Tongues were out and tails were wagging as Monroe Township dedicated its dog park in memory of former Mayor Richard DiLucia with a new sign and bench.
The Williamstown park was shaped as a dog bone, with a large and small dog area at Owens Park that was “a long time in the making,” spanning three mayors, officials said. It finally came to fruition in 2021 and into 2022 and was completed during DiLucia’s time in office.
“Enjoy the day,” Mayor Greg Wolfe said at the dedication ceremony on Aug. 11.
DiLucia passed away in 2023 at the age of 84. He served Monroe for 14 years as councilman and mayor was also president of the Westinghouse Union and vice president of the 1199C Hospital Workers union.
DiLucia coached football for many years with St. Barnabas, St. John Neumann, Roman Catholic and St. Augustine high schools, as well as the South Jersey Wildcats. In his spare time, he loved to go to the racetrack, watch the Philly sports teams and be with his family.
Normal park hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from November to March and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. April to October.