Dennis Rochford, a longtime trade association executive, died on Saturday.
Rochford is President of the Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay, Philadelphia-based trade association serving port businesses in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. The association announced his death Monday morning.
He was active in the successful effort to deepen the channel of the Delaware River. The deepening work allows large vessels to sail up the river.
Rochford had headed the exchange since 1994 after joining its staff in 1988.
Rochford was active in Delaware organizations and served on the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce and Delaware Public Media boards, a PBS radio station based in Dover.
Earlier in his career, Rochford was active in political circles and ran for public office while also heading former Delaware Gov. Pete du Pont’s Iowa presidential effort, the exchange noted.
