JOHN GENTILCORE

GENTILCORE
JOHN (GIOVANNI)
June 5, 1929 – January 24, 2017. Peacefully, with his beloved wife of 60 years, Dolores Bernardon Gentilcore, holding his hand, John was passed into the waiting hands of God. A loving, proud, and ever faithful man, John is survived by not only the love of his life, but also his three sons, Robert B. (Sandra DiPietro), Dr. Thomas B., and Edward B. (Christina Clarkson), along with his "gems" (grandchildren), Valerie D., Andrew B., Griffith B., Clayton C. and Cameron S. John was the youngest of ten siblings. His father, Domenic, his mother, Clementina DeMasi, and his brothers and sisters all predeceased John, but he never ever forgot about them, often telling many fond stories of them and his youth growing up on Apple Avenue in the Lincoln-Larimer area of the City of Pittsburgh, and having a picture of his mom, who he lost when he was the age of 14, by his side until the day he too was called from this life at the age of 87. John also leaves behind many loving nieces, nephews and extended members of the Gentilcore family. After graduating from Westinghouse High School, John served his County proudly in the Korean War, where he was a member of the U.S. Army's 27th Infantry Regiment, the Wolfhounds, where he fought in the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge, fighting alongside of his friend, Thomas Suyeyasu, someone with whom he remained in contact, despite being nearly 2700 miles from where Tom lived in Gilroy, California, until Tom's passing a few years ago. John returned from his 13 month tour of duty in Korea, and having "been around the world", began work at Bell Telephone (where Dolores was also employed), repairing telephone lines and, in his own words, "driving a truck for Bell." John, always a great believer in education, attending the Thackeray Academy trade school, community college, and ultimately, the University of Pittsburgh, that is
until that fateful day when there was an opening at a local jewelry store. There, John found his passion, being a jeweler and goldsmith, as well as becoming, again in his own words, a "jeweler's jeweler." He was a true artist, crafting out of platinum, gold, silver, diamonds and other precious stones, lasting testimony to his special talent and vision. John often would say to a customer deciding on whether to buy a new piece of jewelry that they deserved it because they were special, and he meant every word of it, with true sincerity. He began his own business performing jewelry manufacturing and repairs for many of the larger department stores in Pittsburgh, training and employing people literally from around the world. When he saw the market moving more towards retail, he opened his first jewelry retail store, Gentilcore Jewelers, in Fox Chapel. Opened in 1973, it will celebrate its 44th consecutive year of family ownership and business operation. John and his best friend and true partner, Dolores, also had a very successful business of selling and crafting jewelry recrafting and resetting stones in new and beautiful rings and necklaces so they could be enjoyed anew and almost timelessly. John very much enjoyed being a member of Churchill Valley Country Club, where he played many rounds of golf (even though they always proved to be somewhat of a challenge) and hosted many dinners with his family and close friends. John also belonged to the Pittsburgh Athletic Association, where he was a member of the club's bowling league. John was a faithful member of St. Scholastica Parish in Aspinwall, Pennsylvania, served as the President of the St. Jude Lodge (No. 265) of the Order of Italian Sons & Daughters of America, and was a member of the American Legion, Post No. 0077 (Aspinwall). Still, it was always family that meant the most to John. He often remarked that he was "the luckiest man alive" having not only his children and his grandchildren around him, but also Dolores, his one true love. But it also need be remembered that in the end, John challenged, met and conquered many obstacles that confronted him in his desire to stay with his family as long as he could, surviving the Korean War, cancer, heart surgery, congestive heart failure and pneumonia, among other things, always fighting and winning so he could stay with his "girlfriend" just one more day. Friends and relatives will be received at the BURKET - TRUBY FUNERAL HOME CREMATION & ALTERNATIVE SERVICES, INC., 421 Allegheny Ave., Oakmont on Thursday, January 26, 2017, from 2-8 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Scholastica Church, 309 Brilliant Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15215 on Friday, January 27, 2017, at 10 a.m. Donations are encouraged to The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, P.O. Box 1776, Williamsburg, Virginia, 23187-9910, www.history.org, as John was always an admirer of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and, of course, a fellow Pennsylvanian, Mr. Benjamin Franklin.