Andrew “Andy” “Pepper” F. Stillo, age 82, of Riverdale, formerly of Pequannock, passed peacefully at home on Wednesday, October 19, 2016.

He was born in Sant’ Andrea, Italy and his family came to America aboard the Italian ocean liner SS Rex, and settled on St Marks Avenue in Brooklyn, New York. The family moved to New Jersey living in Haskell, Paterson, and finally West Paterson. Andy graduated from Passaic Valley High School, where he played baseball and basketball, with the Class of 1952.

After high school, Andy played baseball for a semi-pro league and worked as a fill in mailman during the Christmas season and for a construction company. He attended two years of college at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Rutherford before serving his country in the US Army.

Andy served in the US Army during the Vietnam War and was stationed in Fort Dix, New Jersey and Berlin, Germany. While stationed at Fort Dix his family decided to visit him at his barracks. They all arrived as one big group, walking through the barracks, with baskets containing a traditional Italian meal. All his bunk mates were jealous when they saw the spread put out for Andy. While in the service he and his finance Janet corresponded with many love letters. He was honorably discharged from the service on November 15, 1957 and received the Army of Occupation of Germany Medal and the Good Conduct Medal for his service.

Once out of the military Andy found work at the Home Insurance Company in New York City where he trained to be an underwriter. He later worked for GB Parks, David Eisenberg's Insurance Company and ended his long career at Wharton, Lyon & Lyon Insurance Agency where he retired in 1995 and stayed on as an advisory role for just over ten more years.

Andy first met Janet at a party where they talked for hours. When Janet left the party, Andy saw her sitting in a car and walked up to the open car window, leaned in and planted a kiss on her lips. She was shocked but flattered as well. From there, they started dating. Janet made it tough on Andy. Once when he came to the house to take her out, she had positioned a glass of water held by a string above a window where she planned to greet him. When he stopped to talk to her, she pulled the string and sent the water down on the top of his head. She continued pranks like this when she dug a hole where she knew Andy would walk and covered the hole with sticks and leaves with a pail of water underneath. Janet and her siblings peeked out the window until they saw him step into the hole and react to the prank. While they laughed hysterically watching, Andy was not laughing with them. However, the pranks did not stop Andy from pursuing Janet. From the start, Andy would tell Janet he was going to marry her. With their courting and flirting, they were falling deeply in love with each other. Andy went to New York with his brother-in-law Fiore and purchased a diamond engagement ring and soon after asked Janet’s parents for their permission to marry her. He proposed and she accepted at her family home located at 37 Wilmore Road in Little Falls. They married on September 6, 1958 at Saint Bonaventure’s RC Church in Paterson and had a reception at the Circle Inn in Wayne. They honeymooned at the Casablanca Hotel in Miami, Florida and were soon joined by their friends Josephine and Carmen Inga that were married the day after them. Andy won a Cha Cha Contest and was said to have put on a pretty good striptease act as well. Andy and Janet will be remembered as always being together and having enjoyed fifty-eight year of loving and devoted marriage.

After they married Andy and Janet lived over a barber shop on Main Street in Little Falls and after they had their first child Susan they moved in to an apartment above Andy's parent's house on Marcellus Ave in West Paterson. There their family grew with the arrival of their second child, Andrew, Jr. Andy and Janet bought their first home in Pequannock where they lived for over 32 years. Here their family grew with the arrival of their third child, Cindy (aka Cinderella). Andrew was very active and involved with his children. He was well known for coaching baseball for his son and softball for his daughters and wife. When Andy retired they moved to Riverdale, NJ and became snow birds in Naples, Florida for the past seventeen years.

Andy was a member of the Saint Andrew Social Club in West Paterson and the Pacquenack Tennis Club in Pompton Plains. He was a Past-President for both clubs. Andy was an avid golfer and enjoyed golfing with his group of friends at Sunset Valley Golf Club in Pompton Plains as well as the Lakewood Country Club in Naples, FL.

Andy was the loving husband of Janet (Book) Stillo; devoted father of Susan Landers and her husband Michael of Kinnelon, Andrew Stillo, Jr. and his wife Susie of West Caldwell, and Cindy Zahner and her husband Daniel of Pompton Plains; he was the cherished grandfather of Sabrina Stillo, Breanna Stillo, Tabitha Stillo, Ian Landers, Allison Landers, Samuel Zahner, Rebecca Zahner, Jennifer Zahner and dearly loved great-grandfather of Jayson Thomas Downs; he was the much loved brother of Mary Manello of Pompton Plains, Josephine Jackson of Caldwell, and the late Frances Coccari and Bruno Stillo. He was the treasured uncle of his nieces and nephews.

Those inclined to make a memorial donation are asked to consider Alzheimer’s New Jersey, 400 Morris Ave., Suite 251, Denville, NJ 07834-1365.