Darryl Behnke is joined by his mother, Debbie Behnke, and her husband, Charles Hassler, during Darryl’s 42nd birthday in 2023. (Photo courtesy of Debbie Behnke)
It was this time last year that Debbie Behnke first appeared before City Council to speak about the extraordinary life of her late son, Darryl.
She showed up again on Tuesday to once again ask Sea Isle City officials to consider naming the corner of 40th Street and Landis Avenue as “Darryl’s Way” in her son’s honor.
Exhibiting a mother’s patience, she has waited for a year to find out whether her request would be granted by city officials. She was satisfied with what she heard at the Council meeting.
“We will resolve this in short order,” City Business Administrator George Savastano assured Behnke.
Over the years, Sea Isle has named a number of streets in honor or in memory of local residents or other people who had strong ties to the community.
Behnke, a Sea Isle resident and real estate agent, explained that she hopes the city will name the corner of 40th and Landis as “Darryl’s Way” because that’s where her son enjoyed socializing with friends at the iconic Ocean Drive bar, better known to locals as the “OD.”
When Darryl was born in 1980, his doctor gave Behnke the grim prognosis that her son would probably live no more than five years.
He had the crippling disorders spina bifida and hydrocephalus. However, Darryl defied the doctor’s predictions and lived for 42 years while using a wheelchair for his mobility.
Behnke said her son served as an inspiration to disabled people all of his life because he showed them, even if they were in a wheelchair, to never accept that “you can’t do whatever everyone else does.”
“Darryl made a difference in people’s lives,” she said.
Debbie Behnke speaks to the members of City Council about her late son, Darryl.Darryl became well-known in Sea Isle City – mainly for his friendly personality and also through the relationships he built while working for the town’s beach tag department for more than 10 years starting around 1997.
He passed away on April 30, 2023, five months shy of his 43rd birthday. Behnke said her son used a wheelchair his entire life while living with spina bifida and hydrocephalus.
Spina bifida is a condition that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don’t form properly, while hydrocephalus is a neurological disorder caused by an abnormal buildup of fluid on the brain.
Darryl distinguished himself while dealing with the challenges of his serious medical condition. He graduated from Woodstown High School when the family lived in Alloway Township, Salem County.
Behnke said Darryl was the first New Jersey Boy Scout in a wheelchair to become an Eagle Scout, the highest rank a Boy Scout can achieve after completing a community-oriented project.
For Darryl’s Eagle Scout project, he helped out the fire department in Alloway Township by cataloging the local homes that had driveways long enough for the big fire trucks to access the homes in case there was a fire, Behnke said.
Reflecting his community service, Darryl was also influential in helping to provide disabled residents with transportation through the Darryl’s Wheels Foundation, according to his obituary.
Debbie Behnke formerly served as social services director for Salem County and has been an advocate for the disabled community.
As the mother of a disabled son, she was influential in the building of the Freedom Village project, a 60-unit, ADA-accessible apartment complex in Salem County.
Debbie Behnke, in pink shirt, her husband, Charles Hassler, seated next to her, and friends and supporters appear at the City Council meeting to push for the naming of "Darryl's Way."Behnke was joined at the City Council meeting by her husband, Charles Hassler, who was Darryl’s stepfather, and about a dozen friends and supporters to urge Sea Isle officials to consider the request for the “Darryl’s Way” street naming.
“If anyone is worthy of something like this, it’s Darryl,” said Doug Wright, who was a close friend of Darryl’s.
Wright spoke of how the Darryl’s Wheels Foundation has provided free transportation for many disabled people in South Jersey. He emphasized that Darryl was the inspiration for the transportation service.
“Darryl was a special guy,” said Wright, who lives in Pennsville and serves on the board of the Darryl’s Wheels Foundation.
Patrick Bomba, a committeeman in Carneys Point, Salem County, said Darryl will always be remembered for his kindness and friendship.
“He led a very full life. He never met anyone he didn’t like,” Bomba told Sea Isle officials.
