendship and unwavering commitment to our father.

Viewing hours will be held on Friday, February 13th from 5-7pm and Saturday, February 14th 10am-12pm at Blackwell Memorial Home, 21 North Main Street, Pennington, NJ. A reception will follow on Saturday at Pennington Fire House, 120 Broemel Place, Pennington, NJ where friends and family are invited to share their stories and memories.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Associated Humane Societies of New Jersey or an animal shelter of your choosing in memory of his love for his cats.