Friends' Spotlight

The Friends' would like to take a moment to recognize a recent retiree for his hard work and dedication that served the library and the town for many years: William Wilkins!

Originally from Cleveland Ohio, William Wilkins moved to Roxbury Township in 1954 during his sophomore year in high school. Not long after arriving in Roxbury, he met his high school sweetheart and future wife Ruthann and they have since raised two daughters, Christine and Katherine Wilkins. 

Over the years, Wilkins has devoted much of his time to civic and community service. His involvement started in 1972 when he became a Board of Trustees member for the Succasunna Presbyterian Church. After serving on the Roxbury Township Recreation Commission for most of the 1970s, he then found himself in another position of leadership when he became president of the Commission for two years. Additional boards that Wilkins served on during the 1980s were the Dialysis Board of Northwest Jersey (1982-1983), and Roxbury Township Planning Board (1985-1989). He became a Councilman from 1989 to 1993 as well as serving as Mayor in 1991. He also became a Commissioner with the Morris County Sheriff's Crimestoppers program, a position he still currently holds. While his involvement proved to extend to all areas of the Roxbury community, the organization that benefited the most from Wilkins' service was 'The Friends of the Roxbury Public Library'. 

Founded in 1995, the purpose of 'The Friends' was to raise funds for the local library. Wilkins became a member in 1997. In 1998 he was elected Treasurer and in 2010 he became a Trustee. As Treasurer, Wilkins dedicated a great deal of his personal time to try and increase the fundraising capabilities of  The Friends. For example, he took the initiative to register on websites in order to give the library a more virtual presence. In addition, he oversaw annual financial audits to ensure they complied with tax regulations. He also started the library's Wish List. AS he did with every position he found himself in, he took the role of Treasurer very seriously, which was shown through his weekly trips to the bank and daily trips to the library. In addition to this role, his contribution to The Friends was also invaluable volunteer work at the Book Sale. As a result of Wikin's continued involvement and tireless efforts with the Book Sales since 1997, it has greatly improved the organization of the event and led to more funds raised for the library over the years. Wilkins' work for The Friends has helped raise thousands of dollars that has enhanced the library's programming helping it to become 'Best in Morris County' for a number of years. In addition to his fundraising efforts, he has also contributed generously to the annual Friends Membership drive since the mid 90's. 

In addition to giving back to his community, Wilkins owned and operated Valley Pharmacy in Succasunna, one of the Township's oldest businesses. Professionally Wilkins was a part of many organizations. He frequently held executive positions such as serving as president of the Morris-Sussex Society of Pharmacists from 1997-1998. Other examples include being a Trustee of the New Jersey Pharmacist Association (2010-2014) as well as a Chairman of the Morris-Sussex Society of Pharmacists Executive Committee (2002-2010). For his many years of service in the medical field, he received a Presidential Citation Award for outstanding service and achievement from the New Jersey Society of Pharmacists in 2009.