Anthony Vincent "Jack" Giacalone

Anthony "Jack" Vincent Giacalone

Born March 6, 1918, Jack passed away in his sleep on May 18th. He was 103 years of age.

Jack was born in Jersey City, NJ at the height of the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918. His mother, Anna, a brother and a sister succumbed to the flu.

His father Bartholomew moved his infant son Anthony to the small town of Vineland in south Jersey where other members of the Giacalone family had settled after immigrating from Italy. In Vineland his father, a pharmacist, opened a pharmacy and raised his son with the help of Jack's grandmother, Nicasia. Ten years later Jack gained a new mother when his father married Lena (Tuso). Not long after, Jack also gained a new sister, Ann.

Jack lived in Vineland for nearly 90 years. He became a pharmacist and joined his father in the family business, the Vineland Drug Co. During WWII Jack worked under the War Manpower Commission as a pharmacist serving the needs of his local community. He married Phyllis (Testa) during the war and they shared their lives together for 55 years before she passed away. During that time they worked hard, enjoyed life and raised two sons, Bart and Anthony.

An avid golfer, Jack played regularly after retirement and was fortunate enough to score a hole in one. He was befriended by a group of younger, local firemen and they traveled the east coast on golf outings. Affectionately referred to as "Doc" or "Sonny", he was appreciated as the older, wiser pragmatist never at a loss for a wry comment.

Later, he lived on the beach in Cape May, NJ with his "younger" sister Ann. They enjoyed the company of friends and the extended family for a number of years at the shore.

When it was no longer practical for 95 and 83 year old siblings to care for each other, Jack moved into assisted living in Cape May. A few years later he made the not unusual trek to Florida, like many before him, in search of the "fountain of youth". At 103, Jack resided at Renaissance Assisted Living in Vero Beach, FL.

Jack is survived by his sons Bart and Anthony, their wives Kathleen Lundquist and Sandra Rockman, his sister Ann Giacalone D'Ippolito and a host of nieces and nephews.

A funeral mass will be held at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church in Cape May, NJ on June 19 at 11 am. He will be interred in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Vineland, NJ. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Vineland Fire Department, Lloyd Ronchetti Scholarship Fund, 110 N. Fourth Street, Vineland, NJ 08360.