[See obituary HERE.]

He’s been a special kind of hero to many of us, and we feel blessed to have known him. Before his retirement as a popular area building contractor years ago, John D’Angelo had been a longtime active member of the Peekskill Fire Department, where he served as Captain. Subsequently, dressed in his crisply maintained uniform, he took pride in joining fellow firefighters to participate in Memorial Day and Fourth of July parades, where, in spite of the onset of legal blindness, he could be seen smiling, and cheerfully waving to the appreciative folks gathered along the parade route, as he sat high above in the seat of honor of a brightly polished fire engine.

With his longtime friend Julie Bentley at his side, he would of course always be in uniform, and standing proud for the Memorial Day services at Peekskill’s Monument Park. And John had another uniform as well, with his bright red blazer in his longtime role of “usher” on Sunday mornings, when he would cheerfully pass the collection basket to parishioners at Peekskill’s Assumption Church.

With his several children sadly living in distant places, he had lived alone for many years in the Peekskill home he loved on Frost Avenue. It was there, at the age of 93, that he passed away in the early morning hours of Father’s Day last weekend [June 15].

Though somewhat isolated in retirement, John’s life took a wonderful turn, when, as a member of the Peekskill Senior Club, he was befriended by the club’s then-director, Julie Bentley. A longtime registered nurse, nursing home director, and fellow Peekskill resident, Bentley’s friendship would help John navigate the vision problems, various health concerns and countless doctor’s appointments that might have made living alone an impossibility for him. 

And Julie’s involvement produced another wonderful outcome. She is my darling sister, and along with our sweet sister Sally Bentley, we three have become a kind of “adopted family” for our much-loved John. He would host us for barbeques, front porch parties and Farkel games at his house. 

Meanwhile, with Julie leading the way, and his own family being unavailable, we would always include John in our family parties, restaurant dinners, holiday celebrations, out-of-town trips, casino junkets and even a couple of cruises. In a very real sense, we all felt we were “one big happy family.” We will greatly miss our dear friend, and we will toast him with a glass of his beloved Fortisimo wine. 

Rest in Peace, John.  

David Dow Bentley III, of Rockaway Beach (N.Y.) and Peekskill, writes about the theater for Broadway websites and newspapers from the East Coast to the Gulf Coast. His columns can be found at ThePeoplesCritic.com.  Contact him at [email protected].