George J. Hickey, 79, of Brielle, formerly of Sea Girt, left this world unwillingly, yet peacefully, at home surrounded by his loving family on May 20, 2016. He was fiercely loyal, eternally proud, and greatly loved.

George was born in September, 1936 and was raised in Yonkers, NY. After graduating from Gorton High School in 1954, George served in the U.S. Army. Following his military service, George’s career was focused on one thing: insurance. He started his career with the James V. Gould Insurance Company (his brother-in-law’s company) in NYC, and continued working for insurers until he opened his own insurance agency in 1981, Hickey Insurance Services, Inc., which his son Jim took over in 2001.

George leaves behind his wife of 55 blissful years, Helena (Coffey) Hickey; his 5 children: Tara Hickey of West Long Branch, Maura Hickey McCarthy (Brendan) of Fair Haven, Katie Hickey Devine (Chris) of Cincinnati, OH, Jim Hickey (Liz) of Spring Lake, and Brannigan Hickey (Lynda) of Jacksonville, OR. He will be deeply missed by his 9 grandchildren: Richard Nappi, Shannon and Deirdre McCarthy, Brigid and Erin Devine, Lauren and Kiernan Hickey, and Georgia and James Hickey. George is also survived by his sister, Gloria Williams of Danbury, CT; his sister-in-law, Ann (DeVito) Hickey of Trenton; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and close friends. George is predeceased by his parents, William and Catherine (Brannigan) Hickey of Yonkers, NY; his sister, Kay Gould; and his brother, William Hickey.

George was a parishioner at Saint Catharine’s Church for 42 years, and he was a devout Catholic. He was an avid golfer and a longtime member of Spring Lake Golf Club and Mariner Sands Country Club (Stuart, FL). He was a volunteer firefighter with the Sea Girt Fire Department, a member of the Rotary Club and the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick, but landscaping was his favorite pastime.

George was a loving father and grandfather. He loved family, being with friends, being Irish, righteous battles, and defending the underdog. He hated rules, vegetables, and being idle. He was a person you could count on no matter what you needed or when you needed it. George’s motto was “Never Never Never Give Up.”

Visitation will be on Tuesday, May 24, from 4-8pm at the O’Brien Funeral Home, 2028 Route 35, Wall. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, May 25 at 10:30 AM at Saint Catharine’s Catholic Church, 215 Essex Avenue, Spring Lake. Please go directly to the Church on Wednesday morning as there will not be a procession from the funeral home. Entombment to follow, Saint Catharine’s Cemetery, 1100 West Chicago Boulevard, Sea Girt.

In lieu of flowers, a donation would be much appreciated if made in George’s name to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Southwest Ohio Chapter, Attn: Accelerate 2.0, 8050 Hosbrook Rd. Suite 314, Cincinnati, OH 45236. To donate via phone: 513.793.3223, or to donate online via the Accelerate website:
https://jdrf-cincinnati.ejoinme.org/MyEvents/Accelerate20CarShow/TicketsSponsorships/tabid/766128/Default.aspx
Envelopes will be provided at the Funeral Home on Tuesday.

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