Ernesto Capone

Ernesto Capone, age 92, died peacefully in his sleep in Hasbrouck Heights on Saturday, April 17.  He was a devoted father to his daughters Carla and Giuliana and a loving grandfather to Gabriella and Francesca.  He was married to his beloved wife Grazia who passed away in 1985. He never remarried and was very dedicated to his family.

Ernesto was born in Montella, Italy and was the last surviving member of his siblings Fiorina, Giulio, Armando and Generoso and his parents Annunziata and Lorenzo.  He immigrated to Switzerland where he worked as a mason and continued to work in the field his whole life.  In his younger years, he spent a lot of time travelling around Europe.  In the early 70s the family moved to the US and settled in Jersey City.  He was fiercely independent and lived there until 2019 when he moved to Hasbrouck Heights to live with his daughter.  

Upon retirement, he spent his days with his dear friends in Pershing Fields Park.  There he spent many hours playing cards, enjoying meals together, talking to each other, and making memories which he always treasured.  His daily routine also included daily social visits to the local barber shop to engage with friends. He was a beloved neighborhood figure and known to everyone as a gentle and honorable man who had a smile for all. He loved to walk everywhere and often refused rides as he enjoyed being out and among people.

He had a reverence for all people, nature and animals.  He had a deep appreciation for art, loved music, history and philosophy.  He was very curious about different cultures and believed that everyone is equal and had a deep compassion for those who were suffering.  

He was a skilled gardener, and it was his joy to help his friends and family plant and maintain a garden.  He tended to his with love and care, the same way that he tended to everything in his life.  In addition to his family and friends, his cats were his other love.  He also spent a lot of time taking care of community cats.  He was always concerned for their well-being and took extreme measures to make them happy such as cutting down large rose bushes outside a window so his cats would have a clear view of the birds outside.

He loved to cook and for family gatherings he took a lot of pride in making struffoli (honey balls) and potatoes croquettes, which were his specialty.  He also had a deep appreciation for fine Irish Whiskey and other fine spirits.  He loved to draw and would always sketch personal artwork on cards for his family during the holidays and for birthdays.  He was a stamp and a coin collector and took special care to record dates of significant moments in his life in a journal.

In his later years, he also enjoyed the company of Cody, the beloved family dog, who was always by his side especially around mealtimes.  He was often heard singing old traditional Italian songs in his room and enjoyed traditional Italian music and loved watching classic westerns. During the pandemic he made sure to keep in touch with all his beloved friends and with his nieces and nephews and extended family.  He was a devout catholic and practiced his faith by being kind and selflessly giving of himself to others. 

He was beloved and loved and will be dearly missed by his family and friends.

Visitation will be held on Monday, April 26, 2021 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Riotto Funeral Home & Cremation Co., 3205 Kennedy Blvd, Jersey City. (For GPS use 14 Stagg Street).

Relatives and Friends are invited to attend the funeral on Tuesday, gathering at the Funeral Home at 10:00 a.m.   A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. at St. Nicholas Church, Jersey City.   Interment will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington, NJ.

To honor his love of cats a donation may be made to: www.AlleyCat.org or Floral Offerings can be sent to the funeral home.