Cristino "Christy" Civitillo, 93, formally of Bridgewater, died October 20 at Maplewood Newtown Assisted Living. He was born December 2, 1922, in Sepino, Italy, and immigrated to the United States with his parents and siblings in 1936 at age 14.

He served in the US Army during World War II.

Mr Civitillo had a long career in the food business that began when he was 16 years old working for others. He later became the owner of a meat/grocery store he ran with his wife in the Tremont section of the Bronx and later they bought a pizza/Italian food restaurant near Hartford Hospital. After selling his business he returned to the Bronx and worked at private butcher shop, which happened to be his former competitor. Finally in 1974, he settled back to Connecticut and worked for Morey's IGA and finally Finast Supermarkets from where he retired.

In retirement, he enjoyed building stone walls around his property, tending the goldfish pond he built with the expert help of his brother Mike, gardening, cooking, and baking bread and cookies. He won countless ribbons from the Bridgewater Fair for his produce and baked goods. He loved cooking holiday meals for his family, especially Christmas Eve's Feast of Seven Fishes.

His wife of 72 years, Louise DiRusso Civitillo; daughter MaryAnn Civitillo Lacorazza and her husband Vincent of Bridgewater; grandchildren Michael Lacorazza of Watertown , Jeanette Lacorazza Mallet and husband Mathew of Waterbury, Vincent Lacorazza of Bridgewater; brother Joseph Civitillo and his wife Rose of Wethersfield; sister Josephine Giguere of Hartford; and brother-in-law Joseph DiRusso of Morehead City, N.C., and many nieces and nephews survive him. His father, Giovanni (John) Civitillo; mother, Maria Dellaripa Civitillo; brother, Michael Civitillo; and brothers-in-law, Edward "Ted" Giguere and Henry DiRusso predeceased him.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Hopeline Pregnancy Resource Center, PO Box 2981 Danbury CT 06813 or a veterans charity of your choosing.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 am on Tuesday, October 25, at Our Lady of the Lakes Church, New Milford. Burial with military honors will be in Saint Francis Cemetery, New Milford.

The family will receive friends on Monday, October 24, at the Brookfield Funeral Home, 786 Federal Road, Brookfield, from 4 to 7 pm.

To light a candle of hope and remembrance, visit brookfieldfuneralhome.com.