Longtime Ortley Beach Advocate, Parade Organizer Passes Away

Ken Langdon (left) at the WOBM radio studios. (Photo: Townsquare Media via Jersey Shore Online)

An Ortley Beach resident who advocated for his neighborhood for years at Toms River Township council meeting and organized the township’s Veterans Day parade has passed away, his family members said Monday.

Ken Langdon, 85, was a fixture for years – especially after Superstorm Sandy struck – at township council meetings, opining on beach maintenance, dunes, flood mitigation and property taxes. He was head of the Ortley Beach Liaison Committee, a group of residents who volunteer to bring issues important to the neighborhood to elected officials.

Langdon was known not just for his unending advocacy for his neighbors, but also his fellow veterans. Langdon served in the U.S. Navy, was a member of the local VFW post and chaired the Veterans Day Parade committee for many years. Before moving to Ortley Beach in 2004, Langdon owned a seasonal home and held many volunteer posts in Franklin Park, Somerset County, where he previously lived. There, he was a Board of Education member and Boy Scout leader.

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Langdon was also inducted into the New Brunswick High School athletic hall of fame for football and track as a member of the class of 1952.

A viewing will be held from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday at the Timothy Ryan Funeral Home, 706 Route 35 North, Lavallette. A memorial service will be held at 5 p.m.