Dr. Alexander M. Perritt, 96 of Allentown, passed away Tuesday, December 17, 2024. He lived a wonderfully full life with many notable achievements, both in his career and personal life. His wealth can be measured by his many close friends and loving and supporting family.

Born in the family home in Kearny, NJ, he was a 1947 graduate of Kearny High School and continued his education at Syracuse University, earning his Bachelor's degree in 1951, Master's degree in 1957, and Doctorate in 1961. An accomplished track and cross-country runner, he was a former NJ State and Eastern States track champion. He earned the Richard Arrighi Memorial MVP Track Award and anchored relay teams that won several first-place awards as well as the College B Championship at the 1951 Penn Relays. In 1981 he was inducted into the Kearny High School Athletic Hall of Fame and in 1998 he was named a Letter Winner of Distinction from the Varsity Club of Syracuse University. A US Army Veteran, he earned the rank of Corporal, serving as a bacteriologist in the US Army Chemical Corp during the Korean War.

He and his wife, Margaret moved to Hightstown in 1961 where they raised their family. In 1973, Dr. Perritt founded Perritt Laboratories Inc in Hightstown, which conducts scientific research serving government and international pharmaceutical companies. During his career as a microbiologist, he conducted research and was involved in the production of a drug that has been used to fight leukemia. He served as secretary and Chairman of the American Society for Testing and Material (ASTM) D – 10 committee on packaging; he was the US Delegate to the International Standard Organization (ISO) for child resistant packaging and was a member of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission Technical Advisory Committee on Poison Prevention Packaging. He received the ATSM's highest honor the "Award of Merit" in 1991 for his work in the field of child resistant packaging. He was named "Microbiologist of the Year" by the New Jersey chapter of the Society of Industrial Microbiology and was a member of numerous professional societies. He served as a president of the Hightstown Board of Health was a former president of the Hightstown Borough Council.

A member of the Cherokee Aero Club in Robbinsville and the Hightstown Lions Club, Dr. Perritt enjoyed biking, golfing, cross-country skiing, and spending time at his vacation home in Vermont.

Son of the late James and Jane Perritt, he was predeceased in 2022 by his loving wife of 66 years, Margaret Hodgson Perritt and by his sister, Jean Mackin. Alexander is survived by his four children and their spouses, Linda P. and Richard Ward, Susan P. and Richard Jakober, Alison P. and Christopher Evans, and Scott and Lissa Perritt; his 12 grandchildren, Christopher Ward, Andrew Ward, Brian Ward, Erich Jakober and his wife, Gina, Alexander Jakober and his wife, Melissa, Kirstin Jakober, Andrew Evans, Douglas Evans, Caroline Evans, Ashley Perritt Kourgialis and her husband, Jonathan, Jamie Kraus and her husband Jim, and Bryce Perritt; his five great grandchildren, Nathan Jakober, Christian Jakober, and Ian Jakober, Charlotte Jakober and Niko Kourgialis.

A celebration of life will be held January 18, 2025 at 11:00am at St. David's Episcopal Church, 90 S. Main St., Cranbury, NJ 08512. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association.