Paul Higgins, Long-time Jersey Shore Presence Reels in His Last Line
- R.C. Staab
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
Paul's Motto, "Don't Let the Old Man In"
For every summer since the 1930s including this year, Paul Timothy Higgins, Sr., was a fixture in Sea Bright at the Jersey Shore. You could see him sitting on the porch at his family home on Ocean Avenue, standing on his deck overlooking the ocean or throwing a fishing line into the surf.
Those who knew him were thankful with his friendship. During Thanksgiving, we say farewell to Paul, who peacefully passed away on November 1. Driven by his motto, "Don't let the old man in,” Paul was an unfailing example of how to live 96 years to fullest with a positive attitude and exercising at the gym until his last summer.
Paul Higgins Obituary
Here are some excerpts from his obituary along with photos from his time at the Jersey Shore:
With hearts full of love and gratitude, we remember Paul Timothy Higgins, Sr. (Papap Paul), a man whose life was guided by prayer and compassion. His legacy of faith and love will live on in all who were blessed to know him.
Paul and friends in Sea Bright.
A man of quiet strength and deep kindness, he lived his life guided by his Catholic faith and an unwavering sense of integrity. Respected by all who knew him, Paul found peace and joy with his family and friends.
Paul and his wife, Noel.
Husband of the late Noel Kidwell Higgins; father of Paul T. Higgins, Jr., Kathleen Higgins Rice (John), and Thomas Marcus Higgins. Grandfather of Madison Rice, Camryn Rice, Matthew Higgins, Nicole Higgins, Cassidy Higgins, Jack Higgins, and Luke Higgins.
He was a graduate of Xavier High School and Manhattan College, New York City. An active member of St. Winifred Church on the Parish Council and as a Eucharist Minister and Usher. He served proudly with the Third Infantry Division during the Korean War, then went on to have a 40-year career in the insurance business, the last 25 years as Vice President at Rogal Company, Pittsburgh.
Higgins family with Shrewsbury River in background..
Paul's favorite pastimes included gardening his hydrangeas, golfing, going to the gym, surf fishing, '70s music, a lifelong love of all things Irish and most of all summers at the Jersey Shore with family and friends.
His presence, smiles, and waves brightened every room. His devotion to his family, friends, and faith left a lasting mark on all who knew him. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends, but his faith, enthusiasm, and love for life will be remembered always.
Paul Higgins and the Parker House Story from July 2021
Most customers at the legendary, crazy-busy downstairs bar at the Parker House in Sea Girt come back weekend after weekend all summer long. When Paul Higgins was working his way through college as a bartender in Sea Girt, he used to regularly visit the Parker House. That was in the 1950s.
Over the past 67 years, Paul's been busy getting married, raising a family, all while returning each summer from Pittsburgh to Sea Bright to enjoy the breezes off the ocean. He still drives, still goes to the gym and still lands blues and fluke off the beach.
It wasn't until Paul was reading a new book,100 Things to Do at the Jersey Shore Before You Die, that he realized that the Parker House was still thriving. This week, he returned for a visit to the bar and to have lunch at the restaurant on the main floor overlooking Sea Girt.
An Irish-Catholic kid from New York City
Paul grew up in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. In New York, his father worked for the courts which shut down every July and August. To escape the heat of the city in the late1930s, the family purchased a house on Ocean Avenue in Sea Bright -- a house that Paul still owns.
As a teenager during World War II, Paul and his friends worked in the bakery at The Essex and Sussex Hotel (now a condominium) in Spring Lake. "We had a ball," he said. They worked early mornings, spent afternoons at the beach and returned to work in the kitchen during the evening rush. (See photo below of Paul in front of The Essex and Sussex today.)
In 1950 after high school, Paul was drafted into the army. After a stint in Korea, he returned to attend college and spend the summers back in Sea Bright. As he was over 21 years old, he was able to get a job as a bartender at the grand Stockton Hotel in south Sea Girt and the Tremont Hotel, right around the corner from the Parker House in the northern section of the beach.
Paul has a Parker House postcard from about 50 years ago with a slogan on the back that reads, "Famous for fun and food." He remembers it as a quiet place. It was more subdued than the
Get the #1 NJ Travel Guide
Get your autographed copy while the summer is hot! Explore more places such as Parker House. Discover Boardwalks, fishing spots and outdoor adventures at the Jersey Shore. Click here to buy
Sand Bar at the Tremont Hotel and less formal as the Stockton House.
In the years since Paul's last visit to the Parker House, Sea Girt has seen the demolition of the Tremont Hotel, a fire that destroyed the Stockton Hotel and the disappearance of other hotels and cottages that once brought daily and weekly visitors to Sea Girt and Spring Lake, the so-called "Irish Riveria." Today, the area around the Parker House is residential, even though the beach and the Sea Girt Lighthouse are a block away.
The Parker House has soldiered on as a family-run business, owned by three families who see themselves more as curators more than owners of an 1878 building. (Paul is pictured below with Shane Matthews, manager and representative of one of the families.)
Since the late 1970s, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the bar is one of the hottest spots on the Jersey Shore. The VIP card holder list for the Parker House has more than 1,400 names. And there's a waiting list of more than 1,000 people hoping some day to purchase a VIP card to allow them to skip the line.
The Parker House logo has become so well known that part of the restaurant has been converted into a gift shop with shirts, hats and gifts. All you have to say is "God's Basement" and generations of visitors to the Jersey Shore will know what you mean.
If you see Paul in Sea Bright out with his fishing rod at the ocean, be sure to stop by so he give you the inside scoop on the Parker House.
