Robert T. Healey, Sr., a prominent New Jersey businessman who founded a shipbuilding business in Ocean County, died on December 9. He was 92.
Healey was the father of Bob Healey, a candidate for the Republican nomination for Congress in New Jersey’s 3rd district, where Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown) is seeking re-election to a second term.
“My father was a good man with a deep faith and commitment to service. No person or mission was ever a lost cause to him,” Healey said. “He saw the potential in everyone and believed that our true worth and value in life is in our contributions to others. He believed that the people around him – his family, friends and employees – lifted him to success and it was his obligation to leave the world a better place.”
An attorney, Healey founded the Viking Yacht Company in 1964. Viking became the largest manufacturer of sport fishing yachts in the United States and employs about 1,600 people. He was the founder of the Healey Education Foundation and the Catholic Partnership Schools in Camden.
Through the Healey International Relief Foundation, he and his son built schools in impoverished areas of Mexico and brought food, clean water, housing, medical assistance and education to the war-torn Sierra Leone. He also founded an equestrian program for at-risk youth
“While we mourn our loss, we know that our father did make a difference and the legacy that he leaves behind is for us to carry forward,” Healey said.
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