ELLENVILLE – The village manager of Ellenville, Joseph Stoeckeler, Jr. who has held the position for six years, died suddenly of a heart attack on Saturday afternoon. He was 59.
Mayor Jeffrey Kaplan said he is in shock over Stoeckeler’s passing. “He was a major force and advocate for the Village of Ellenville and Town of Wawarsing for many years,” the mayor said.
Kaplan said the village board will now look to appointment a temporary manager until a search for a permanent manager is undertaken.
“It’s not a full-time position; we’ve got to about two-third time, which makes it a little difficult unless you get someone who is retired or having another business that can afford to balance the two,” Kaplan said. “That’s the first avenue that we will look, to local people who have administrative experience.”
Stoeckeler was the son-in-law to retired Ellenville Police Chief George Sheeley and his wife, retired Village Manager and Ulster County Legislator Mary Sheeley.
Mattracion said Stoeckeler “had a vision for this community, to place it back on the map, to the times that the Catskills were the jewels, and envy of all other places.” Elliott Auerbach, who just left office as county comptroller to assume a deputy state comptroller’s job, also served as Ellenville village manager in the past. “Our community lost a good friend yesterday, ‘Mr. Ellenville’,” Auerbach said.
