Jane Engelhard, widow of Far Hills mogul, remembered for good deeds

By W. JACOB PERRY, Staff Writer 03/04/2004

FAR HILLS – Jane Engelhard, who spent many years here on a large estate with her husband, the late precious metals magnate Charles Engelhard Jr., was remembered this week for her many philanthropic efforts in the Somerset Hills.

Mrs. Engelhard, 86, died of pneumonia on Sunday, Feb. 29, at her home on Nantucket, Mass., where she spent much of her time after leaving the borough eight years ago.

The Engelhards, ardent Democrats, were confidants of presidents, senators and governors but also shared their time and vast resources with local causes like the Somerset Hills Community Chest, particularly during the 1960s.

“She was a very generous, kind person – there was no question about that,” said former state Sen. John H. Ewing of Bernards Township, who was also active in the Community Chest.

“Some people and she was among them realized they have sufficient means and that you’re responsible for certain operations in the area and helping those who are less fortunate,” he said. “She was very cognizant of that.”

Born as Jane Pinto Reis-Brian in China as the daughter of a Brazilian diplomat, Mrs. Engelhard was raised in Paris. After the death of her first husband, banker and art collector Fritz Mannheimer, she moved to New York City.

There, she met Charles W. Engelhard Jr., the son of Charles Engelhard of Bernardsville, a metals magnate known as the “Platinum King.” They married in 1947.

The couple then purchased “Cragwood,” a 172-acre estate in Far Hills near the Bernarsdville border. Formerly owned by Grafton Pyne, it had a secluded view high above Ravine Lake. The couple raised five daughters at the estate.

Among The Jet Set

After his father’s death in 1950, Mr. Engelhard took over his two companies, Engelhard Hanovia and the Engelhard Minerals & Chemicals Corp. of Newark, and expanded the financial empire while accumulating a fortune of more than $250 million.

The Engelhards moved among the international jet set, kept a stable of winning racehorses, a kennel of show dogs, a notable art collection, and six residences on four continents.

Like his father, Charles Engelhard also became known as the “Platinum King.” His lifestyle so impressed one of his friends, “James Bond” author Ian Fleming, that he was said to inspire the character Goldfinger.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Engelhard consistently appeared on lists of the world’s best-dressed women. She and her husband were also major contributors to the Democratic Party, and she served as a personal representative of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.

In August 1964, Mrs. Engelhard appeared on the front page of this newspaper in pictures with Democratic Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield, a close family friend, and Adlai Stevenson.

A month later, the Engelhards hosted a $15-per-head LBJ barbecue that drew 3,000 people. Featured guests included First Daughter Lynda Bird Johnson, Gov. Richard Hughes, entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. and singer Vic Damone.

Mr. Engelhard died in March 1971. The funeral, at St. Mary’s Abbey Church in Morris Township, drew the likes of former President Johnson, former Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.

Afterward, Mrs. Engelhard took over the family business. She also continued to serve on numerous boards and foundations, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Newark Museum and New York’s Pierpont Morgan Library.

In December 1976, Gov. Brendan Byrne nominated her as the first woman commissioner on the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. She served for a year, filling a post once held by her husband.

Local Interests

Through it all, Mrs. Engelhard maintained an interest in local affairs. Ewing, a Republican, recalled that she crossed party lines to help his first bid for Somerset County freeholder in 1964.

Far Hills Mayor Carl Torsilieri said that when the borough purchased Green Acres land on Route 202 in the early 1980s, Mrs. Engelhard personally funded half of the amount. A monument there now bears the family name.

Former Bernardsville Borough Councilwoman Joan Buchanan said Mrs. Engelhard was also supportive of Bernardsville, “as evidenced by the (municipal) pool, which was an Engelhard donation many years ago.”

Buchanan said she got to know the family through her work as a local travel agent. Though a Republican, like Ewing, Buchanan said Mrs. Engelhard later became aware of her public service and called to offer encouragement.

Buchanan said that soon after she won a local election, Mrs. Engelhard sent her “a huge bouquet of tiger lilies, because she knew that I liked tiger lilies.”

“She was a kind and caring woman and I certainly benefited from knowing her,” she said.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Mrs. Engelhard kept a low profile. “She was a very private person,” said Torsilieri.

In June 1996, Mrs. Engelhard sold her estate to John and Lyndell Bailye of Bernardsville. The Far Hills Borough Council then passed a resolution expressing its appreciation for her “generous contributions” over the years, especially to the Clarence Dillon Public Library in Bedminster and the borough’s Green Acres park acquisition program.

A private funeral service will be held today, Thursday, March 4, at the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Bernardsville. Burial will follow at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Bernardsville, where Mr. Engelhard is buried.