Henri J's
Henri J. learned life’s secret to success early on: love what you do. To him, servicing the cars of Wildwood’s locals and tourists is time at play not work. Whether inside his service station or out in his tow truck, he maintains a healthy sense of fun regarding his life’s work. Born Henri J. Bedard October 14, 1923 on a dairy farm lose to the Canadian border (near Champlain, New York), his early days would ultimately lead him to a life by he sea.

In his young adulthood, he worked for the federal government in Washington, D.C. He was then drafted into the army, with basic training in Fort Jackson, South Carolina. From there, it was signal school in Fort Monmouth, N.J. With D-Day approaching, he was shipped to England. D-Day would find Henri J in Omaha Beach, a far cry from the sandy shores he would later call home. Back in the United States, he later resumed work for the Federal government. However, working for someone else was not what the industrious Henri J was meant to do. He wanted a business to call is own. While he was contentedly managing a gas and repair station part-time in Philadelphia, the opportunity to be his own boss presented itself. In 1951, after borrowing the money he needed, he purchased what would become the infamous Henri J’s from a man creatively named Dewey Driver. The service and then-gas station is located in North Wildwood, a town he would become so much a part of but knew nothing about. Showing the effects of life and time on the economy, gas was then selling for 18.9 cents a gallon, kerosene for .07cents.

During these fundamentally different times, he would become a significant part of our town by the sea, including taking part in the all-important Easter parade. Back then, everyone dressed up in their Easter best, with Henri J dusting off his tuxedo, top hat, and boutonnière to serve eggnog to the grown-ups and candy to the kids from a table set up in front of his old building. This began a tradition that continues to this day. Despite the chillier ocean air, he can be spotted at Christmastime handing out candy to pleased children.

Even during the off-season, Henri J (the man and the business) stays blissfully busy. In addition to providing excellent auto service to the people of Wildwood, Henri J also served as interpreter, more regularly from 1955 to 1975, in a variety of law Advertisement in People Magazine courts. There, he helped bridge the language barrier between visiting French Canadians and the courts. When the gas quantity started dwindling in the 1980’s, repairs became the focal point at Henri J’s. In the 1990’s, the shop was chosen four years in a row by NAPA to be listed in People magazine as an exemplary shop, a reflection of Henri J’s commitment to the community.

Now 57 years later, Henri J can still be found happily at “play.” Alongside his son Hank, he continues to repair and care for each car brought into his station, proving that finding joy at work is the part most needed in every success story.

Photograph by Robert Kulisek for The SUN	Henri J and Hank Jr.
HENRI J. IN HIS EASTER SUIT- 1974
Advertisement in People Magazine	Photograph by Robert Kulisek for The SUN