J. Donald Dunleavy, 74, of Margate, N.J., a native Philadelphian who was a Jersey Shore legend as a longtime tavern owner and bartender, died of cancer Sunday at Linwood (N.J.) Care Center.
Mr. Dunleavy grew up in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia with five older siblings. He graduated from Roman Catholic High School and then served in the Army as a corporal in Korea during the Korean War.
After his discharge, he worked as a bartender in Fairmount before moving to the Shore. In the 1960s, Mr. Dunleavy and his partners opened Opus in Atlantic City. He later owned and operated the Flamingo, Augustine's, the Jockey Club and Dunleavy's in Atlantic City; the Elbo Room in Margate; and the Mug in Somers Point.
