Obituary of Frederico Palumbo
Frederico Palumbo, 83, of Bridgewater, New Jersey, and Fort Myers Beach, Florida, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at Morristown Medical Center, surrounded by the love of his family.
Born on May 9, 1941, in Brooklyn, New York, Frederico was the beloved son of Baldasarro and Grace Palumbo. He was raised in Brooklyn, where the strong sense of family, faith, and community that would define his life first took root. He was baptized at Our Lady of Grace RC Church and received his First Holy Communion at St. Peter’s Church. Frederico attended Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, and it was there that he met the love of his life, Louise Lipari—his high school sweetheart, lifelong partner, and the center of his world.
After high school, Frederico moved to New Orleans with the intention of establishing a residency and attending Louisiana State University, during which time he famously wrote his “Angel” Louise a letter every single day. But his heart ultimately led him back to Brooklyn, and he left Louisiana for Louise—transferring to Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute to be closer to her. Soon after, they were engaged—and their enduring love story blossomed into a marriage that would last over 60 years, filled with devotion, faith, laughter, and family.
Frederico began his professional career in New York City, enrolling in a management training program with the New York Telephone Company, part of the Bell System. Over the years, as the company evolved into AT&T, Frederico rose through the ranks to become a greatly respected project manager, beloved by those he managed and his superiors alike. Working in White Plains, New York, Middletown, New Jersey, and ultimately in Somerset, New Jersey, he remained with the company throughout his entire career until his retirement in the late 1990s—demonstrating the same loyalty, integrity, and work ethic in his professional life that he brought to every aspect of his life.
In 1967, Frederico and Louise moved from Brooklyn to Northvale, New Jersey, where they raised their young family and became very active members of St. Anthony’s Parish. In 1984, they settled in Bridgewater, New Jersey, which would be his cherished home for the next four decades. Frederico was a long-time parishioner of Blessed Sacrament Church in Martinsville, where he embraced his faith through service, becoming an active member of the parish and a proud Fourth Degree Knight with the Knights of Columbus. His involvement in the Knights of Columbus was especially meaningful to him, as it gave him the opportunity to serve others and support charitable causes close to his heart while demonstrating his Catholic faith.
Family was always at the center of Frederico’s life. A loyal Brooklyn Dodgers fan as a boy, he found great joy in coaching his children’s baseball teams and sharing his passions with them—while creating lasting memories with them during annual summer family vacations, crabbing and enjoying the beach on Long Beach Island. A devoted husband and father, he also adored his role as a grandfather. He passed down his love of model trains—a tradition that began when he received his first Lionel train set from his own father—to the next generation, keeping the wonder of childhood alive and well in his family.
He was a man of many interests and simple pleasures. Frederico loved dancing with his wife Louise—a talented ballerina—ever since their younger years dancing together at high school sock hops and dance contests. Upon his retirement, he spent his winters at Fort Myers Beach, Florida, where he took great pride in his boat that he fittingly named after his beloved wife, Louise—and where, for many years together, they enjoyed the sunshine and the slower pace of life. He also had a deep appreciation for travel, with unforgettable journeys to the Caribbean and Hawaii and a particularly meaningful trip to Italy and Sicily to explore his and Louise’s family roots.
Above all, Frederico will be remembered for his enduring faith, his quiet strength, his deep commitment to family, and his unwavering love for Louise. His life was a beautiful testament to dedication—whether to his wife, his children and grandchildren, his friends, his career, or to his faith community.
He was predeceased by his beloved sister, Joann Palumbo.
He is survived by his loving wife, Louise Palumbo; his three children: Doreen Colatrella-Aricola and her husband Peter, Frederic Palumbo and his wife Patricia, and Peter Palumbo and his wife Claire; his cherished grandchildren: Marc Colatrella, Alyssa Colatrella, Frederic T. Palumbo, Theophilus Palumbo, and Olivia Palumbo; and his step-grandchildren: Peter Aricola, Jr. and his wife Carissa, and Jillian Aricola.
A visitation will be held on Thursday, March 27, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Higgins Home for Funerals, 752 Mountain Blvd., Watchung, NJ. A funeral service will be held on the following day on Friday, March 28, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at Blessed Sacrament Church, 1890 Washington Valley Road, Martinsville, NJ. Entombment will follow his funeral mass at Holy Cross Cemetery, 145 Mt. Airy Road, Basking Ridge, NJ.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Knights of Columbus at Blessed Sacrament Church in Martinsville, New Jersey, in honor of Frederico’s lifelong commitment to faith and service:
