Jersey Shore Native Ron Jon Surf Shop Founder Dies At 88

SHIP BOTTOM, NJ — The founder of Ron Jon Surf Shop, which got its start in Ship Bottom in 1961, has died at 88, the company announced.

Ron DiMenna, a Manahawkin native, died Sept. 6.

“The entire Ron Jon family mourns this loss,” Ron Jon Surf Shop said in a news release. “On behalf of our Board of Directors, management team, and employees, we extend our deepest sympathy to Ron’s wife, Lynne DiMenna.”

DiMenna started Ron Jon Surf Shop in 1959; in 1961 he opened the first store on Long Beach Island. That store was torn down this summer.

Two years later he opened a Florida location. The store has expanded to 13 locations nationwide.

DiMenna and his wife also founded Surfing's Evolution & Preservation Foundation, a charity supporting the health of Florida's beaches.

"Ron was known as a free spirit and his love for the beach and the sport of surfing endured throughout his life. He lived life on his own terms and created a retail empire that remains one of the most successful beach shopping destinations in the country," said Ron Jon Surf Shop President Michele Goodwin. "The Ron Jon Surf Shop Corporation will continue to function as it has and nothing will change in the company's day-to-day operations. Ron's vision and legacy will live on for generations through Ron Jon Surf Shop and Surfing's Evolution & Preservation Foundation."