WILDWOOD, N.J. — Jack Moreys, 63, the man behind the beloved Morey’s Pier amusement park in Wildwood and an eternal child, dreamer and creative force, has passed away, the Moreys family announced in a statement.
Molly and her brother Will inherited the iconic amusement park from their parents and became co-owners.
“While Jack was never particularly fond of titles, he was the company’s executive vice president, chief creative officer and, most importantly, a champion of the philosophy: ‘It’s going to be beautiful…We are going to change everything,'” the statement said, quoting his well-known encouraging words.
The Morley family statement did not disclose the cause of death. The Cape May County Herald reported: He died on July 19 from complications from cancer.
“Jack’s life is a testament to his passion, creativity and unwavering love for the people, experiences and beauty of life – which he often attempted to view upside down with impromptu handstands,” said a statement issued by third-generation marketing director Kyle Morey.
“Known for his quirky, gregarious personality, Jack would often dive deep and fast into a conversation,” Molly writes. “With no regard for conventional boundaries, Jack’s go-to question when meeting someone was, ‘What do you like?'”
And he was genuinely interested in the answers, his family said.
” read more: The ghost ship that sits on the pier at Morey’s Pier has a story to tell.
Molly never lost his sense of adventure and love of coming up with new rides and attractions, like Ghost Ship, which he co-created in 2010 when he recruited his friend, the karaoke-run writer Terry O’Brien, with a novella-sized origin story attached.
At the time, he enthusiastically gave reporters and camera crews a tour of his new vehicles, showing them an exploding toilet and even pulling out a kitchen knife to cut off the head of a water-spewing rubber chicken.
He enjoyed “blasting random wind, spurting vomit from animatronic skeletons and ushering them into claustrophobic rooms that trap everyone who enters,” The Inquirer wrote in 2010.
The statement said Morey “has long been fascinated by people, design and public spaces around the world and has spent her life and career bringing her incredible, natural creativity to life.”
He left his mark on Wildwood far beyond the amusement park. Projects Jack was involved in and his family says they are continuing Jack’s unique vision include the Rio Grande Avenue Gateway, the iconic “Wildwood” sign, the Wildwood Dog Park and Beach, the Socratic Outdoor Learning Center, doo-wop style architecture, Starlux Mini-Golf and his latest project, the Big Little 9 Golf Course.
“Jack loved the Wildwoods and often said, ‘It’s not a place for everyone, but it’s a place for everyone,'” his family said.
” read more: A day at Molly’s Pier
“We never want to admit we’re sophisticated,” Molly told the Inquirer during a tour of the new Ghost Ship in 2010. “We’re just taking cheesiness to a new level. These attractions are very difficult to build, very labor-intensive. What we do with it from a business standpoint is up in the air. For Wildwood, for us, for our cultural brand, this is reality.”
“He saw things differently,” said Wildwood Crest Mayor Don Cabrera, who posted a tribute on Facebook. “He helped us rethink plans for our city, including the design of Centennial Park, the Little League field, Sunrise Park. He was relentless, but in a good way.”
There was a time when the Mollies aspired to become Disney, but architect Steven Eisner, famous for embracing the Las Vegas zeitgeist, picked Jack’s brain.
“He said, ‘Do the opposite of a theme park,'” Molly said. “Molly’s is a public space. It’s ad hoc and spontaneous. The rides are juxtaposed: regular amusement park rides and rollercoasters going overhead. We always preserve the ocean view.”
“There’s no entrance fee, no gates, no parking. There’s the ocean, the beach, the promenade, people coming and going. It’s truly urban.”
Molly was born in Wildwood but grew up in Fort Lauderdale. According to the Cape May County Herald. His family moves north in the summer to run the amusement park. He graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in construction management. Though it’s a family business, Molly’s Piers has built its own amusement park empire, with 100 rides, two water parks, a hotel, a restaurant and employing more than 1,500 seasonal workers.
Molly is survived by his wife Karen, their two children Zach (Morgan) and Jordan (Alyssa), and many canine companions including Hobbs, Finley and Frankie. “When our grandchildren (Jack, Miller and Nora) were born, he was the first to jump on the ground, taught them to crawl and spent as much time on the ground as the newborn babies,” the family said.
Funeral plans have not been announced.
