Joseph J. Marmora passed away on December 6, 2024 after a traumatic brain injury he suffered from a fall while walking two weeks ago.  He died surrounded by his family at the home of his daughter Joanne Heavey where he was under hospice care.

Born in Jersey City to Italian immigrants, Joseph and Rose (Troppoli) Marmora, he was raised in Neptune and was a 1953 graduate of St. Rose High School where he was an All-Shore shortstop.  He graduated Villanova in 1957 with a degree in accounting.  

While at St. Rose he met a girl from Asbury Park named Ginny Crandall, with whom he would fall in love and share 66 happy years of marriage. They began their lives together in Neptune City before finally settling in Ocean Township where they raised their family.  They eventually built their dream house near the beach in Allenhurst at which they hosted countless barbecues and holiday gatherings that remain cherished in memory by their children and grandchildren.  

Joe spent his professional life in commercial real estate, beginning with the Kislak Organization before striking out on his own in 1971 to form Watson-Marmora Ltd. in Manhattan. He retired from the business in 1985, and thereafter turned his attention to the cause of homelessness.  Having spent considerable time studying the issue, he was instrumental in the 1988 formation of Interfaith Neighbors, a nonprofit organization in Asbury Park to which he passionately devoted the remainder of his life. In the ensuing years he oversaw the growth of Interfaith from a simple rental assistance program for working poor families to what it is today, employing over 50 people and running several public assistance programs including a kitchen that serves over 40,000 meals annually to the homebound, a community garden, an early learning center for underprivileged children, and an employment training program for disadvantaged City youth who run a restaurant on Springwood Avenue called “Kula Cafe.”  Interfaith also became active as a developer of affordable housing for first-time homebuyers, rehabbing abandoned homes and constructing over 70 new housing units throughout Asbury Park’s west side.  His efforts will leave a bright mark on the City for decades to come as Interfaith continues his legacy.  

A devout Catholic and deeply prayerful man, he was a member of Our Lady of Hope parish where he was a daily communicant at St. Mary’s in Deal.  He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus, Legatus, and a rosary group that met every day via Zoom.

His second “religion” was golf, about which Joe was a purist and stickler for the rules. A long time member of Deal Golf & Country Club, he played a full round the day before his tragic fall and it is said he par’d the 18th to finish.  Many of his long-passed golf buddies are undoubtedly waiting for him in the first tee box on the heavenly course (which he was certain exists).

Joe was pre-deceased in 2022 by his beloved wife Ginny and leaves behind his 6 children, James (Linda) Marmora, John (Kathy) Marmora, Joanne (John) Heavey, Elizabeth (Michael) Paterno, Patricia (Joseph) Struck, Paul Marmora, and daughter-in-law Amy Marmora, as well as 14 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren (with two more on the way), a sister Dolores Caracappa, and a multitude of friends he touched with his infectious smile and warm personality.   

At Joe’s request, there will be no wake but a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10AM on Monday, December 9, 2024 at St. Jerome Church, 254 Wall Street, West Long Branch.  Burial to follow in St. Catharine Cemetery, Wall.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his memory to Interfaith Neighbors, 810 Fourth Ave, Asbury Park, NJ 07712.