Louis Pizzo Sr. dead at 91
Louis Pizzo Sr. dead at 91
Louis Pizzo Sr., the former mayor of Deerfield Township, NJ, and one of better-known citizens of Rosenhayn, NJ, died the evening of Friday, June 27, 2008, in the hospice inpatient unit at the Bridgeton Health Center in Bridgeton, NJ. Mr. Pizzo was a lifelong resident of Deerfield Township and had been in declining health. He was 91.
He attended the local grammar school in Carmel, NJ, and graduated from Bridgeton High School in 1937. He worked on the family farm until 1938, when he married Josephine Traina. In 1939, he began his own farming operation on 20 acres of his own land.
What started as a 20-acre farm in 1939 turned into a modern 3,500-acre operation known as Six Points Produce Inc. Mr. Pizzo always demonstrated great pride in the fact that many family, friends and community members helped him achieve such success.
Throughout his 50-year farming career, he farmed various vegetable crops such as asparagus, tomatoes, onions, strawberries, peppers, string beans and Iceberg lettuce. In his early years, he spent many long hours plowing behind a horse and eventually turned his operation into one of the more technologically advanced farms on the East Coast.
In addition to his faming operation, Mr. Pizzo's family also grew. His marriage to Josephine spanned 69 years. They were the parents of four, grandparents of 13 and great grandparents of 23.
Mr. Pizzo always maintained a strong interest in farming and in his community. This led to his association with the Federal Land Bank, for which he served as a director for 34 years and president for 25 years. He was a director of the Production Credit Association from 1960 to 1982. He also served as a past chairman of the Cumberland County Board of Agriculture as well as the Small Fruits Council.
Gov. Richard Joseph Hughes appointed him to the State Migrant Labor Board in 1963. In 1972, he became a member of the board of directors of the Farmers & Merchants National Bank in Bridgeton.
As a young man in the 1930s, Mr. Pizzo served his community as a volunteer firefighter, even before the company had a fire truck. He went on to serve as a member of the Deerfield Township planning board and was elected to the town's board of education 15 consecutive years. He was elected to the Deerfield Township committee in the 1960s and 1970s. He served for 17 years on the township committee and 11 terms as mayor. Mr. Pizzo worked with the township committee members and was instrumental in laying the foundation for the construction of the current Deerfield Township municipal building. In May 2007, Deerfield Township honored him by naming the Louis Pizzo Sr. Community Room in the Deerfield Township municipal building in his honor.
Mr. Pizzo was a lifelong member of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Rosenhayn and served as a member of the Sacred Family Society of St. Mary's Church for 35 years. A former trustee at St. Mary's Church, he was also a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus, Bishop John Carroll, General Assembly. He was also active with the the Augustinians, and St. Augustine Preparatory School bestowed upon Mr. Pizzo the prestigious Gregor Mendel Award in 1981 for his dedication to family and community.
His accomplishments were many, but his real motivation and drive came from his love of family and the community in which he lived for 91 years. Born in Philadelphia, he moved to Rosenhayn with his family when he was six months old. He was the son of the late Dominic L. and Jennie (nee Pipitone) Pizzo.
In addition to his beloved wife, Josephine, he is survived by two daughters, Jennie Mariano and her husband, Joseph, of Rosenhayn, and Christine Bidic and her husband, Reiner, of Rosenhayn; two sons, Louis Pizzo Jr. and his wife, Angelina, and Michael Pizzo and his wife, Marie, all of Vineland, NJ; 12 grandchildren, Steven, Kimberly, Louis, Paul, Sean, Nicholas, Gina, Jennifer, Christopher, Adam, Alex and Elizabeth; and 23 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by two brothers, Joseph Pizzo and wife, Ina; and Nate Pizzo and wife, Angelina, all of Rosenhayn, as well as several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by one sister, Anna Sparacio, one brother, Anthony Pizzo, and one grandson, Joseph P. Mariano.
The funeral liturgy was held July 2 at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Rosenhayn. The burial followed the mass at St. Mary's Cemetery in Rosenhayn.
In lieu of flowers, the family has suggested that memorial contributions be made to St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, P.O. Box 376, Rosenhayn, NJ 08352 or SJ Health Care-HospiceCare (Inpatient Unit), P.O. Box 160, Bridgeton, NJ 08302.
Written condolences and tributes to the Pizzo family may be made through the funeral home web site, freitagfuneralhome.com.
He attended the local grammar school in Carmel, NJ, and graduated from Bridgeton High School in 1937. He worked on the family farm until 1938, when he married Josephine Traina. In 1939, he began his own farming operation on 20 acres of his own land.
What started as a 20-acre farm in 1939 turned into a modern 3,500-acre operation known as Six Points Produce Inc. Mr. Pizzo always demonstrated great pride in the fact that many family, friends and community members helped him achieve such success.
Throughout his 50-year farming career, he farmed various vegetable crops such as asparagus, tomatoes, onions, strawberries, peppers, string beans and Iceberg lettuce. In his early years, he spent many long hours plowing behind a horse and eventually turned his operation into one of the more technologically advanced farms on the East Coast.
In addition to his faming operation, Mr. Pizzo's family also grew. His marriage to Josephine spanned 69 years. They were the parents of four, grandparents of 13 and great grandparents of 23.
Mr. Pizzo always maintained a strong interest in farming and in his community. This led to his association with the Federal Land Bank, for which he served as a director for 34 years and president for 25 years. He was a director of the Production Credit Association from 1960 to 1982. He also served as a past chairman of the Cumberland County Board of Agriculture as well as the Small Fruits Council.
Gov. Richard Joseph Hughes appointed him to the State Migrant Labor Board in 1963. In 1972, he became a member of the board of directors of the Farmers & Merchants National Bank in Bridgeton.
As a young man in the 1930s, Mr. Pizzo served his community as a volunteer firefighter, even before the company had a fire truck. He went on to serve as a member of the Deerfield Township planning board and was elected to the town's board of education 15 consecutive years. He was elected to the Deerfield Township committee in the 1960s and 1970s. He served for 17 years on the township committee and 11 terms as mayor. Mr. Pizzo worked with the township committee members and was instrumental in laying the foundation for the construction of the current Deerfield Township municipal building. In May 2007, Deerfield Township honored him by naming the Louis Pizzo Sr. Community Room in the Deerfield Township municipal building in his honor.
Mr. Pizzo was a lifelong member of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Rosenhayn and served as a member of the Sacred Family Society of St. Mary's Church for 35 years. A former trustee at St. Mary's Church, he was also a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus, Bishop John Carroll, General Assembly. He was also active with the the Augustinians, and St. Augustine Preparatory School bestowed upon Mr. Pizzo the prestigious Gregor Mendel Award in 1981 for his dedication to family and community.
His accomplishments were many, but his real motivation and drive came from his love of family and the community in which he lived for 91 years. Born in Philadelphia, he moved to Rosenhayn with his family when he was six months old. He was the son of the late Dominic L. and Jennie (nee Pipitone) Pizzo.
In addition to his beloved wife, Josephine, he is survived by two daughters, Jennie Mariano and her husband, Joseph, of Rosenhayn, and Christine Bidic and her husband, Reiner, of Rosenhayn; two sons, Louis Pizzo Jr. and his wife, Angelina, and Michael Pizzo and his wife, Marie, all of Vineland, NJ; 12 grandchildren, Steven, Kimberly, Louis, Paul, Sean, Nicholas, Gina, Jennifer, Christopher, Adam, Alex and Elizabeth; and 23 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by two brothers, Joseph Pizzo and wife, Ina; and Nate Pizzo and wife, Angelina, all of Rosenhayn, as well as several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by one sister, Anna Sparacio, one brother, Anthony Pizzo, and one grandson, Joseph P. Mariano.
The funeral liturgy was held July 2 at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Rosenhayn. The burial followed the mass at St. Mary's Cemetery in Rosenhayn.
In lieu of flowers, the family has suggested that memorial contributions be made to St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, P.O. Box 376, Rosenhayn, NJ 08352 or SJ Health Care-HospiceCare (Inpatient Unit), P.O. Box 160, Bridgeton, NJ 08302.
Written condolences and tributes to the Pizzo family may be made through the funeral home web site, freitagfuneralhome.com.
