William H. “Billy” Cordrey of  High Bar Harbor on Long Beach Island has been chosen the 2020 Carver of the Year by the New Jersey Decoy Collectors Association.

BEST CARVER: William Cordrey shows two of his carvings, curlew and merganzer. (Supplied Photo)

Past NJDCA President Grove Conrad, who seems to know a lot about his friend, has written the following biography and affectionate roast.

TRADITIONAL: Cordrey makes decoys the same way his predecessors did: functional and with minimal decoration. He also ages them.

Billy Cordrey was born on “The Beach” and grew up learning and doing all of those bay things that kids today are hard-pressed to even read about.