John P. Altomare, age 99 years, of Raritan Township, NJ, died peacefully at home on Thursday, May 20, 2021, surrounded by his cherished family.

Born on February 17, 1922 to the late Corrado and Antonietta Rafanelli Altomare at home on 122 Adams Street in Hoboken, NJ, he was given the name Giovanni  Battista Pasquale Altomare which shortened to John when he was young. Little did he realize then that his name, whether Giovanni, John or “Beebop”, given to him later in life by family and friends, would become synonymous with dedication, compassion, genuineness, and love.

On November 17, 1942, John enlisted in the United States Army to defend his country during World War II. As Private John P. Altomare, he went to Ft. Dix for basic training. This was followed by a train trip across the country to Camp Pinedale in Fresno, CA where he went to lineman school and learned much from the Pacific Costal Telephone Co., which assisted with his training.

From California, it was a series of transport and cargo ships, as well as several more trains, that transported this 20 year old from Hoboken to Calcutta, India, via Australia, into a world that no photo or story could truly capture. John and his comrades were thrust into a dangerous and constantly changing situation with a mission that had the odds stacked against them.

The 432^nd Signal Construction Battalion was tasked with creating a 1,800 mile open-wire pole communication line from Calcutta to Kunming, China, which meant flying over “the hump”, Himalaya mountain range to transport fuel and supplies. Thus, the CBI (China Burma India) pole-liners were tasked to create the longest communications tele-wire service in the world at the time. The route was faced with the violence of war, as well as disease, jungles, mountains and numerous other obstacles. It took seventeen months, but the group, which had become a family, overcame its adversities and finished the mission. They rode elephants to inaccessible areas and took mortar fire as they worked, but nothing was going to stop them. In recognition of his valiant and meritorious service, Sgt. John P. Altomare was awarded a Bronze Star, among many other medals for his service.

Honorably discharged, John returned home Christmas Eve of 1945 to a grateful family. He returned stateside a man whose work ethic was unbreakable. He assisted his family in his brother’s fish market and later earned a job after the war with Schiavone Construction, Secaucus, NJ, where he was the foreman on many large projects around the tri-state. If you ever drove with John, there wasn’t a large project you could go by that he didn’t have a hand in building. He proudly recalled stories of his work family having had part in the building of such structures as the Lincoln Tunnel, the Delaware Memorial Bridge and the Verrazano Bridge.

Though a hard worker, Beebop had a masterful way of managing family time with hard work.

While his decision to enter the Army in 1942 would direct many parts of his life, it was in 1946 when he made the decision to go to a beach in Point Pleasant, NJ, that his life would be altered in a way that would fill his heart in ways he only dreamed. It was there, while riding a horse, that he spied a young Ms. Leonora Caprio, also from Hoboken, on the beach. He told several friends that he was going to marry that young woman and, after several years of courtship, he did just that on February 27, 1949 in St. Francis Church, Hoboken, NJ.

The couple would have one child, Corrado John, who was their light in life. John and Leonora worked hard to ensure Corrado was educated and had any opportunity he wanted in life. They were so proud when he became a physician and adhering to his familial heart, they were even more proud when Corrado brought Ms. Alfonsina Salerno home to meet them and they saw that Corrado had found the match to his heart. The bonus was they now had a daughter to call their own.

With family being at the forefront, the trend continued as Beebop and Meemom saw the birth of their grandchildren, Antonia and Dino, and then their grandchildren finding their respective matches in John and Deanna. And if you thought Beebop’s smile could not be any larger than it always was, well that all changed when his great-grandchildren, Sofia Grace and Nicholas Giovanni were born to Antonia and John.

John was more than a loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, and uncle. He was a friend to all he met, and he put you at ease instantly with his genuine, thoughtful nature. Though he would deny it, he possessed a wisdom and grace that came with being part of the “greatest generation”.

He had many hobbies, chief among them enjoying a good meal (especially oysters) with family and friends and sipping a martini, or two. He loved to travel, with many happy memories being made in Italy with his family. A sportsman, he greatly enjoyed playing bocce, was an avid golfer, and also enjoyed the challenge of making wine. He was a voracious reader and always wanting to learn and grow with the times, he did most of reading on his iPad, where his newspapers were delivered daily. At 99 years of age, he was still a child at heart, soaking up all that he could and having an eternal optimism that was never stunted by tough and traumatic times.

John had a faith that could move mountains, and in addition to spending many happy times in Assisi, Italy, he lived by the words of the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

John was the epitome of one who sowed love, pardon, faith, hope, and light. Though he may be absent from the body, strength and peace of heart are found in knowing that he is at home with the Lord and that he lives on through so many in word and action.

Rest in the sweetest peace, Beebop. May your memory be eternal.

In addition to his parents and his beloved Leonora who died in 2001, John was preceded in death by his siblings, Mario Altomare, Ester Sardone, Marta Altomare, and Giovanni (Joey) Altomare.

Surviving are his son and daughter-in-law, Dr. Corrado and Alfonsina “Alfie” Altomare; his grandchildren, Dr. Antonia Luisa Altomare and her husband, Dr. John Mecchella and Corrado “Dino” Altomare and his wife, Deanna ; his great grandchildren, Sofia Grace and Nicholas Giovanni Mecchella; his sister-in-law, Teresa Altomare and her children, Antonia Rygiel and Steven Altomare and  numerous other nieces, nephews and extended family; and many dear friends around the world.

John will lie in repose on Wednesday, May 26, 2021 from 5:00-8:00 p.m., as well as on Thursday, May 27, 2021 from 9:00-9:20 a.m., all in the Chapel of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ. There will be a Panikhida service on Wednesday night officiated by Fr. Tristan Joseph Gall to which all are welcome.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Rev. Robert Romeo at St. Magdalen de Pazzi Church, 105 Mine Street, Flemington, NJ on Thursday, May 27, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. and to which all are welcome.

Following mass, John will be laid to rest with military honors next to his beloved wife, Leonora, at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 225 Ridgedale Avenue, East Hanover, NJ 07936, with committal prayers officiated by attending clergy.

It is important to remember that given the current state of the pandemic, masks must be worn at all times on funeral home, church and cemetery grounds, and social distancing must be maintained. Please follow the instructions of the Wright & Ford Care Team Family Ambassadors upon arrival at each location.

You are encouraged to visit John’s permanent life celebration site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a candle of hope, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of his life.

Memorial contributions in his honor may be made to Hunterdon Hospice via the Hunterdon Healthcare Foundation, 9100 Wescott Drive, Suite 202, Flemington, New Jersey 08822 or online by clicking HERE, or to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, Kansas 66675-8516 or online by clicking HERE.

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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”