Maria Josephine Capaccio-Abate

Maria Josephine (Jo) Capaccio-Abate, born in Lyndhurst, NJ February 4,1922. Maria was the daughter of Mattio and Marie Fusco Capaccio. She was predeceased by her husband Joseph, her parents, brothers1 st Lt. Paul M. Capaccio and Staff Sgt. Benjamin Capaccio, sister-in-law Dolores Tessalone Capaccio, sister Concetta Norieko-DeLisi and brothers-in-law Walter Norieko and Mario DeLisi.

 Josephine was raised and lived in Lyndhurst for 54 years where she graduated Lincoln Grammar and Lyndhurst High School in June 1940. In her youth, she was a tap dancer, attended Jack Blue Dance Studios in New York City and performed for many charitable occasions in New York City and Bergen-Hudson counties in New Jersey. She won awards at the Old Madison Square Garden in the late 1930s. She did a lot of tap dancing for Lyndhurst High School in their shows. She also took part in many activities and sports in high school, and always commented how much she enjoyed her years in the Lyndhurst School system and everyone should do the same. Upon graduating, Maria worked for National Union in Newark, New Jersey, R.H. Macy’s, New York, and Frank D. Riggio Co., of Rutherford, New Jersey. On July 4, 1948, she married Joseph Abate of Lyndhurst, New Jersey after he spent four years as staff sergeant in the Army Air Corps. stationed in Pisa, Italy. They had two children, Joseph Abate, Jr. and George Abate. She raised them in Lyndhurst, while mostly being a stay-at-home mom, and also co-owner of Stuyvesant Confectionary in Lyndhurst that her and her husband ran for 10 years. She moved to Palm Coast, Florida August 1976 with her husband for retirement. She became a member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church which she and her husband helped build, and where a statue of St. Joseph stands in honor of her beloved late husband, Joseph. Maria became a member of the Players Tennis Club of Palm Coast and played in the Greater Volusia Tennis League where she won many trophies as a doubles player to bring Palm Coast to champions. She also enjoyed square dancing and social ballroom dancing. Maria belonged to the New Jersey Club of Palm Coast, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Guild, and said she was enjoying the fruits of her and her husband’s labor in retirement while living in Palm Coast. Her husband Joseph Abate, Sr. died May 9, 1988. Maria moved back to Fairfield, New Jersey December 2004 after residing in Palm Coast for 28 years to be near her children and grandchildren. She became a member of Notre Dame Church and The Fairfield Golden Agers as well as the Red Hat Society of Fairfield. 

She is survived by her sons, Joseph Abate, Jr. of North Caldwell, his wife, Lorraine, grandchildren Matthew and his wife Solange, Joseph III, Alexis, Blaise, and great-grandaughter Gianna Rae, as well as her son George Abate of Montville (formerly of Wayne) and his wife Roseann, grandchildren Katelyn Abate Miles and her husband Sean, Michael and his fiance’ Laura Oppel, and Daniel. She is also survived by her niece Mia Capaccio Pelosci and her husband Michael and grand niece Ariana, many cousins and many other nieces and nephews on her husband’s side. 

Visitation Tuesday, July 30, 6-8PM at the Ippolito-Stellato Funeral Home, 7 Two Bridges Rd.,Fairfield, New Jersey. Funeral Service Wednesday, July 31 9AM at the funeral home followed by a Mass of Christian Burial 10AM at Notre Dame Church, North Caldwell, . Interment Gate of Heaven Cemetery with her husband of 40 years. Joseph Abate, Sr. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made in her memory to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, 2361 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10306.