Monmouth County Parks leader dies after 58 years on the job
James J. Truncer, the longtime leader who oversaw the growth of the Monmouth County Park System from 350 acres and three parks to more than 18,000 acres across more than three dozen facilities, died Sunday. He was 86 years old.
Truncer, of Allentown, was still serving as the county's parks director, a position he had for 58 years, nearly the entire history of the system itself.
"Jim was a true visionary and respected leader. We will always remember Jim's tireless dedication to the Park System and the people of Monmouth County as his legacy," a statement issued by Monmouth County Commissioners said.
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"While we mourn the loss of a great man, we celebrate Jim's life and thank him for the incredible impact he has had on the Monmouth County Park System, the County as a whole and every single individual that was fortunate enough to work with him."
Monmouth County began acquiring land for its park system in 1960 and created the board of recreation commissioners in 1961, according to an oral history interview Truncer conducted through the Monmouth County Library system in 2000.
Truncer joined the nascent Monmouth County Board of Recreation Commissioners and became an county employee in 1964 when he was hired as a park planner in the county planning department. He was selected at the county park system director the following year.
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It was a perfect fit for Truncer, who had earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in Natural Resources and Park Management, according to the oral history. His father also spent his career working for the state parks system, Truncer told the interviewer in 2000.
"My father had his career with state parks so I was born into the business and didn't realize that's what I wanted to do, but I did have the early exposure in this field," according to Truncer's 2000 oral history interview.
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Under his leadership, Monmouth County Park System expanded from three parks — Shark River, Holmdel and Turkey Swamp parks — to 37 parks encompassing more than 18,000 acres, six golf courses and 148 miles of trails.
Truncer lived most of his life in Allentown, first moving there in 1951 with his family. He met his wife Ramona at Upper Freehold Regional High School, according to his oral history interview. Ramona died in February 2021 after the couple had been married 63 years.
Susanne Cervenka covers Monmouth County government and property tax issues, winning several state and regional awards for her work. She's covered local government for nearly 20 years, with stops in Ohio and Florida before arriving in New Jersey in 2013. Contact her at @scervenka; 732-643-4229; scervenka@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Monmouth County NJ parks leader dies after 58 years on the job
