WILDWOOD CREST – Jack Morey, who with his older brother, Will Jr., owned amusement piers, water parks, hotels and restaurants in Wildwood, died Friday, July 19, of complications from cancer. He was 63.

Morey, who was the executive vice president and chief creative officer of Morey’s Piers, was also active on many boards, including those of the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority, the Greater Wildwoods Chamber of Commerce and the Wildwoods Boardwalk Special Improvement District.

He helped establish Crest Centennial Park, Morey Ballpark and the Socratic Outdoor Learning Center of Wildwood, among others.

Tributes to Morey, who lived in Wildwood Crest, poured in from community leaders.

“Jack was by far Wildwood’s biggest cheerleader,” said North Wildwood Mayor Patrick Rosenello, who worked with Morey for more than 25 years on the boards of the Boardwalk Improvement District and the Tourism Improvement and Development Authority.

“As mayor of North Wildwood, I worked with Jack in a lot of different ways,” he said. “He was eternally optimistic and exuded confidence in every interaction.

“Personally he was a walking ball of energy. He was always curious; he was an amazing human being. I think the community is better off for his involvement, and he will be personally and professionally missed. His legacy will continue through his children and grandchildren, and I think that would make him very happy.”

John Donio, who knew and worked with Morey for 25 years, said, “He was a true visionary whose imagination left an indelible mark on all the Wildwoods.” Donio is owner of the Daytona Inn & Suites in Wildwood and president of the Wildwood Business Improvement District and the Doo-Wop Preservation League, which Morey founded in 1997.

“From the piers to the motels and hotels, to the entrance to Wildwood and all of his community involvement, Jack always had a vision for Wildwood to embrace what we are and try to make the Wildwoods an exciting place,” Donio said. “He inspired me at a young age with his enthusiasm to always make the Wildwoods better, more exciting, more thrilling.

“I know there is always a team behind a project, but Jack was always at the forefront. He will be sorely missed. His family can take solace in the fact that Jack inspired and touched so many lives.”

In a statement, the family said:

“Jack’s life is a testament to his passion, creativity, and unwavering love of the beauty of people, experiences, and life … which he often insisted on viewing upside down via an impromptu handstand.

“If you’ve visited Wildwood, you’ve been touched by Jack’s vision.

“The Rio Grande Avenue Gateway, the iconic “Wildwoods” sign, the Wildwood Dog Park and Beach, the Socratic Outdoor Learning Center, the Doo-Wop-style architecture, Starlux Mini Golf and his latest project, the Big Little 9 Golf Course, are just a few, and of course, Morey’s Piers and Resorts all bear Jack’s unique vision.

“He drew inspiration from the most unlikely places and poured his passion for beauty, art, and human interaction into everything in which he was involved. Jack adored the Wildwoods, often describing it as – “not a place for everybody, but it is a place for anybody,” and in answering the question of what’s your favorite project, there was no hesitation, simply – “the next one, but first we must fall in love.”

Morey was born in Wildwood but grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The family split their time between Florida and New Jersey, coming north during the summer to run hotels owned by the family.

He was a graduate of the University of Florida, where he received a B.S. in construction management.

In 1969, his father and his uncle started buying the boardwalk amusement piers — first the 25th Street pier and then, in 1977, Mariner’s Landing and the Spencer Avenue pier. The Moreys’ holdings also include two water parks, four hotels and five restaurants.

John Kelly, advertising and marketing manager at the Herald, was a sales manager at Morey’s Piers for eight years. He started working for Will Morey Sr. before Jack and Will Jr. took over from their dad, and worked for the brothers for a number of years.

“When I was the marketing and membership director at the Cape May County chamber for 20 years, Jack Morey said to me, ‘John, I have one piece of advice for you: If it’s not broke – break it!’ I found it a funny and interesting bit of advice that I never forgot,” he said.

“That was Jack’s quirky, alternative style. He had a serious yet lighthearted way of looking at things and was very creative.”

Morey and his brother were the recipients of the 2009 N.J. Family Business of the Year award given by the Rothman Institute of Entrepreneurship at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Also in 2009, they received the New Jersey BIZ Hall of Fame Family of the Year award, which honors individuals who have devoted their time and energy to improving and revitalizing business in New Jersey.

Morey served on the board of the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority as the chair of the Strategic Planning Committee and was the chair of the Hall of Fame for the International Association for Amusement Parks and Attractions. He also served on the board of the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts.

As a Type 1 insulin-dependent diabetic since age 5, Morey strived to help diabetic children realize their potential and was active with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Karen; his two sons, Zack (Morgan) and Jordan (Alyssa), and three grandchildren, Jack, Miller and Nora. He is also survived by his brother, Will Jr., and his family; his brothers- and sisters-in law, nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends and co-workers. He was predeceased by his parents, Will and Jackye Morey.

Visitation is from 10 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. Monday, July 29, at Assumption Church, 7100 Seaview Ave., Wildwood Crest, with a funeral Mass to follow at 1 p.m. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in his name be made to Wildwood Catholic Academy, 1500 Central Ave., North Wildwood, NJ 08260; St. Augustine Preparatory School, 611 Cedar Ave., Richland, NJ 08350, or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, breakthrought1d.org.

Contact the reporter, Karen Knight, at kknight@cmcherald.com.