SEA GIRT — Former Mayor Ken Farrell, who died shortly before Christmas, was remembered by members of the Sea Girt community last week as a dedicated public servant.
Mr. Farrell, a long-time resident of Sea Girt, served as a borough councilman for six years and mayor for nine and also served on the planning board. He died at home on Dec. 19, at the age of 60.
“Ken was a tireless servant to the Borough of Sea Girt and truly loved our town,” said Mike D’Altrui, director of the recreation commision. “He was extremely dedicated and knowledgeable, and always willing to listen to and spend time with any resident. He was also acutely adept at keeping the Borough fiscally sound. Ken will certainly be missed tremendously in our community.”
A statement issued by the borough called Mr. Farrell “a fixture of the Sea Girt community” who “cared tremendously about our residents, our operations and our financial health.”
“Mayor Farrell supported the police department, public works, our beachfront and the borough employees at large. Mayor Farrell always extended his appreciation for our volunteer services and emphasized the importance of sound infrastructure.”
The Sea Girt Police Department issued a statement, saying, “On behalf of the current and former officers of the Sea Girt Police Department, we extend our condolences to the Farrell family during this difficult time.”
The former mayor was also remembered as an active contributor to community activities. He served as the head of the St. Mark’s Finance board for 17 years, as a baseball and softball coach for the Spring Lake-Sea Girt Little League, a trustee for the Sea Girt Lighthouse, and as a regular volunteer for park cleanup and dune grass planting. He was also a staunch supporter of the Sea Girt Library and its programs.
Born Francis Kennedy Farrell, Mr. Farrell grew up in Chatham, and spent summers with the maternal side of his family, the Kreutz’s, in Sea Girt, before becoming a resident of the borough in 1993, according to his obituary.
After graduating from Georgetown University with a biology degree in the spring of 1984, he went on to have a 23-year career as a specialized salesman at First Boston/Credit Suisse. He would also become a registered investment advisor and president of Farrell Advisory Group LLC.
Following retirement from Credit Suisse in 2008, Mr. Farrell focused on service to the Sea Girt community, first as a councilman from 2005 to 2011, and then as mayor from 2012 until his retirement in 2021.
As mayor, Mr. Farrell took pride in an agenda of fiscal conservatism, succeeding in his goal of maintaining or reducing tax rates for nine consecutive years.
He also played a key role in gaining passage of public works projects that improved utility infrastructure and reduced flooding throughout the borough.
A signature public works success was his advocacy for the installation of dunes along the borough’s shoreline, preserving the beachfront and protecting oceanfront houses from water damage during storms.
The project received its greatest test in October of 2012, when Superstorm Sandy hit the New Jersey coastline. The dunes largely protected homes along the oceanfront and the success inspired other boroughs to follow a similar course of preservation and protection.
Mr. Farrell also served as a commissioner of the South Monmouth Regional Sewerage Authority for over a decade.
A funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday Jan. 14 at St. Mark’s Church on Crescent Boulevard, Sea Girt. The O’Brien Funeral Home in Wall is in charge of arrangements. More information and an opportunity to post condolences can be found at OBrienFuneralHome.com.
This is an excerpt of the print article. For more on this story, read The Coast Star—on newsstands Thursday or online in our e-Edition.
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