John Blasi Musum

John Blasi Musum, 87, of Maplewood, N.J., passed away peacefully on Friday, Nov. 16, 2012, surrounded by his loving family. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Funeral Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, 217 Prospect St., South Orange, N.J., on Wednesday, Nov. 21, at 10:30 a.m. Interment is private. Visitation will be held at The Jacob A. Holle Funeral Home, 2122 Millburn Ave., Maplewood, on Tuesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. For more information or to send condolences, please visit jacobhollefuneralhome.com. John was born in Irvington, N.J., in 1924 to parents Venerando and Maria Gaetanina "Sadie" Musumeci. John was the eldest of three. He was predeceased by his two brothers, Vincent and Philip. The family relocated to South Orange and he graduated from Columbia High School in 1943. He was a member of the Merchant Marines during World War II, serving his country proudly in the Atlantic, Pacific, Mediterranean, and Middle East war zones. He continued to be involved in veterans affairs. Following the war, he returned to the family business, Musum Company & Sons Barber and Beauty Supply in Newark, N.J., with his father and two brothers, Vincent and Philip. John raised his family in Maplewood, where he became an active member of his community, serving on the Maplewood Planning Board and Republican committees, and was a lifetime member of the Lions Club, where he served as president and financial secretary. Music and theater were a big part of his life. He acted in and directed numerous productions Off-Broadway and at The Strollers, Paper Mill Playhouse, and Clark Community Players. John was an accomplished, self-taught piano player, and never missed an opportunity to croon for a crowd. He had an amazing recollection of generations of family history which he shared with his children, nieces, and nephews and grandchildren. His joke telling is legendary. The beloved husband of the late Jane Lent Musum, John is survived by his children, Anita Walls of Maplewood, and her husband, Jimmy, and children, Molly, Olivia, and James; son, Veny Musum and his wife, Patty, of Basking Ridge, N.J., and daughter, Jayne Burns, of Sebastopol, Calif., her husband, John, and children, Harrison and Julia, and his longtime companion, Vera Kroll.