KILMARNOCK—The Schiavo Family shares the sad news upon the passing of the beloved patriarch, Daniel Schiavo Sr., “Dan Sr.,” on September 10, 2019.
Dan Sr. was the loving husband of 63 years to Ellen Parsons Schiavo. Theirs was a family legend love story, beginning at the ages of 13 and 14 in Kearny High School. From this long union sprang five children, Daniel Jr., Tina Marie, Ellen Harriet “Midge,” Dean Robert and Dana Michele; 14 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
Dan Sr. was artistically talented and had a fabulous singing voice. He had numerous opportunities to become a professional singer, but the lifestyle didn’t suit him as he was a true homebody. Instead, he frequently found himself in the spotlight at parties and business functions, responding to demands to, “sing us a song!”
Most memorable for Dan Sr. was the night Dean Martin tossed him off the stage at the Copacabana in a huff, as Martin noted, “You’re too good, kid!”
Dan Sr. had a full life. He was appointed to West Point, but chose instead to find work to support his widowed mother, Rose Biondo; his sister, Lucille; and brothers, Vincent and Michael.
Dan Sr. served his country as an Army medic in the 1950s in Europe. Upon his return to N.J., he settled into a career and raised his family as a store manager for The Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (A&P) for 32 years, and then as a store manager and later a safety director for Kings Supermarkets.
Dan Sr. loved to watch the fights on Saturday nights, crossword puzzles, growing tomatoes, family dinners, and the best gift he said he ever got, their dog, Danielle. His smile, laugh, jokes and storytelling are greatly missed by all his family and friends.