Tagging Right Along
Meet Sea Isle's 91-Year-Old Beach Tag Checker
Trudy manning her post at the 31st Street beach entrance.
Trudy shows off the beach tag necklace that was gifted to her.
While most people her age are long retired, one inspiring Sea Isle City resident who goes by Trudy is spending her summer days perched on a street corner by the sand, greeting beachgoers with a smile. Turning 92 this February, she still works four days a week because, as she puts it, “Why sit on the sofa when I can sit here?”
“Retired” isn’t really a word in Trudy’s vocabulary. After stepping away from her longtime role as a casino dealer at Resorts in 2010, she gave retirement a try but quickly realized it wasn’t for her. In 2013, she took a job as a beach tagger and has been stationed at the same corner of 31st Street beach ever since. Over the years, she’s watched generations of beachgoers come and go, learning every excuse in the book for not having a tag.
“Oh, the young ones always say their family has the tag down on the beach,” she says with a laugh. “I got familiar with that story pretty quick.”
She’s firm but fair: “I just tell them they can’t go on. That’s all. I’m to the point.”
Before Sea Isle, Trudy vacationed in Avalon. But when the job came calling, she made the switch. She may not see the waves from her post on the boardwalk, but she’s got a front-row seat to a steady stream of friendly faces and four-legged companions.
“I’ve got people who come back every year. One group even gave me a beach tag necklace,” she shares. “They all chipped in for it. I still have it.”
Even the wildlife seems to know Trudy. She’s befriended a small bird that visits her regularly during her shifts. “I don’t know what kind it is, but I recognize him by the way his little tail bobs up and down,” she says, smiling. “He’s been coming to visit me for a couple years now.”
In the off-season, Trudy keeps herself just as busy by visiting senior centers in Dennis Township and Cape May Court House, playing bingo, and meeting up with friends. Until recently, she also worked during the winters as a companion for disabled individuals, escorting them to appointments and errands. “I did that for 10 years,” she says.
Trudy keeps herself engaged. “As you get older, your friends pass away,” she says. “Your family passes away. You’ve just got to keep going.”
Though she’s considering trimming her schedule to three days a week in future summers, she’s not planning to slow down just yet: “I’ll keep doing it until I can’t anymore.”
She may not see herself as remarkable, but to beachgoers and locals alike, she’s a Sea Isle icon. Next time you’re headed to the beach, stop by and say hello to Trudy on 31st Street.
She'll be there with a smile, a story, and maybe even her little bird friend nearby.