By MADDY VITALE
James R. Iannone was a politician, a store owner, a realtor and a noted member of the Sea Isle City community. It was a place he called home since 1955, a town where he and his wife watched their three daughters grow up and where their 10 grandchildren came to visit every summer.
On July 13, Iannone passed away at the age of 73, leaving his wife, Barbara, of 47 years, behind. But his legacy will live on. He was called a leader, a kind man and a person who was instrumental in Sea Isle’s successful tourism and recreation offices.
Mayor Leonard Desiderio spoke of Iannone, an Army veteran, as a mentor to him and a pillar in the community.
And earlier this month, Desiderio made an announcement involving Iannone — that the city’s new kayak launch site and fishing pier will be named in Iannone’s honor.
“I requested City Council’s support in naming our Fishing Pier and Kayak Launch facility after Jim Iannone. Mr. Iannone also served Sea Isle City with distinction for many years; and I believe this is a fitting honor to his memory,” the mayor said.
Construction of the nearly $1 million fishing pier and kayak launch project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Barbara Iannone told SeaIsleNews.com that she and the couple’s daughters were happy to hear of the mayor’s tribute to Iannone.
“We are thrilled. My daughters and I are very humbled that the mayor would decide to do this,” she said in an interview Monday. “My husband loved to fish in his rare time off and it is very fitting that the fishing pier would be named after him.”
Before Sea Isle switched to the mayor-Council form of government in 2007, Iannone served as a city commissioner for 22 years. He was first elected in 1985.
After his election as commissioner, he oversaw Sea Isle’s departments of Public Works, Revenue and Finance and Public Safety. In addition, he served as the director of Recreation and Tourism for Sea Isle.
He was instrumental in establishing the Sea Isle City Tourism Commission and the Friends of Tourism.
Iannone had a long career in politics. He also worked as a realtor. And after his duty in the Army, he took over the family business at the Sands Department Store in Sea Isle.
He also served as vice chairman of the board of directors at the South Jersey Transportation Authority and went on to become the agency’s executive director before retiring in 2006.
Barbara said her husband loved living in Sea Isle. He enjoyed spending time with family and watching his grandchildren play in the recreation department’s basketball leagues.
“My husband was so devoted to tourism in Sea Isle. He took a very active part in the recreation department,” she recalled. “Part of it was because the grandkids played for different teams when they stayed here. He watched them all play.”
In lieu of flowers, the Iannone family asked that people give to the city’s Recreation Department. Barbara said there is more than $11,000 in funds donated to the department in Iannone’s memory.
The hope is that some of the funds go to a digital scoreboard for the basketball games, she said.
“We are overwhelmed by the generosity and support we have gotten,” she added.
She described her husband as “humble,” a person who never sought attention.
“He didn’t like attention on himself. He was a humble guy. But I think he would be happy because of the type of facility that is being named after him,” Barbara noted. “I think he would be very honored.”
