David S. DeVries, a longtime resident of Franklin Township who played a role in the township's development and served his country in wartime, died June 2, in Somerset, N.J. Services will be held Tuesday, June 5, at the Gleason Funeral Home, 1360 Hamilton St., Somerset at 10 a.m., with Rabbi Eli Garfinkel officiating. Burial will follow at Floral Park Cemetery, Monmouth Junction, N.J. Born in Antwerp, Belgium, David came to the United States as an infant with his family, and grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y. A graduate of Midwood High School, he received his B.A. degree from Brooklyn College after serving in the United States Navy during World War II. David then went on to receive a law degree from Brooklyn Law School. He spent his professional life as a court reporter for both the Brooklyn and the Manhattan supreme courts. David and his wife, Tedi, moved to the Somerset section of Franklin with their young family in 1965, when hundreds of new homes were being built, and there was a need for community leaders to move local government forward. David was elected to the township council and began to address some of the problems emerging from rapid growth. He also left his mark on the township as a commissioner on the sewerage authority, and as president of the JFK Democratic Club. During David's term of office as a councilman, the current municipal building was erected, and his name is inscribed on a plaque in the lobby of the building. Commemorating his service to his country, a brick in the veterans' memorial in front of the building also bears his name and that of the USS Antietam, the aircraft carrier on which he served. As the ship streamed toward Japan in 1945, the announcement came that the war had ended. In college, David was captain of the tennis team, and he continued his active participation in sports and fitness at his health club throughout his life. In 2002, the DeVries family was honored to have the tennis courts at Inman Park named after them in recognition of David's work in helping to bring the park to fruition during his term as councilman. David and his wife raised three children, all of whom attended the Franklin public schools. He was predeceased by his parents and his brother, Harold. David is survived by his devoted wife of 55 years, Tedi, and his three loving children, Dr. Steven DeVries and his wife, Dr. Susan Park, of Granger, Ind., Diane Kearns and her husband, Joseph, of Sussex, N.J., and Helene Ginsburg and her husband, Peter, of Eastchester, N.Y. Also surviving are his five beloved grandchildren, Kelly and Megan Kearns, Raina DeVries, and Adam and Jenna Ginsburg. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Temple Beth El of Somerset, 1489 Hamilton St., Somerset, N.J. 08873.