Robert F. Santoriello, Sr.

Robert F. Santoriello, Sr.

Beloved Husband, Father, and Grandfather, 77

Mr. Robert F. Santoriello, Sr., 77, of Nutley, NJ passed away peacefully after a battle with lymphoma, just two weeks before his 78th birthday.  Visitation will be at the Biondi Funeral Home of Nutley, 540 Franklin Avenue on Sunday, June 4, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.  The funeral will be conducted from the funeral home on Monday, June 5 at 9:15 a.m.  There will be a funeral mass celebrated at Holy Family Church, 28 Brookline Avenue, Nutley at 10:30 a.m.  The entombment will be at Holy Cross Chapel Mausoleum, 340 Ridge Road, North Arlington, NJ.

Mr. Santoriello (“Pop” to his adoring family) was the son of Pasquale and Anita (nee' Criscuolo) Santoriello and grew up in the Vailsburg section of Newark, NJ, while spending his summers with his many cousins and sister Joanne at his grandfather’s pizza stand (Cici’s) on the Point Pleasant boardwalk.  He graduated from Seton Hall Prep and later Seton Hall University, which were just steps from his home, and then taught mathematics at Weequahic High School in Newark for 33 years before his retirement.  He also worked a second job at Mt. Vernon Deli in Newark to support his family, and later also served as a math tutor for countless students, mainly from Nutley, where he and his loving wife of nearly 54 years, Bernadette (nee’ Fernicola), raised their two children, Robert Jr. and Anthony.  Many people came up to him later in their lives and told him that they never would have gone on to their own successful careers if he hadn’t gotten them through math in high school.  After serving as a model father and husband, Robert became a second father to his daughters-in-law Rosa and Rebecca, before filling his most important role as cherished grandfather to Nicholas, Alessandra, Justin, Thomas, and Adriana as well as a beloved uncle to many nieces and nephews and to friends of the family that he treated as his extended family.  The special relationships he had with them were his incredible everlasting gift and will endure.  He was their biggest fan and was there at every religious, school, or sporting event that he could possibly attend.

Robert never had a bad word for anyone and was universally loved and had a positive influence on so many lives.  He never turned down any request for help or assistance, serving as a beautiful example of gracious service to his family and friends.  Along with math, Robert passed along his rabid love for sports to his children and grandchildren who watched innumerable Yankee, Giant, and Seton Hall basketball games together on TV or in the stadium/arena. Later on, he loved texting his grandkids during games about plays that had been made or after Yankee wins and grew to be quite skilled at texting on the flip phone he absolutely refused to relinquish.  Robert was the world’s best batting practice pitcher and went full seasons of Wiffle-ball in the backyard with his sons and their friends without ever throwing a ball.  He also spent many Friday nights playing cards and even continued doing so during his final hospital stay.

He had a special appetite for Italian food and would have eaten pasta/macaroni at every meal if possible, and following in his grandfather’s footsteps, always loved to make homemade pizza, especially later on together with his grandchildren.

As is obvious, Robert spent every possible moment with his extended family and friends that he considered family, especially on the annual vacations to Wildwood, and then later to Cape May where the family would set up camp on the beach and indulge in the various sandwiches that Robert insisted on making and lugging to the beach in an enormous cooler.

Finally, and most importantly, Robert was a man of devout Catholic faith, which he also passed down to his family. He will remain in his family's and friends' hearts forever as a shining example of what it means to be a man, husband, father, and grandfather.

Robert is predeceased by his parents and his sister Joanne Matthews.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center,
https://www.mskcc.org.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Robert F. Santoriello, Sr., please visit our floral store.