By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Roy Gillian, a former Ocean City mayor who founded the iconic Wonderland Pier on the Boardwalk, was eulogized Wednesday as a man who cherished his wife, family and community and whose handshake was an ironclad guarantee “better than any contract.”
Mourners filled the Ocean City Tabernacle to say a final farewell to the community leader who combined his love of politics, business and entertainment to benefit the town he loved so much, speakers said at his memorial service.
“Roy gave so much to everyone – his family, his business, his community, his friends,” said Rick Traa, a longtime friend who served with Gillian on Shore Medical Center’s board of directors.
Traa said Gillian’s willingness to give back to the community in so many different ways was his “legacy to all of us.”
Gillian, 94, died at his Ocean City home on Saturday. Among his pallbearers was his son, Jay Gillian, the current mayor of Ocean City.
“A legend, that’s what he was. He walked the walk,” Jay Gillian said of his father in an interview after the service.
Gillian’s viewing was followed by a Masonic service and Christian service at the Tabernacle. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he was buried with military honors at Seaside Cemetery in Palermo.
Roy Gillian’s talents extended beyond the political and business world. He was also an accomplished pianist who was the leader of Roy Gillian & His Orchestra from 1947 to 1951, according to his obituary.
Rev. Jim Carroll, the Tabernacle’s director of administration, spoke of all the influential roles Gillian played as a family man, businessman and community leader.
“We honor today the portion of life – that little hyphen that goes between the dates between your birth and death. The portion of life today that some of you know as a friend, perhaps a political rival, some of you know as a businessman, an entrepreneur, a mayor, you know him synonymous with Wonderland, a veteran, a musician, a father, a grandfather, a husband,” Carroll said of Gillian.
Former Ocean City Mayor Roy Gillian died on Aug. 17.
Gillian and his wife, Pat, were married for 39 years. Pat was said to be too sick to attend the memorial service.
Ed Myers, a longtime friend who worked for Roy Gillian and his family for more than 40 years, spoke of the “true love affair” that Gillian and Pat shared throughout their marriage.
“It goes without saying that Pat was such a devoted and loving wife. I just want to say to her, we all just love her,” Myers said during his remarks at the service.
Gillian’s political career included serving as an Ocean City commissioner from 1963 to 1967, Cape May County freeholder from 1971 to 1976, a commissioner with the Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority from 1982 to 1986 and Ocean City mayor from 1986 to 1990.
His legacy in Ocean City included founding Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, the landmark Boardwalk amusement park. In 1957, he and his brother, Bob, took over the Fun Deck amusement park, founded by their father, David Gillian, in 1930.
Roy left the family business to start Wonderland Pier in 1965 at Sixth Street and the Boardwalk. He also founded Gillian’s Island and Adventure Golf, according to his obituary.
Jay Gillian, the third generation of Gillians to operate the family amusement business, announced on Aug. 9 that Wonderland Pier will close for good after the summer season because it is “no longer a viable business.”
Wonderland struggled in recent years with financial difficulties and was bought by Icona luxury resort developer Eustace Mita in 2021 after the property was going to be put up for sheriff’s auction because Jay Gillian defaulted on $8 million in mortgage debt. Mita has not yet announced his plans for Wonderland after it closes.
Roy Gillian started Wonderland Pier with just 10 rides on a large parcel of Boardwalk real estate that had sat empty for a decade after a fire had destroyed Stainton’s Playland, a previous entertainment complex, according to Wonderland’s history. Under his leadership, Wonderland Pier grew into a major attraction anchoring the northern end of the Boardwalk.
The casket is draped with an American flag in recognition of Roy Gillian's service in the U.S. Army.
Myers, who served as general manager of the Gillian water park on the Boardwalk during his long career with the Gillian family, said all of Roy Gillian’s employees felt “lucky” to work for him and considered him a role model.
“You always wanted to do a good job for Roy. You never wanted to disappoint him,” Myers said at the service. “He created an atmosphere among us that he wanted us to be a part of. And that was to create something very special for Ocean City and the Ocean City Boardwalk, a city that he loved dearly.”
Myers also recalled that Roy Gillian always stuck to his word and backed it up with his handshake. Wonderland Pier started with a handshake between Gillian and the property’s former owner, Howard Stainton.
“He always told us the story of how Wonderland Pier was built on a handshake from Howard Stainton, and that’s how it started. Through many years of working at the park, I saw many handshake deals being made with Roy Gillian. Roy Gillian’s word was his bond. And if you had a handshake from Roy Gillian, that was better than any contract you could ever ask for,” Myers said.
Beyond his business and political interests, Gillian also served as a former president of Shore Medical Center and past president of the Jersey Cape Diagnostic Training & Opportunities Center.
George Plewa, who was the first executive director of the Jersey Cape Diagnostic Training & Opportunities Center, spoke of how Gillian dedicated himself to the center’s mission of assisting disabled people, high school dropouts, welfare recipients and others in need of a helping hand.
Under Gillian’s leadership, the center received an award from the White House for a program that gave disabled people jobs by having them manufacture beach tags for Jersey Shore communities, Plewa said.
“I’ve never had a friend for 50 years. That’s pretty rare,” Plewa said of his long friendship with Gillian. “I’m pretty blessed by it because I know I loved my job every single day and I loved Roy Gillian as a mentor and as a friend and somebody who made a big difference in my life. I want to thank Roy and Pat and his family for everything they’ve done to make us feel like family, too.”
Mayor Jay Gillian, in blue suit, his wife, Michele, standing next to him, and other members of the Gillian family wait outside the Tabernacle following the service.
