VERO BEACH — Jacob “Jake” Replogle of Vero Beach, long-time proprietor of the iconic Ocean Grill, died Wednesday from Alzheimer’s Disease. Replogle was 88 years old.
Jake and then-wife Mary Ellen Replogle first came to Vero Beach as honeymooners in 1949; they ran a hamburger and hot dog stand on 14th St. before eventually leaving for Wisconsin so that Jake could pursue coursework in restaurant operations. By the time they returned for good in 1965, they had a family of four children and two successful steak houses in Milwaukee. They were eager to lease the Ocean Grill building from the Sexton family and begin a business in the well-known structure lurching out over the sand. With its mahogany, cypress, and wrought iron interiors, and grand view of the rolling Atlantic Ocean, the Grill was a natural lure for experienced restaurateurs.
Jake Replogle ran the Ocean Grill full-time until the late 1980s, when he turned over the helm to his older son, Charles. The patriarch of the family, Jake Replogle set the tone of being a strong supporter of local charitable events, sports teams and nonprofit organizations, especially the Abilities Resource Center.
Replogle leaves behind sons Jake Jr. of Milwaukee, Charles and John of Vero Beach and daughters Anne of Arlington, Va., and Connie, of Brooklyn, New York, as well as extended family in Vero Beach and across the country.
The details of any memorial or funeral services have not yet been released, but Replogle’s burial will reportedly be out of state.
Read his obituary – Jacob Replogle, 88, Vero Beach; Ocean Grill proprietor
Vero Beach 32963 Features Writer Sandra Rawls contributed to this story.