Former Lacey Mayor John Parker Dies At 88

LACEY, NJ — Lacey has lost one of its icons. Former Mayor John C. Parker has died at the age of 88, according to his obituary.

"His leadership, dedication, and love for our community have left a lasting impact on Lacey Township," township officials said Thursday. "We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and the entire community during this difficult time."

Parker, a native of Forked River, had his roots in the township - the Parker family dates back to the 1700s in Lacey and Waretown, and his father was the first president of the Lacey Township Republican Club, according to his obituary.

"John Parker possessed tremendous knowledge and wisdom that he utilized to effectively serve his community," the 9th Legislative District (Sen. Carmen Amato, Asm. Brian Rumpf and Asm. Greg Myhre) said in a statement. "To say the least, John was tenacious when advocating on behalf of his constituents and had an enviable reputation for never mincing words or wasting time when an issue needed to be addressed."

RELATED: Lacey Township Names John Parker Honorary Mayor For 2021

Born Feb. 28, 1936, Parker attended the local two-room schoolhouse (now the Old Schoolhouse Museum) until he went to the Toms River School District in the sixth grade.

After graduating from the University of Maryland in 1958, Parker married Ruth Scully and raised three children in Forked River.

Throughout his career, Parker served as mayor of Lacey Township six times. He helped establish the Lacey Township Police Department where he rose from officer to sergeant, served as the president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #10 and brought the nuclear power plant to town. He also was the first Lacey Township Historian.

Parker was a founding member of the Lacey Municipal Utilities Authority and the environmental committee. He also was chairman of the Ocean County Utilities Authority for more than 40 years with 25 years serving on the Ocean County Finance Team; president of Good Luck Cemetery; served as director on the boards for 1st National Bank of Toms River and Citizens State Bank, according to his obituary.

He also had "impressive" business ventures in real estate and established construction companies, according to his obituary.

"Let's not forget the big game expeditions to Montana and simply the idea that we will always remember John as an old friend, loving family member, boss that got the job done and an all-around good man," the obituary reads.

Viewing and funeral information is available on his obituary. In lieu of flowers, donations in Parker's memory can be made to the Popcorn Park Zoo, P.O. Box 43, Forked River, NJ 08731.

“John's sound advice was always welcomed and, true to his character, he was always there when you needed him, regardless of the situation. Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with John's family, friends and colleagues who had the privilege of loving and knowing him," Amato, Rumpf and Myhre said. "While John will certainly be sorely missed, we take comfort in fact that he lived a long, full and distinguished life."