Asbury Park Press from Asbury Park, New Jersey • Page 14

THURSDAY. FTB 10.2005 ASBURY PARK-OCEAN REPORTER ASBURY PARK PRESS PAGES ALT0M0NTB Parkhill's mourns loss of owner I A- '1 I'. 1 Michael Parkhill hat taken ever as owner of Parkhill's Waterfront Grill in Loch Arbour since his brother, John, passed away early this year, (staff photos: jeannie oaudwi I f. 4' I i i i-m mF. BY JOHN MAJESKI Staff Writer Michael Parkhill recalled his younger brother's memory recently while seated at a table in Parkhill's Waterfront Grill, the Loch Arbour restaurant and bar his sibling started years ago.

LOCH ARBOUR "Ourrela-iHM tionship was just one giant ball of laughs," he said of John A. Parkhill, who died suddenly last month while vacationing with friends in Florida. "Seldom was there a serious moment." The business at 601 Main St. now is in the hands of the elder Parkhill, 48, of Sea Girt. Although John Parkhill's recent physicals stated he was in good health, his brother said the former Interlaken resident died of heart failure after becoming seasick during a deep-sea fishing trip.

After John Parkhill fell ill, the boat began making its way back to shore but it was still 20 minutes from the dock when his heart gave out, Michael Parkhill said. John Parkhill was 43. "It's a shock," Parkhill's gen- era! manager Malia Wells said of her former boss's death. "Everybody's still in shock." Wells, 31, said John Parkhill will be missed. "Not only was he a boss, he was a friend, too," she said.

In addition to working as a Parkhill's waitress, Lauren Amato used to baby-sit John Parkhill's three children: John Urie, 12, Gabrielle, 7, and Victoria, 3. "He was like my brother," she said. "Everyone was on such a personal level with him." Amato, 22, said it's going to take time to adjust to the loss of John Parkhill. "We still expect him to walk i i through the door anytime," Amato said. Michael Parkhill, who also works as a director of real estate for Jersey Mike's Subs, said he feels like he has some "huge" shoes to fill at the business.

The local watering hole was closed for a week after John Parkhill's death. Eighteen months ago, John Parkhill had drawn up a will, making his older brother the trustee and executor of his estate. "Who would have thought 18 months later this would happen?" Michael Parkhill said. He said Parkhill's Waterfront Grill wasn't an investment for his younger brother, it was his life. "He started out as a banker out of college, but this is what he always wanted to do," he said.

According to an Asbury Park Press obituary, John Parkhill was born and raised in Spring Lake and earned a bachelor's degree from St. Louis University, St. Louis, and a master's degree from Monmouth University, West Long Branch. Michael Parkhill said nothing much will change with the busi- ONGOING SALE 20 to 40 OFF ENTIRE INVENTORY AL TO MONTE This collage, made in memory of John Parkhill, hangs in Parkhill's Waterfront Grill in Loch Arbour. ness, which he said his brother created as not only a place to drink, but one in which everyone would feel comfortable.

Amato said it still feels strange without John Parkhill around. But, she added, "as long as we keep the restaurant going, we'll keep his memory alive." Parkhill's Waterfront Grill is open from 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Mondays through Sundays. For more information, call Parkhill's at (732) 660-0040.

John Majeski: (732) 643-4255 or jmajeskiapp.com 90 Broad Street Red Bank, NJ 07701 732.530.7565 1 61 Main Street Manasquan, NJ 08736 732.223.7727 El Vt STOP AMD SEE OTLffi VALENTILNE'S BAY JEWELRY SPEC ML ALL GOLD DIAMOND JEWELRY ON SALE, DIAMOND HEARTS FROM $50M We Feature The Best Prices On New Estate Jewelry! Why Pay Retail? (4 Jaw IT?) CENTURY JEWELERS i 9-5, Fri. 9-6, Sat. Closed Sunday 724 Cookman Avenue Asbury Park 732-776-8900.