Robert C. Wertz (August 18, 1932 – May 5, 2009) served for 32 years as a Republican member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

Life

Wertz was born in

Kew Gardens, Queens Kew Gardens is a neighborhood in the central area of the New York City borough of Queens. Kew Gardens is bounded to the north by the Union Turnpike and the Jackie Robinson Parkway, to the east by the Van Wyck Expressway and 131st Street, to ...

. He attended

Sewanhaka High School Sewanhaka High School is a six-year public high school located in Floral Park, New York. It is part of the Sewanhaka Central High School District. Sewanhaka High School was established in 1929. Its name translates from Lenape to "Island of Shell ...

Floral Park, New York Floral Park is an incorporated village in Nassau County, Long Island, New York, United States. The population was 16,172 at the 2020 census. Floral Park is at the western border of Nassau County, mainly in the Town of Hempstead, while the ...

. He received a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

degree from

Alfred University Alfred University is a private university in Alfred, New York, United States. It has a total undergraduate population of approximately 1,600 students. The university hosts the statutory New York State College of Ceramics, which includes The In ...

and a

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

degree from

Albany Law School Albany Law School is a private law school in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1851 and is the oldest independent law school in the nation. It is accredited by the American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary ...

. Wertz served in the

United States Marine Corps Reserve The Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES or MFR), also known as the United States Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR) and the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve, is the reserve force of the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Corps Reserve is an expedit ...

for six years with the

2nd Battalion 25th Marines The 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines (2/25) is a reserve infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps. Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, it has units located throughout the Mid-Atlantic States. It consists of approximately 1,000 Mari ...

. Wertz worked for

State Farm Insurance State Farm Insurance is a group of mutual insurance companies throughout the United States with corporate headquarters in Bloomington, Illinois. Founded in 1922, it is the largest property, casualty and auto insurance provider in the United ...

, after which he was a Senior Attorney in Appellate Division of the

New York State Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the superior court in the Judiciary of New York. It is vested with unlimited civil and criminal jurisdiction, although in many counties outside New York City it acts primarily as a court of civil ju ...

. From 1967 through 1970, he served as Town Attorney for the Town of Smithtown, New York. He was a member of the

from 1971 to 2002, sitting in the 179th, 180th, 181st, 182nd, 183rd, 184th, 185th, 186th, 187th, 188th, 189th, 190th,

191st 191st may refer to: *191st (Southern Alberta) Battalion, CEF, a unit in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War *191st Air Refueling Squadron, a unit of the Utah Air National Guard *191st Airlift Group, an airlift unit located a ...

, 192nd, 193rd and

194th New York State Legislature The 194th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 3, 2001, to December 31, 2002, during the seventh and eighth years of George Pataki's governorship, in Albany. St ...

s. He left office in 2002, after losing to John J. Flanagan in a

primary election Primary elections or primaries are elections held to determine which candidates will run in an upcoming general election. In a partisan primary, a political party selects a candidate. Depending on the state and/or party, there may be an "open pr ...

for the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature, while the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York, its members are elected to two-year terms with no term l ...

. Wertz and his wife Dorothy had three children: Mary, Donna, and Robert Wertz II.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wertz, Robert C. 1932 births 2009 deaths Albany Law School alumni Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly People from Floral Park, New York People from Kew Gardens, Queens United States Marine Corps reservists 21st-century members of the New York State Legislature 20th-century members of the New York State Legislature