As a high school senior, Milton “Milt” McFalls II went to a statewide student council convention as a representative for his high school where he had to speak in front of a room of delegates. Little did he know, that experience would be the start of his many years on councils and speaking in front of a room of people.
For 2015, McFalls was chosen as Moorestown’s 61st Citizen of the Year by the Moorestown Service Clubs Council for his voluntary contributions to the community. As citizen of the year, he will be honored on Wednesday, Feb. 4 at the Moorestown Community House.
McFalls was born in 1944 and raised in Lebanon, Pa. At Lebanon High School and Elizabethtown College, McFalls always found himself a member of a council or a class officer. He even recently helped to organize a class reunion for his college, as part of the Alumni Council, which ended up raising $150,000 for the college, the most money raised so far.
He and his wife Edith have been residents of Moorestown since 1970. McFalls moved to Moorestown not only because his wife’s family lived there, but because of the district’s great school system. Also, he was really impressed with Moorestown’s Main Street, one of his favorite parts of town.
“What really attracted me was the fact that it had a main street, as opposed to other towns around the area. Main Street was what really got me involved. My first committee was Main Street Study Committee,” McFalls said.
McFalls spent most of his working career with Computer Sciences Corporation for 32 years, starting in the defense systems division, then global procurement and lastly in corporate supply chain management. He retired in August 2012. The McFalls have two adult sons, Timothy and James, and six grandchildren with a seventh on the way.
McFalls and his wife became active with the First Presbyterian Church in Merchantville through 1986. During that time, McFalls served as a youth advisor, basketball coach, member of the Session and the Board of Trustees. He was elected clerk of Session and later secretary for the Board of Trustees. During his term as an elder, he was invited to join the Children’s Fresh Air organization and became secretary his first year. McFalls was also active in the YMCA Father/Son program (Indian Guides) and served as Chief Gray Feather, leader of the Moorestown Nation and a leader of the Ockanickon Federation.
“It gave me something to do with my sons; father and son time, that is always important,” McFalls said.
After moving to Moorestown, he joined the evening club referred to as the Jaycees. He was able to organize several youth programs, one of which he is most proud. During the 1970s, McFalls helped oversee a place for teens in Moorestown where they could come at night on the weekends and get help, no questions asked. This was in the old movie theater on Main Street. He and the Rev. Fred Missel lead the program.
McFalls got involved and served on two Town Center Study Committees. That led to being elected to the zoning board. McFalls rose to chairman of the zoning board before being elected to the planning board. He served several terms on the planning board, took a leading role in the Master Plans, and served as both vice chairman and chairman.
“I liked serving multiple terms on the planning board. We made a lot of major decisions in those years that affect us today,” McFalls said.
McFalls’ last official township appointment was to the short-lived Moorestown Historical Preservation Commission. Today, he serves as the land use advisor for the Borough of Stratford Green Team. McFalls and his wife are members of STEM, Moorestown Historical Society and Friends of the Moorestown Community House. McFalls is also treasurer of the West Jersey Ski Club in Mt. Holly and the Aqua Beach Condo Association in North Wildwood.
In 1986, the McFalls family moved their church membership to the First Presbyterian Church of Moorestown, and they have been volunteering there ever since. McFalls is a perpetual trustee, having served as secretary, treasurer and president. He was the president of the board during the last major building expansion of the church facility.
McFalls’ commitments also go beyond Moorestown. For the past 42 years, he has been a board member of the Children’s Fresh Air Home in North Wildwood, the last 30 years as president. He has helped raise more than $1 million to rehab and rebuild the “Home.” Each summer, children come from Camden, Burlington Gloucester counties and Philadelphia to play on the beach and enjoy the ocean. Many have never seen the Shore or been in the ocean. To learn more about the “Home,” visit www.freshairhome.org.
McFalls doesn’t have much free time, helping all of these organizations as well as spending time with his family. However, when he does, he likes to go skiing in the winter and golfing and kayaking in the summer. His family has a condo at the Shore they go to year round, enjoying walking on the boardwalk on New Year’s Eve. On occasion, he can be found at his house sitting in the lounge chair with his cat, Homer, sitting in his lap as he watches NCIS and its other derivatives.
“I don’t have a lot of free time, maybe when I am 75 I’ll slow down,” he said with a laugh.
This year, McFalls is very excited to go on ski trips as well as to see his granddaughter, Morgan, dance.
“She is very good and Pop-pop has to go to all of the dances. I’m looking forward to going all over and watching her compete,” McFalls said.
Moorestown’s Citizen of the Year Award is announced annually by the Moorestown Service Clubs Council, which consists of the Rotary Lunch and Breakfast Clubs, The Lions Club and the Y Service Club.
McFalls will be honored on Wednesday, Feb. 4 at the Moorestown Community House. The festivities begin with cocktails at 6 p.m. Anyone interested in helping to honor McFalls may purchase tickets at the Moorestown Community House or the Moorestown Hardware Store. Tickets are $50 each.
