Obituary of Anthony Ferrucci

Anthony Ferrucci, Sr., a lifelong resident of Piney Hollow passed over to the farmland in the skies on Thursday, May 15, after spending several days actively preparing his small Hill Top Farm for planting. Anthony was born on June 6, 1925 in the family homestead where he grew up with his parents, three brothers and two sisters. His father Michael came to the U.S. and worked at various jobs in different areas of the country to save enough money to buy the land that would become the family run farm and to bring his wife and older children here. The land was mostly wooded and Tony could remember the old methods of using the farm/family horse to clear the land. In the process was born a successful produce farm, rotating crops and working long hours and seasons. In the late 1960's Ferrucci Brothers began to grow trees and shrubs and the work-intensive annual crop of field grown mums. In 1977, Anthony Sr. founded A. Ferrucci & Son Nursery with Anthony Jr. In addition to his work on the farm, Anthony was very active in his Franklin Township community. He served on the Franklin Township Committee for twelve years, including three years as Deputy Mayor and six years on the Zoning Board. He also served as Public Safety Director for nine years after four years as full time Police Chief. Tony is a past member of the NJ Nurserymen's Association, The Land Advisory Committee of the Girl Scouts of America and the NJ Farm Bureau. He was also a member of Queen of Angels Parish, Our Lady of Victories Church in Landisville. Tony is predeceased by his beloved wife of 54 years Angelina/Julie (Puzzo); his parents, Michael and Concetta (Vitarelli) and his brothers Joseph and Louis. He is survived by a brother Frank and sisters Jennie (Geri) and Millie (DiSimone); a cousin Giovanina Vitarelli in Tufara, Italy; his children Maria (Brian) Giannascoli, Anthony Jr. (Christine), Annette (Michael) DiGiorgio, grandchildren, Anthony Ferrrucci III (Tara), Nicole (Matt) Blase, Adam (Jennifer) Ferrucci, Richard (Maureen) Ferrucci, Yola Marie Giannascoli, Danny Callahan, Emari (A.J.) Wolfe, Michael (Jacqueline) DiGiorgio, Olivia DiGiorgio, Alexandra and Alyssa Ferrucci; great-grandchildren Anthony Ferrucci IV, Ava Grace Blase, Andrew Shipman, Angelina Ferrucci, Bella and Dante Ferrucci, Mariela DiGiorgio and Syra Wolfe; many nieces, nephews, friends, neighbors and other members of the farm and nursery communities. Tony also leaves behind a dear friend Joyce Cappuccio, close friends and home/farm helpers Omar and Marisol Rivera who were always there for him and he for them; his beloved farm animals, his dog Bootsy and his cat Cali, both of whom he doted upon. He had a kind and generous spirit, engaging personality and knew how to put people at ease with his own unique sense of humor. He will be sorely and long missed by all of us. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday at 11am at DeMarco-Luisi Funeral Home 2755 S. Lincoln Ave., Vineland. Tony will be laid to rest at Friendship Cemetery, Landisville. Friends will be received on Monday evening from 6pm to 8pm and again on Tuesday morning from 9am to 11am at the funeral home.