Filippo Evola

Born February 18, 1941, in Filippo's early years he could be found kicking a soccer ball around in his hometown of Carini, Sicily. He would put in many hours of practice with his friends; a couple of whom went on to become his lifelong buddies. His hard work on the soccer field paid off as he advanced to play semi-pro ball and went on to become a well-respected coach. He continued to have an immense passion for soccer and was a lifelong fan of AC Milan, Series A Italian League.

Eager to help support his parents and 3 sisters, he worked as a solderer in Switzerland for 10 years. He later returned to his hometown of Carini to marry his sweetheart, Rosa. In 1970, the newlyweds immigrated to America in search of opportunity and a better place to raise a family. Filippo's life story truly embodies the American dream of coming to this country "with only the shirt on his back."

Being such a hard worker, he quickly mastered the pizza business before opening his own pizzeria in 1980. He became the proud and dedicated owner of Nino's Parkside Pizza in Ewing NJ for 27 years and was a staple in that community. He gained much gratification from feeding his loyal customers with his delicious menu items. However, while you could occasionally catch Filippo eating a slice of his own hand-tossed pizza or a tasty cheesesteak hoagie, his meals (whether enjoying them at home or reheating at work) almost exclusively consisted of his wife Rosa's amazing Sicilian recipes which he could never get enough of.

When not at work, he would dress to the 9s with only the finest Italian brand clothing. He also loved all kinds of Italian music. The Italian National Anthem was his absolute favorite due to his steadfast national pride for his homeland. Everyone who had the pleasure of knowing Filippo knew how dedicated he was to his family. It was important for him to instill Italian pride and the importance of family togetherness in his children. On his occasional days off from running the family business, he would drive his family from their home in Bucks County PA to Brooklyn NY to spend quality time with extended family. He also loved Christmastime and closing the store early on Christmas Eve so everyone could enjoy a big 7 fishes Italian meal. You could sense the warm feeling he would get from watching his children and grandchildren's precious faces as they opened their Christmas presents.

Today, his children and grandchildren are thriving in school and in their careers and a tremendous amount of their success can be contributed to the work-ethic that was instilled in them by Filippo at a young age. He was known as a man of little words. Instead, choosing to simply lead by example with his amazing work ethic. Many knew him to be a very serious, no-nonsense man. However, those of us who know him more intimately had the pleasure to also experience his more light-hearted side and his great sense of humor. He was also known to be a very kind and generous man who would be quick to lend money to family and friends in need.

He is preceded in death by his loving wife Rosa LoDuca Evola (whom he adored greatly), his sister Giuseppina, his mother Carmela, and his father Pietro.

He will always be loved and remembered by his children Carmela (Salvatore), Peter (Elizabeth), and Sonia as well as his 8 beautiful grandchildren: Carina, Bianca, Ethan, Isabella, Jacob, Giuliana, Peter, and Sofia.

He is also survived by his sisters Rosaria (Antonino) and Teresa, his many brothers and sisters-in-law, and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation for family and friend will be held on Saturday, December 9, 2023 from 8:30 AM until 9:15 AM at St. Frances Cabrini Church, 325 South Oxford Valley Road, Fairless Hills, PA, 19030. The funeral Mass will begin at 9:30 AM. Entombment will follow at Woodbridge Memorial Gardens, US Highway 1 North, Woodbridge, NJ 08830, at 12:30 PM.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to:

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research

https://give.michaeljfox.org/give/421686/#!/donation/checkout

PO Box 5014 Hagerstown, MD 21741