Barry Wilkes is a 38-year resident of Glen Rock and has run successful, family-owned businesses in Bergen and Passaic Counties throughout his life.

Born in Fair Lawn, Wilkes moved to Glen Rock in 1984 and has remained in the same residence where he raised his family ever since. As a young man, he took over the operations of his family’s business, Wilkes Delicatessen, started by his grandparents in the late 1930s. Wilkes, however, was not content to sit still in the family’s flagship Ridgewood store. Instead, he led his family in expanding the classic Bergen County brand into 11 different locations, creating dozens of jobs and ownership opportunities for young employees. In 1988, he opened Delfran Enterprises, Inc. in Paterson, NJ, a wholesale distribution company that served a number of food establishments in the area. Currently, he develops and manages the businesses’ real estate portfolio.

Wilkes is a proud graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University where he graduated magna cum laude with his bachelor’s degree after attending classes at night while running his businesses and raising his family with the support of his loving wife, Kim. He also attended Don Bosco Preparatory High School and, in 2005, was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame for ongoing civic responsibility through business and community service. Wilkes served on the Glen Rock Planning Board where he served from 1992 to 2003. Additionally, he served as a Bergen County Republican Committee Member for over 20 years and is a past Republican Municipal Chairman. He has been a longtime member of the Glen Rock Republican Club and served as a past president. He was involved with Rotary International for 25 years and is a founding member in two clubs, The Ridgewood AM Rotary Club and The Bergen Sunset Club. He co-chaired Ridgewood High School’s Rotary Interact Program for 12 years. Through Rotary, he worked on several projects, including Habitat for Humanity, in Bergen County. He was given Rotary’s Gift of Life Humanitarian Award and was named a Paul Harris Fellow for his service. He worked for many years with the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts and was awarded the Bergen Council Good Scout Award in 1998 by the Boy Scouts of America for community involvement.

Wilkes has been married to his wife Kim for nearly 40 years and, together, they have three children, Charles, Rebecca, and Barry, along with four grandchildren, Thomas, Liam, Abigail, and Owen.