Michael Dressler

By Cecilia Levine From Daily Voice

Bergen County Surrogate Judge Michael Dressler has died, Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco confirmed Thursday, Dec. 4.

"Bergen County lost not just a public servant, but a remarkable man and a true friend, Surrogate Judge Michael Dressler," Tedesco said.

The Bergen County Surrogate’s Court handles some of the most important and difficult family matters in the county, including probating wills, processing adoptions, and appointing guardians, according to the court. The Surrogate serves as both a judge and the administrator of a court that “is almost certain to touch the lives of every person in the county at some time,” its website says. 

Dressler’s life was marked by determination after “a tragic accident at the Jersey Shore left him paralyzed just days before his high school graduation, Tedesco said.

Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco

Doctors told him he would not survive the night, yet Dressler refused to give up, adding that he returned to school, earned multiple degrees, and “built a life of purpose and service,” according to Tedesco (click here to read more on the freak after-prom accident on Dressler's website).

Dressler began his career in local government as a councilman and later mayor of Cresskill before he was elected Surrogate in 1996, Tedesco said. In his statement, Tedesco said Dressler led the Surrogate’s Court “with fairness and compassion,” created the Guardianship Monitoring Program “to protect our frail and elderly,” and expanded access to families through satellite offices and new resources.

Tedesco said Dressler was proud of his Irish American heritage and was known for attending the Bergen County St. Patrick’s Day Parade “with pride, joy, and community spirit.” 

Tedesco said he would remember Dressler for “his kindness, his humor, and the way he always treated people with dignity,” and added that he extends “my deepest condolences to his wife, Aggie, and the entire Dressler family.”