Ralph A Real, Sr.


Date of birth: 11/11/1930
Date of death: 08/27/2011
Visitation Hours: 4-7 pm Wednesday at Fiore Funeral Home, 236 Monmouth Road, Oakhurst
Service Time: Funeral Mass 10 am Thursday at St. Jerome\'s Church, West Long Branch
Cemetery: St. Anne\'s Cemetery, Glendola
Funeral Home: Oakhurst
Ralph Albert Real, Sr., 80, of Ocean Township, the patriarch of a close and loving family, passed away Saturday, August 27, 2011 at home surrounded by his family after a long illness.
Born in New York City and raised in Ohio and Florida, he had been a resident of the Ocean Township area for 60 years. He attended the University of Miami on a football scholarship and was a Miami Hurricane both on and off the field. He was a linebacker on the Miami's Orange Bowl. He joined the US Army and served as a 2nd Lieutenant, Tank Division. He also played football on the All Army team. Ralph was a graduate of Monmouth College in West Long Branch and Seton Hall School of Law in Newark. He was a successful and well respected attorney and was in private practice for 50 years. An ambitious man with determination and grit, he was the founder and proprietor of The Monmouth Bottle Shop in Oakhurst since 1957. He also was co-owner of the Delaware Bay Oyster Company. A lifelong avid fisherman, he was the first chairman of the Marine Fishery Commission for the State of New Jersey and a member of the Belmar Fishing Club. He enjoyed reading, travelling and spending time with his family. Raised as a Catholic, Ralph was a dedicated communicant of St. Jerome Roman Catholic Church, West Long Branch.
He is predeceased by his parents, Samuel and Bessie Real and a granddaughter, Sarah Kirman.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Elizabeth W. Real; 2 daughters, Deborah and her husband Gary Kirman of West Long Branch, Catharine and her husband Michael McGowan of Oak Point, TX, 3 sons, James and his wife Sharon Real of Oakhurst, Ralph Jr. and his wife Roni Sue Real of Oakhurst and Samuel Real of Los Angeles, CA and 10 grandchildren, Lucas and his wife Nicole Kirman, Nicholas, Caitlin, Padraig and Niall McGowan and Angelica, Julia, Ryan, Christopher and McKenna Real.
Relatives and friends are invited to visit from 4-7 pm Wednesday at the Fiore Funeral Home, 236 Monmouth Road, Oakhurst, Ocean Township. A Funeral Mass will be offered at 10 am Thursday at St. Jerome Church in West Long Branch. Burial will be at St. Anne's Cemetery, Glendola. Flowers will be accepted or donations in his memory may be made to St. Jerome Church, 250 Wall Street, West Long Branch, NJ 07764.