Ron DiMenna, the founder of Ron Jon Surf Shop, has died at 88.

DiMenna, who opened the first Ron Jon Surf Shop in Ship Bottom on Long Beach Island at age 24 in 1961, died Saturday in Florida, according to an online obituary.

“The entire Ron Jon family mourns this loss,” Ron Jon Surf Shop president Michele Goodwin said in a statement. “On behalf of our board of directors, management team, and employees, we extend our deepest sympathy to Ron’s wife, Lynne DiMenna.

“Ron was known as a free spirit, and his love for the beach and the sport of surfing endured throughout his life,” said Goodwin.

DiMenna began his career selling surfboards from California. He initially purchased three boards, sold two of them in front of the family grocery store, which allowed him to afford keeping the third f

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