March 31, 1939-November 5, 2016
Michael was an amazing husband, father, grand and great grandfather, man, cook, athlete, and friend. All of his children’s friends thought of him as a second dad and all of his grandkids friends called him Gramps.
He was loved by so many people. He loved life and his family and everyone that knew him was truly blessed to have met him. He knew how to have a good time and enjoy himself. His cousin said to us that he was the best of both his parents – crazy like his mom and calm like his dad!
He married at 20 and had four kids within five years and then his fifth 14 years later! He loved being a family man and he surpassed the role of father as he was one not only to his own kids every day but to many he touched.
He instilled in his family so many things…he had a great sense of adventure and a passion for life. One day growing up he pulled in the driveway after working at the Public Market since 5AM and made us all come out to his car to see a trunk loaded with skis! We all tried them on to see who could wear what and the next day he took us out to the bunny hill near by! He taught us all how to ski that day (or rather snapped on the skis and said off you go!). Of course, he taught us how to play every other sport too and built us goal posts in our backyard. Our house was the busiest in the neighborhood during the summer.
He taught us to work hard by example and to always be the best we could be. At one time or another, all of us kids worked with him…either in the cheese business or at J&M Deli Time.
He was kind and mostly liked people although maybe not sport referee’s so much! They were often referred to as dumb sh**heads or dumb bunnies!
He was the life of the party everywhere he went. When he walked into a room his presence was known immediately and lasted... He could put a smile on anyone's face even in the worst of times. He had a great sense of humor and he was truly a blessing to have in all of our lives.
He enjoyed just being with people and always spoke to everyone! We would tease him all the time about talking to strangers, especially pretty women! Boy did he love to harmlessly flirt…
He worked hard and played hard … he was never one to say no to an invite. Never missed a soccer game or any event if his kids or grandkids were playing, even if it meant leaving work!
He loved to drive, so vacations were all about road trips starting from a tent to a motorhome…and while we all will never forget those drives and campgrounds, we all remember the most that he hated to make pit stops – the front seat bucket was the norm! We continue to this day not to only be adventurous and free, but to be best friends because of those drives. His traveling bug stayed with him even after the camping as we continued to enjoy his companionship traveling with all of us and around the world where he made even more lifelong friendships.
He was a huge football and track star at Aquinas High School in Rochester, NY and had a scholarship to the University of Buffalo. He loved sports and when he moved to Florida it was heaven ... he was a Miami Dolphin and Hurricane season ticket holder and was either with amazing friends or his family at every game. He was the tailgate Chef Boy R Dee. And, everyone stopped by for his cooking! And shortly after he left us, we found out that his final wishes were to be at a Miami Hurricanes game when he went to Heaven. He got that and a final jell-o shot to boot!
He was a butcher, owner of a cheese distribution company in Rochester and then Owner of J&M Deli Time in Boca Raton, FL --- hence the amazing tailgate king.
The outreach of love this week has been amazing and he is going to be truly missed, but he so lives in each one of us and we are all better human beings because of him.
This was from someone special: “As we burry our older folks we learn the value of true love … it is as it should be. The near perfect cycle of life continues in you, in your children....precious memories sustain and keep you smiling even amid the tears...”
Some Wonderful and Crazy Memories:
Sunday Pancake breakfast, pasta and NFL football, His whistle -- that meant get your butts home, Dried wish bones always sitting on the kitchen counter, The gleam in his eye sharpening his knifes, Carving the turkey and his incredible stuffing, Yelling at the TV during sporting events, Calling everyone dumb sh**heads or dumb broads, Heating up left over steak with a hair dryer, Falling asleep anywhere anytime, Cooking hot dogs on the engine of the car when we were stuck in gridlock going to beach, Learning to make pasta sauce with him, Butterflying our cuts and removing our splinters, Bowl haircuts, Plucking his giant eyebrow hairs, Bocce ball, Farting – saying ooops or I laid a fart, Answering his phone upside down, The public market with egg sandwiches, the bread lady and fire barrels, The best chicken cutlets, Netflox, His binoculars to check out the cheerleaders and ones with the special compartment for alcohol, Him taking and us watching his home movies, Eating Planters peanuts, Layes Chips, fudge sticks and Entenmann's donuts, Chasing a rat with a butcher knife, His toupee, Using a hacksaw to cut a whole roast loin, The way he crossed his legs, Delitime – helping him peel potatoes, trim butts, make homemade sausage and chicken soup, Tittie twister shots in Cozumel by the hot MX waitress, The frying pan that was forgotten, Dressing like a hot sexy woman with his friends to ride on in the parade on a float, Reading mysteries, Danielle Steel and trampy books, His love for rare bloody steak and any kind of seafood, Sleeping on the airport cement floor and him hugging me on our 3 day delayed flight, All the parties with his neighbor friends in Spencerport and his tailgating parties in FL, His love of the ocean and body surfing, His wad of ones from the deli days and thinking he was the richest man in the world to realize now he wasn’t rich or materialistic but so rich in life, and His Hugs and funny faces.
He was a parishioner at St. Johns on Yamato Road in Boca Raton where a mass will be held on Monday, November 14 at 10AM. This will be followed by a tailgate party at his house. So bring you favorite team’s jersey – he would love it!
He is survived by his loving family, Gloria Jean Sedita, Barbara Sedita Perriello, Tom & Christine Sedita, Michelle Sedita & Cathy Alarcon, David Sedita, Christopher & Mary Sedita, Tommy Sedita Jr. & Cathy Sedita, Karlie and Rob Matthews, Nicholas Perriello, Brianne Sedita, Alex Perriello, John Sedita, Jamie Perriello, and Reid Matthews
In Lieu of Flowers we ask that you donate to one of these charities that he supported because of his love for kids and sports.
FUN LIMON in Nicaragua -- Here is the link to make a donation in honor of a loved one:
http://funlimon.org/story-125-Celebrate-a-Loved-One-by-Making-a-Donation-in-His-or-Her-Honor
Aquinas Institute of Rochester, NY please sent a check to The Aquinas Institute of Rochester, 1217 Dewey Avenue, Rochester, NY 14613 and mention his name.
Sides Charity – Sidescharity.org
Death Is nothing at all
By Henry Scott-Holland
Death is nothing at all.
It does not count.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Nothing has happened.
Everything remains exactly as it was.
I am I, and you are you,
and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by the old familiar name.
Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no difference into your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
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