Obituary of Charles Haus

South Plainfield – Charles Haus, 93, passed away peacefully at home early Wednesday morning on August 18, 2021.

Born in Elizabeth to the late Henry and Anna Haus, Charles was a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School and Rutgers University.  After high school, he enlisted in to the United States Army and served our Country after WWII in Italy.  Upon his return, Charles met the love of his life Ruth Lockwood, and they married in April of 1953. 

The pair settled to South Plainfield Borough in 1958 and as he helped raise their three boys, Charles began to set his roots into the community.  Charles was a two time recipient of the South Plainfield Jaycees “Distinguished Service Award”, a charter member of the Elks, and was appointed in 1961 to the borough’s Planning Board and the Industrial Commission.  Also in 1961, he was elected councilman for the first time and held that position for two consecutive terms.  

During this time as councilman, Charles was a co-founder of the Community Pool and served as it’s first president.  In 1972, after having taken some time off from the council, Charles was again elected a councilman and served South Plainfield for an additional year as council president, simultaneously serving as police commissioner.  Beginning in 1973, Charles held the position he was most known for, borough tax collector.  He was one of the first ten tax collectors in New Jersey to be certified by the state, and he is a past president of the New Jersey Tax Collectors Association. He also taught the certification course new tax collectors took at Rutgers University, and in fact, helped author the manual used by tax collectors all over New Jersey. In 1993, after 20 dedicated years, Charles retired and holds the honor of being the last elected tax collector in South Plainfield.  

After retirement, he remained active with the American Legion and VFW as well as with the South Plainfield Republican Organization and the South Plainfield High School Hall of Fame Committee.   In 2015, he was honored to be selected a Grand Marshal of the Labor Day Parade. 

Charlie enjoyed traveling with his wife Ruth, and they went on many wonderful trips together.  They particularly liked riverboat cruises throughout Europe.  Charlie loved dogs, and he and Ruth adopted many dogs that needed a good home.

Charles was an avid fan of Rutgers athletics, and was a basketball and football season ticket holder for many years.  He was also a lifelong fan of the New York Yankees, and as a youth saw Lou Gehrig play at Yankee Stadium.

Predeceased by his wife who passed away in 2017, Ruth A. (Lockwood) Haus; surviving are his three sons, Richard and wife Janice, Kenneth and wife Joanne, all of South Plainfield, and William and wife Laura of Piscataway.  He will also be missed by his six grandchildren, Thomas, Lauren, Jessica, Amy, Shannon and Daniel, as well as four great grandchildren, Ava, Andrew, Jack and Ella, and his devoted caregivers Julia and Lucy.   

Funeral services will begin on Monday, August 23, 2021 at 10AM in the McCriskin – Gustafson Home For Funerals, 2425 Plainfield Avenue South Plainfield NJ 07080 followed by entombment in Resurrection Burial Park, Piscataway.

Family and friends may gather in the funeral home on Sunday, August 22, 2021 from 2-5PM.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Robert Wood Johnson Visiting Nurses, 972 Shoppes Blvd., North Brunswick, NJ 08902 or to St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center 3201 US-22, Somerville, NJ 08876.

With the surge of Covid 19 and for the safety of of all the family requests that masks be worn during the services.