BARNEGAT LIGHT – The borough of Barnegat Light is mourning the loss of its longtime mayor, Kirk O. Larson, who died August 30 while undergoing emergency heart surgery. He was 71.
Larson, who first took office in 1995, guided the borough for nearly 30 years and was among the longest-serving mayors in Ocean County. His leadership earned him induction into the New Jersey League of Municipalities’ Mayors’ Hall of Fame.
Deeply rooted in the local fishing industry, Larson was co-owner of Viking Village, Ocean County’s largest commercial fishing fleet and seafood dock. The family business, started by his parents, John and Marion Larson, became synonymous with Barnegat Light. In 1978, he helped purchase the community’s first scallop boat, the Grand Larson, cementing his lifelong ties to the sea.
A 1972 graduate of Southern Regional High School, Larson was inducted into the district’s Wall of Fame in 2008.
“He was dedicated to fighting against wind farms and protecting his township,” the Ocean County Republican Club said in a statement, calling Larson a “dear friend and fellow Republican.”
In accordance with state law, Borough Council President Michael Spark has assumed the role of acting mayor. Funeral arrangements and details for a public memorial will be announced in the coming days.
