Anthony Zampino

Anthony Zampino, Jr., 79, of Dover, NJ, passed away peacefully after a brief illness on Jan. 29, 2025. Tony was predeceased by his beloved wife of 44 years, Deborah Dill. He leaves behind many friends and a large extended family, including his sister Ann Zampino Gaffney; nieces Emily Dill, Dr. Camille Zampino, and Lorraine; nephews Larry and Mark Zampino; great niece Gianna Arrindell; great nephew Joseph Pellegrino; Tony Pellegrino, husband of his recently deceased niece, Doris; as well as his brother-in-law, James Dill. Tony and Debbie were foster parents to three wonderful women: Nicole Saganice, Melissa Young, and Susan Jernstedt.

Born in Brooklyn, NY on February 15, 1945, Tony was the youngest of six children born to Antonio and Concetta Zampino. He is predeceased by brothers Joseph, John, Sal, and sister Marge. His sister Ann says of Tony "He was the youngest and we were all grown when he was born. He was truly our baby and dearly loved. He was gifted. He could do so many things and would always help if he could."

Tony spent his youth in Brooklyn and attended New York City public schools and the New York School of Printing. He joined the Navy in 1964 and served as an electrician on a destroyer, the USS Rich, achieving the rank of second-class petty officer. After completing his service in 1968, Tony returned to attend Vaughn College in Queens, NY, becoming an electrical engineer. He then found work at ITT Avionics in Nutley, NJ where he spent a long, successful, and interesting career.

Tony was a true Renaissance man, with many interests and passions. He was a skilled acoustic guitarist, and he loved all music, but especially folk and opera. He was an excellent cook. He perfected the art of baking homemade bread, and made delicious lamb on the grill or a simple spaghetti aglio e olio (of course ensuring the pasta was perfectly al dente or, as he would say, "to the tooth"). Tony was an avid gardener, regularly producing more vegetables than he knew what to do with. He leaves behind a fridge full of homemade pesto and pasta sauce, and you knew you were in Tony's good graces if he gifted you one of his special George Boyle Tomato plants grown from seed every year. Tony could fix anything. There was no one you'd rather have with you when facing an appliance on the fritz, a motor that wouldn't start, or even a sewage emergency. An engineer to his core, Tony could often be found disassembling even the most complex objects, deducing how they functioned, and reassembling them so that they worked even better than before, often with an improvement or two.

A constant in Tony and Debbie's life was their time at Beaver Lake, a family lake cottage in Franklin, NJ where they spent summers hiking, cooking, entertaining, fishing, napping, card playing, singing, and enjoying nature. Tony and Debbie were dedicated dog owners, including companions Wimpy, Arlo, Georgia, and Molly.

A memorial visitation for Tony will be held at Tuttle Funeral Home in Randolph, NJ on Sat., Feb. 8 from 10 am to 12 pm with a memorial service at 11:30. Interment is private. Instead of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.