Obituary of Joseph Civitanova

Joseph A. Civitanova, 78, of Freehold Township passed away with his family surrounding him at Robert Wood Johnson University Medical Center, New Brunswick on Wednesday, March 9, 2016. He was born in Brooklyn and had lived in the Bronx and on Staten Island before settling in Freehold Township in 2004. Joe was an Army veteran, and worked as a Longshoreman Foreman at Howland Hook Terminal, Staten Island, retiring in 2006. He was a member of the Longshoreman's Union and the National Guard, as well as the Book Club at the Freehold Senior Center. Joe was a member of the Italian American Organization and was a parishioner and Eucharistic minister at St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church, Freehold Township. Joe loved fishing trips with his army buddies and with his nephews. He enjoyed family vacations in Stowe, VT where he especially loved the view at the end of summer. A fan of the Mets and the NRA, Joe's other hobbies included reading, traveling, politics, and watching Fox News. He loved his family and was a wonderful role model as a father, grandfather and hard worker. He was predeceased by his parents, Nicholas and Rose Civitanova; and his brother, Daniel Civitanova. Joe is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Lorraine Langione of Freehold Township; daughters, Susan O'Hara and her husband, Sean of Yonkers, NY, and Karen Schwalbe and her husband, Dave of Freehold Township; two granddaughters, Alexa Schwalbe and Marina O'Hara; sister, Grace Gorgone and her husband, Sal of Howard Beach; sister-in-law, Jean Fazio of Jamesburg; brother-in-law, Ralph Langione and his wife, Mary of Waretown; his golden retriever, Sofia; and many nieces and nephews. A Memorial Gathering will be held at the Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home, 100 Elton-Adelphia Road (Route 524), Freehold Township on Sunday, March 13, 2016 from 1:00 to 5:00 PM. Relatives and friends are invited to attend his 10:00 AM Memorial Mass on Monday, March 14, 2016 at St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church, 61 Georgia Road, Freehold Township. For those who desire, memorial donations may be made to the National Kidney Foundation at www.kidney.org. For information, directions or condolence messages to the family, visit www.claytonfuneralhome.com