Obituary of Cosimo Gentile

COSIMO "SAM" GENTILE, 82, of FREEHOLD, died Thursday, May 15, at CentraState Medical Center, Freehold Township. Mr. Gentile was born in Brooklyn and was the son of Italian immigrants, Fabio and Dora Gentile. He was raised in Brooklyn and lived most of his life there before moving to Westerleigh, Staten Island, and then to Freehold. He was a U.S. Army veteran, serving during World War II. At the age of 18, Sam participated in the D-Day invasion of Normandy at Omaha Beach. He fought on through France and Germany and was awarded two bronze stars for valor on the field of battle. He remained deeply patriotic throughout his life. He loved fishing, football and the New York Giants. Above all, Sam was a devoted and loving husband. He was a bricklayer before starting a 25-year career with the City of New York, where he served as the city's expert witness in building codes and safety. Surviving are his wife of nearly 60 years, Rose Gentile; a son and daughter-in-law, Sam and Diana Gentile of Red Bank; three daughters and sons-in-law, Diana and John Eschmann of Warwick, N.Y., Dolores and Anthony Ceraso of Lake Worth, Fla., and Christine and Vincent Romanzi of Freehold; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Visiting hours will be from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. today and Sunday at the Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home, 100 Elton-Adelphia Road, Freehold Township. Relatives and friends may gather at 9 a.m. Monday at the funeral home for the Rite of Committal, followed by his 10 a.m. Funeral Mass at St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church, 61 Georgia Road, Freehold Township. Interment to follow in Old Tennent Cemetery, Tennent. For directions, information, or condolence messages to the family, visit www.claytonfuneralhome.com.