John was born in Brooklyn, NY, the son of Joseph and Catherine (Persico) Abatemarco. His family later moved to New Jersey where he attended four different high schools before graduating from Carteret.
He enlisted in the Marines after high school and served his country for four years. During that time, John met his wife, Joyce, who he proposed to after dating for 2 weeks and married a year later in 1972. They would have celebrated their 48th anniversary this July. Together, they raised two daughters, Cathi & Cari, at their home in Brentwood on Long Island.
John worked tirelessly to support his family, often holding down several jobs at a time. When he wasn’t working, he found time to coach his daughters’ soccer teams. The girls he coached would remember him for the end of season celebration at Friendly’s or sending all the players to the front line when the other team ran up the score. John was also a referee, having served as the Head Ref for the Brentwood Soccer League as well as a referee for LIJSL.
He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and retired from the USPS in 2012.
John was an avid reader who kept a running list of what he had read so he didn’t accidentally buy the same book twice. He loved to go for walks and long drives. On more than one occasion, John would come home, have his family get in the car, and surprise them by driving out to a festival or carnival he happened to see on his way home.
John loved baseball and was a true Yankee fan. He impressed his family with his wide knowledge of baseball trivia. John enjoyed fishing and crabbing and loved eating as much fish as possible on Christmas Eve.
Of all the different jobs and roles John held, by far, his favorite was that of Grandpa. John completely and utterly adored his granddaughters, Caitlin, Isabella, and Charlotte. Whether he was surprising them with princess cakes or telling them stories of the big, hairy, butterfly, John loved to spend time with each of them. Nothing brought him more joy than seeing them laugh. Like the rest of his family, his granddaughters will always love and cherish the memories of their silly Grandpa.
John is survived by his wife, Joyce (Vecchiarelli) Abatemarco of Clifton Park; his daughters, Cathi-Ann (Larry) Wiltsey of Oneonta, and Cari-Angela Abatemarco of Clifton Park; 3 granddaughters, Caitlin, Charlotte, and Isabella; his brothers, Michael (Trea), Joseph (Marcella), and Peter (Diane); sister in law Ellena Young (Frederick); brother in law Charles Vecchiarelli (Linda); and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be planned for a later date. Information will be posted on facebook.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Disabled American Veterans (dav.org) or Joe Biden for President (joebiden.com).
To leave a condolence or memory of John for the family, please visit www.bookhoutfh.com.
Arrangements are by the Bookhout Funeral Home of Oneonta.
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