Remembering Dick Hyland: A Rich Life Of Service!

The Honorable Richard S. "Dick" Hyland, who recently passed away at age 86, was a dynamo in South Jersey politics and legal circles for decades. 

A native of Camden, he was born into a well-known political family. In fact, his grandmother was a Democratic State Committeewoman and Camden's Postmaster. appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Dick's brother was New Jersey's Attorney General and Dick himself served in the state legislature. He was also a New Jersey Superior Court judge, sitting in both the Civil and Criminal Divisions where he authored several published opinions. As a Judge, he earned the reputation of being a fair and competent jurist. While in the legislature, he sponsored and spearheaded the law requiring local school districts to provide busing for private and parochial school students. The law is still in effect today. Unhappy with the inefficiency of freeholder-run county government, he conceived of and sponsored a bill creating the position of County Administrator, which has now been adopted by virtually every county in New Jersey and which provides for professional and modern administration.

I got to know Dick Hyland in 1971 when he was the campaign manager for the first successful Democratic ticket in memory to capture control of the Cherry Hill Township Council. We worked tirelessly on that campaign. That upset victory was truly stunning and Dick parlayed that into other achievements. Frustrated by Camden City's dominance of the County Committee compared to that of Cherry Hill and other suburban communities, he filed a pro bono suit against party leaders which was successful at restructuring the Committee more along the concept of "One Man-One Vote." Dick and I were proud to be part of a team that fought to give burgeoning Cherry Hill its rightful place at the table under an administration that literally and figuratively put Cherry Hill on the map.

Those were heady time but Dick Hyland was never one to exalt himself above others. Maybe that's because he came from a large Irish Catholic family that put service above self. He was the last of six children born to Theodore J. and Margaret M. Hyland (Gallagher).and did so in the areas of the law, politics, music, education, community service and wellness. 

He was an Honors graduate of Camden High School and then attended St. Joseph's University)graduating in 1957. He received an academic scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania Law School. His father loved music and passed that love on to his children, so that Richard and his three brothers at one time were successful and talented professional musicians, belonging to Local #77, (Philadelphia) American Federation of Musicians.  After law school he joined the 63d Army Band with the New Jersey National Guard until 1966, when he was discharged honorably with the rank of Sergeant. In 1961 he joined his brother's law firm in Camden and its later move to Cherry Hill. He was a member and 1st Chair Saxophone with the Cherry Hill Wind Symphony and played in concert with the Stan Kenton Band, jammed with jazz trumpeter Clark Terry, and composer and conductor David Amram.

Dick also filed a pro bono suit against the Cherry Hill School Board, which was eventually settled, requiring the Board to adopt a policy of open enrollment to allow a child to attend either high school, as was appropriate for the student’s needs. In this and so many other ways, he was a trailblazer.

Dick's principles remained steadfast as he (like many of us) watched the Democratic Party drift further and further away from the values that he cherished. As time went on, he became an avowed conservative if not an outright Republican. We spoke often about this in recent years as we enjoyed many convivial lunches together. Even after the death of his beloved wife, the former Anne D'Arcangelo (a beautiful and accomplished Winslow Township school teacher who became his best friend and a wonderful mother to their three children) Dick remained upbeat. He retained his keen sense of humor and carefully followed local, state and national politics. All along, he was always very supportive, complimenting me on pieces written for this blog and other outlets and offering helpful suggestions and observations.

Dick brought a lifetime of rich experience and wisdom to the table. He was kind and generous. If you did not know he was an octogenarian and simply chatted with him on the phone, as I often did, you would think you were talking to a young man. His voice was that vibrant and he was that up on things. We shared many laughs together.

As he looked back on his life I know that Dick was very proud of all that he had accomplished. His was a full and meaningful life -- a life well lived!

A viewing will be held on Friday February 11, 2022 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Leroy P. Wooster Funeral Home, 441 White Horse Pike, Atco, NJ and again on Saturday February 12, 2022 from 10:00 to 11:00 am at St. Joan of Arc Church, 100 Willow Bend Rd., Marlton, NJ. A Mass of Christian Burial will begin 11:00 am. Interment will be at Calvary Cemetery, Cherry Hill, NJ, where he will rest with his beloved wife and brothers. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations in Mr. Hyland’s memory to Sacred Heart School, 4th and Jasper Streets, Camden, NJ 08104.