Obituary of Lucian Grimaldi

Lucian Joseph Grimaldi, 82, passed into eternity, Tuesday, September 20, 2016, after a very long and arduous journey with pulmonary fibrosis, facing his illness with tremendous courage and strength. Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Luciano and Margherita (nee Pagano), Lucian was the youngest of nine children. When asked why he waited until the arrival of a fifth son to name him after himself, Luciano was known to have said this was his way of saying, "Abbastanza!" "Enough!" Lucian was preceded in death by his brothers Joseph, Gerard, and John, and his sisters Ann (Portizo), Angela (DiCorrado), Margaret (King), and Mildred (Nazzaro), his brother-in-law, Edward O'Haire, and his daughter-in-law, Christine (nee Russell), more another daughter to him, who lovingly called him "Jefe." He is survived by his beloved brother, Albert, 92, of Easton, Pennsylvania, as well as his sister-in-law, Anne O'Haire-Hill, of New York, New York, who was more a younger sister to him. Lucian had first met Anne as a young girl of nine, when he would go over to the family home to pick up her sister, Audrey, his future bride, for dates, typically with a gift of brownies in a small, white bakery box tied together with string for her and their younger brother, Eddie. Lucian is also survived by his very devoted wife of sixty years, Audrey (nee O'Haire), son, Raymond, and daughter, Alicia, as well as his beloved grandchildren Daniel Ryan and Karlye (nee Mayer), Elizabeth Rae (nee Grimaldi) and Michael Gonzales, Emily Rose, and Ryan Lucian, and one great-grandchild (son of Daniel and Karlye, due to be born in October), for whom he was holding on for as long as he could to meet him. He is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews, too numerous to individually name here. In his professional life he worked as a business executive in the truck leasing industry, the New York Times and Goya Foods being among his major clients. In that capacity he excelled at contract work and in his people skills. His many clients simply loved him since he could always be counted on to get the job done, at a fair price and in a timely manner, no matter the cost to himself or the difficulties he faced. He had wanted to study business law, although being a depression-era child with eight brothers and sisters ahead of him, there simply weren't the family funds to help support that dream. So he was self-taught, drafting contracts and conducting meetings with great aplomb and finesse. He was a natural that way, a self-made man, bringing to bear a skill set that set him apart. In his later years, he applied those skills at his youngest grandson Ryan's education meetings, which he faithfully attended alongside his daughter, Alicia, always providing her with the emotional support she needed. In this way, he helped ensure that both the spirit and the letter of the law were adhered to in securing his grandson's education, since there was never any question that Ryan's exceptional intellectual gifts and talents would be wasted or left unfulfilled. Lucian's interests and hobbies included working around his and his wife Audrey's vacation home in the Pocono Mountains, where they very generously shared their time, talent, and treasure with their many family, friends, and neighbors. On account of this generosity, his and Audrey's four grandchildren have very fond and happy memories of their growing-up years spent at Grandpa Lucian's and Grandma Audrey's Pocono home, as the first three liked to call them. Once Ryan came along he renamed them Nanny and Papa, although Daniel, Elizabeth, and Emily liked to remind him that "they named them first!" He had always had a particular affinity for the mountains and so loved spending his time there, barbecuing and entertaining guests on the outside deck, touring the region with his wife, and reading his many books. To that end, the book shops in Jim Thorpe were always a particular draw, where he and his daughter loved to go, debating titles and political history at the library book sale. He also enjoyed international travel with his wife, counting Italy, Spain, and Greece among his favorites. Lucian's wish to be cared for at home was made possible by the very kind and efficient care of hospice team Kindred at Home, along with the very able nursing skills of his wife, Audrey, whom he dubbed "Nurse Nellie." Audrey had always aspired to become a nurse, so it appears she had gotten her wish. Together with daughter, Alicia, and grandson, Ryan, they pulled together as a family unit to help manage Lucian's care. What they soon learned early on in this endeavor was that at-home care isn't for the fainthearted, as it is very physically demanding and emotionally difficult work, so they tip their hats with the greatest of respect to hospice-care workers everywhere,selfless professionals who heroically work on the front lines of the terminally ill and dying, treating them with dignity and providing them with the compassionate end-of-life palliative care they so deserve. At Lucian's request, his funeral will be private, although plans have been made for Saturday, October 1, 2016, beginning with a prayer service, followed by a Mass of Christian burial led by Fr. Gerard F. Lynch, O.SS.T., Pastor at the Church of St. Ann on Lawrenceville Road in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, the family parish church. Burial of his ashes will immediately follow in the family plot at the Lawrenceville Cemetery on Route 206 in Lawrenceville. In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to make a donation to a charity of your choice, Kindred at Home hospice, or the Church of St. Ann. To send a condolence to the family, please visit www.poulsonvanhise.com, and thank you. Arrangements are under the direction of Poulson & Van Hise Funeral Directors, Lawrenceville, NJ.