Charles M. Kuperus, a former secretary of agriculture for the state of New Jersey, died Dec. 30, 2015, at home in Sussex Borough, NJ, after a battle with a rare form of brain cancer. He was 57 years old and a lifelong resident of Sussex Borough.Charles M. Kuperus

Mr. Kuperus was named New Jersey’s sixth secretary of agriculture in 2002, following Arthur R. Brown Jr., who served in that post for about 20 years. Mr. Kuperus resigned on Dec. 31, 2008, and was succeeded by Douglas H. Fisher, the state’s current secretary of agriculture.

“During his tenure, he was a tireless advocate for the industry,” Al Murray, the state’s assistant secretary of agriculture, told The Produce News Monday morning, Jan. 4. “He was a big advocate of farmland preservation, and during his administration, the state preserved about 84,000 acres of farmland.”

Mr. Kuperus also created the Jersey Grown program to promote the state’s nursery and horticultural industry, which is similar to the Jersey Fresh program, which promotes the state’s fresh fruits and vegetables. “He was always thinking of the future,” said Murray. “He wanted to make sure that there would always be farmers in the Garden State.”

Charles Miles Kuperus was born Aug. 5, 1958, in Sussex Borough, to Anne (Aukema) Kuperus and the late Miles Kuperus Sr. He attended Sussex Christian Elementary school in Sussex, NJ, and graduated from Eastern Christian High School in North Haledon, NJ, according to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture.

The department noted that in addition to his tenure as secretary of agriculture, Mr. Kuperus and his wife founded Kuperus Farmside Gardens. Mr. Kuperus served at Sussex Christian Reformed Church, on the Sussex Christian School Board and on the Christian Schools International Board. He also held leadership positions on the Sussex Borough Council, Freeholder Board of Sussex County, Sussex County Board of Agriculture, New Jersey Farm Bureau and State Planning Commission.

Mr. Kuperus is survived by his wife of 36 years and high school sweetheart, Marjorie (Veenstra) Kuperus; his children C. Mark and Michelle of Lafayette, NJ, Katherine of New York, NY, Jonathan and Rachel of Haskell, NJ, James and Katherine of North Haledon, NJ, Annette and Carlos Franco of Morristown, NJ, and David and Alexandra of Ridgewood, NJ; his grandchildren Charlotte, Stella, Matthew, Penelope and Grace; and his siblings Grace Datema (Jack) of Zeeland, MI, Henrietta Van De Weert (Roy) of Goshen, NY, John Kuperus (Helen) of Wantage, NJ, Miles Kuperus Jr. (Lisa) of Wantage, NJ, and Anne Amels (John) of Wantage, NJ.

Family will receive their friends on Monday, Jan. 4, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Sussex Christian Reformed Church, 51 Unionville Ave., Sussex, NJ 07461. Friends and family are invited to attend a memorial service on Tuesday, Jan. 5, at 10:30 a.m. at Sussex Christian Reformed Church. Funeral arrangements were made with Ferguson Funeral Home in Sussex. For condolences and directions, visit www.fergusonfuneralhome.com.

Memorial donations may be made to Sussex Christian School and Eastern Christian School.