LONGPORT - Borough Mayor Patrick Armstrong was excited Friday afternoon to officiate a very special marriage ceremony. The wedding was simple but extraordinary because it was the first-ever wedding held at Dorothy McGee Park.
Joann McGuire and James Henry Desselaers tied the knot at 1 p.m. in the gazebo at the park on 22nd Avenue that was dedicated to the memory of Dorothy McGee who lived next door for many years. Upon her death in 2023, McGee bequeathed the land for the park to the borough with the stipulation that it be turned into a beautiful park with a gazebo.
At one point during Friday morning's stormy weather, it was decided the wedding would be moved indoors at Borough Hall. With a whisper from Dorothy, the clouds moved north and the sun shone through.
“She certainly made her presence known today at 1 pm. as the sun parted the wind and rain, right as the wedding started,” Armstrong said after the event. “James and Joann were just so thrilled to share the love that Dorothy had envisioned for the community in donating the park for so many to enjoy and we today are so thankful.”
Longport Mayor Patrick Armstrong with newlyweds Joann McGuire and James Henry Dresselaers and their famlies, Dec. 19, 2025.
