Stephen Mortifoglio

Avid Sports Fan

Stephen Mortifoglio, 93, died peacefully on July 3 at Danbury Hospital with his family by his side. He had been a resident of Newtown since 2002.

Mr Mortifoglio was born in Queens, N.Y., on October 14, 1916, the eldest son of Giuseppe Mirtolio and Sebastiana Mangiarotti Mortifoglio. He was a master machinist third class in the US Navy from March 1944 until December 1945. He continued working as a machinist at the Brooklyn and Philadelphia Navy Yards until his retirement in 1978.

He lived in Cherry Hill, N.J., and was a member of St Mary’s Catholic Church, Cherry Hill, for many years.

In addition to his wife, Providence Argento Mortifoglio, he will be lovingly remembered by his son and daughter-in-law, Don and Sue Mortifoglio of Brookfield; his daughter and son-in-law, Judy Mortifoglio-Lang and Judson Lang of Olympia, Wash.; his sister, Ana Mesiano; his brothers and their wives, Sam and Ella Mortifoglio, and Sonny and Elaine Mortifoglio; his three grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

Mr Mortifoglio loved to sing and often graced people with a happy song. He was an avid sports fan — coaching, playing, and watching many a game with his children and grandchildren. He was an active member of the Echelon YMCA where he swam and played racquetball regularly, a member of several bowling leagues, and he continued to exercise daily well in to his nineties. As a young man, he played baseball in the minor leagues, was an avid Yankees fan, and once caddied for Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to Danbury Hospital Development Fund, 24 Hospital Avenue, Danbury CT 06810 or, in honor of his wife, to the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 1700, Chicago IL 60601-7633.

Funeral arrangements were handled by Bradley & Stow Funeral Home in Medford, N.J., with burial in the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Wrightstown, N.J.

The Newtown Bee        July 9, 2010