James M. Piscitelli, 102, passed away Saturday August 4, 2012 at the Bradford Ecumenical Home.Born at home in Lewis Run, Pa. on February 6, 1910, he was the eldest son and one of eleven children born to the late Humbert and Anna (Carrara) Piscitelli. He attended school in Lewis Run, and completed the Common School Course for McKean County Public Schools in 1924. He liked to tell the story of his failed attempt to enroll in high school. While waiting for the bus to take him into Bradford for his first day of high school, his father tracked him down and marched him to the Hanley Brick Yard where he had a job waiting for him. To make up for that missed opportunity, he furthered his education by enrolling in many night classes offered by the Bradford School System.
On May 6, 1939 in St, Bernard Church he married Faye (Pascale) Piscitelli who died January 18, 2006.
The couple lived at 100 Interstate Parkway where they raised their children. They moved to Pleasant Street in 2003 to allow for the expansion of the campus of Bradford Regional Medical Center. Following his wife’s death in 2006, he continued to live alone until he decided to move to Chapel Ridge in August of 2011.
Mr. Piscitelli worked at Hanley Brick Company, True-Lite Manufacturing Company, Fred Ross Construction Company in Bradford as a superintendant of highway construction and Ready Mix Concrete Co., the first of its kind in Western Pa. He worked for the City of Bradford Engineering Department as a surveyer, he surveyed the entire City of Bradford and established a monument at every city intersection. During the 1930’s he worked for various contractors building highways all over western Pennsylvania including Rt 219 from Lewis Run south to Kennedy Springs. He worked for Herkner Construction Company building the Westinghouse Expressway in Pittsburgh as well as the highway in Masontown Pa. He then returned to Lewis Run. He began working at Dresser Manufacturing in 1941 as supervisor of the Middle Ring and retired in 1972. After his retirement he worked for Koch-Chatley and the Cahill Funeral Home. In 1984, Mr.Piscitelli was hired by the late Judge Brandow as Court Librarian, he was reappointed by Judge John Cleland and retired in 1997 as chief Tip Staff and Court Librarian.
He was an active volunteer at the Bradford Nursing Pavilion, Bradford Regional Medical Center, FCI-McKean where he taught inmates how to umpire as well as culinary classes, the Friendship Table, American Cancer Society and McKean County Visiting Nurses Association. He was honored as Volunteer of the Year by FCI-McKean in 1993. He is Emeritus Director of the Area Transportation Authority, having served more than three decades as the McKean County representative. He served on the Board of Directors for the Center for Family Unity in Salamanca.
He was a Life Member of La Stella Lodge, the Lewis Run Mutual Aid Society which he joined in 1928, St. Bernard Church where he was a lector and eucharistic minister, a member of the St Bernard Men’s Club, the Anthonian Men’s Club, Custer City Men’s Club, Sports director for the Dresser Doings Magazine, Bradford Moose Lodge, Pine Acres Golf Club, St. Bonaventure Golf Club, Elkdale Country Club, Kane Country Club, and the Smethport Country Club.
He was a 4th degree member of the Knights of Columbus Council #403, a former master of the 3rd Pennsylvania District of the 4th degree of the Knights of Columbus encompassing the Erie Dioceses. He held every office in the Kinghts of Columbus both 3rd and 4th degree. He stood honor guard with the 4th degree for the Pope in Philadelphia in 1979. While master for the 4th degree from 1979-1980 he attended 25 exemplifications throughout the Mid Atlantic Region. In 1968, he was honored as Knight of the Year by the Bradford Knights of Columbus.
Mr. Piscitelli was a member of the Bradford Exchange Club, the National Exchange Club since 1972. He served as President, Secretary, District Deputy, hospitality chairman of the Pennsylvania and Lake Erie Districts. He attended 9 National Exchange Club Conventions throughout the United States. He was Hospitality Chairman for the National Convention in Philadelphia.
He loved sports, and spent his early years playing football and baseball. He attended the Bill McGowan School for Baseball Umpires in 1948, and served as a professional baseball utility umpire in the Pennsylvania, Ontario and New York (PONY) League, and later umpired Bradford Little League. He was a member of the Sam Benedict Football Officials Chapter and served as a high school referee for 25 years. He was a umpire for Little League Baseball and Softball. He was a member of the Professional Baseball Umpires Association.
Surviving are three daughters, Diane (Daniel) Warren of Wellesley, Mass., Barbara Piscitelli of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and Susan (Michael) Stephenson of Dallas, Texas; four grandsons Daniel (Erika)Warren, Peter (Natalie) Warren of Massachusetts, Andrew Warren and Drew Stephenson of San Francisco; and three great-grandchildren, Daniel, Brett and Scarlett Warren, of Massachusetts, two sisters: Vera Sinbaldi of St. Marys, and Louise Stoltz of Bradford, one brother Clem Piscitelli of Langhorne, and many nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents and his wife, he was preceded in death by an infant son Robert Piscitelli, four sisters Fannie Ross, Vincie Costanzo, Antoinette Caputo and Virginia Sylvester, three brothers Steve Piscitelli, Frank Piscitelli and Nat Piscitelli.
Family will be receiving friends on Tuesday, August 7, 2012 from 3 to 5pm & 7 to 9pm in the Hollenbeck-Cahill Funeral Homes Inc. 372 East Main St. where a prayer service will be held 10:30am Wednesday, August 8, 2012, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00am in St. Bernard Church with Rev. Stephen Collins Pastor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help Church as celebrant. Burial will be in St. Bernard Cemetery.
Donations may be made to the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind or the St. Bernard Church Building Fund.
Online condolences may be made at www.hollenbeckcahill.com
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