Floyd A. Denicola

FLOYD A DENICOLA Floyd A DeNicola, age 92, of Jensen Beach died after a long illness on 4 December 2012. Born in Mingo Junction, Ohio on 8 December 1920 of Italian- born parents, he learned to speak English in first grade. He went on to eventually earn a Ph.D. in economics from Ohio State University<$>his beloved Buckeyes. Saturdays in the Fall were always devoted to cheering their football team, especially when led by Woody Hayes who was his football coach in high school. He married Kathleen (Kay) M Schoch, now deceased, his wife of 68 years in March of 1943 on a 4 day pass from the US Army. He served in the 95th Infantry, known as the Victory division and was one of the Iron Men of Metz, named so after the fierce combat in retaking that French town. He was wounded in the Moselle region, repelling German advances across the Saar. For his heroic war efforts, he received a silver star with oak leaf cluster, a bronze star and the purple heart. The French said 'thanks' in 2009 by naming him a Chevalier in their Legion of Honor. After the war, Floyd finished his formal education and went on to a History professorship at Davis and Elkins College in Elkins, WV. He taught Social Studies as a dept. head at Hillside HS in Hillside NJ. He then left fresh water fishing behind and moved to the Jersey shore where he taught Economics as the head of the Social Studies Dept. at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional HS in Rumson NJ<$> and salt water fish were never safe again. Committed to education and the environment, Floyd was a long-time volunteer at the Environmental Studies Center in Jensen Beach, the establishment of Indian Riverside Park, the Men's Garden Club, the Florida Native Plant Society and the Martin County Conservation Alliance. He and Kay maintained summer homes on Paulinskill Lake in northern Jersey, then Great East Lake in Wakefield NH and later moved to a tidal cove on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia. Floyd is survived by his sister Grace Linn of Jensen Beach, his daughters Kathleen of Dover NH, and Karyn of Mount Laurel NJ, his beloved grandchildren Geoffrey, Katie and Brian and the most perfect great grandchildren: Jackson, Jeremy and Peter, who all love to fish. A memorial service is planned for Jan 12 at 1 pm at the Environmental Studies Center. Memorial donations can be made to the Environmental Studies Center of Jensen Beach or the Martin County Conservation Alliance in Stuart. Paid Obituary