Christian Bizzotto-Pascal

Christian Bizzotto-Pascal passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 18^th in Pompton Lakes, NJ with his family by his side. 

He was predeceased by his father Gino Bizzotto (Antibes, France), his mother Corine Pascal (Santa Cruz, CA), and his sisters Ginette LaFosse (Santa Cruz, CA) and Paulette Greaume (Paris, France)

He is survived by his wife Barbara Pascal (nee Vohs) of Pompton Lakes, NJ; five children including his son Christian and his wife Lorraine Pascal of Edison, NJ; his son Mark and his wife Jenifer Pascal of Cranford, NJ; his daughter Michelle and her husband Fabio Chavez of Pompton Lakes, NJ; his daughter Kristen Pascal and fiancé John King of Hopewell Junction, NY; and his youngest daughter Natalie and her husband Joseph Careri of Bloomingdale, NJ.  Chris also leaves behind nine grandchildren; Brian & his wife Dayna Pascal of West Orange, NJ; Stephanie Pascal and her fiancée Julia Blasl of Forked River, NJ, Laura Pascal of Highland Park, NJ; Spencer Pascal of Hoboken, NJ, Caroline and Sarah Pascal of Cranford, NJ; Lucas Chavez of Pompton Lakes, NJ; and Joseph and Nicholas Careri of Bloomingdale, NJ.  Chris has one great-grandchild, Emmarie Pascal of West Orange, NJ.

Chris was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, France just outside Paris, before World War II.  His early life was difficult as he spent much of his time separated from his parents and cared for by his older sisters during the war.  He always spoke of his sisters’ importance in his life and how they protected and nurtured him.  This was the root of his strong beliefs in family, loyalty, and responsibility.

In 1946, he moved to New York City with his mother and sisters.  He learned English with a proficiency even greater than his native French tongue.  Even as a young child he was industrious and driven.  Extremely intelligent and hard-working, he went to school while also working to help contribute to the family’s income.  That built his foundational principles around selflessness, altruism and being fiscally prudent.

When Chris went to Bishop DuBois High School, he was a member of the nationally renowned New York Boys Choir and recorded an album while there. After graduating high school in 1955 with high honors, Chris was granted a full scholarship to New York University and earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. He was also a key member of NYU’s National Champion Fencing Team. 

After graduation, Chris married his first wife Elaine Pascal (nee Lombardi).  They moved to Montreal, Quebec where Chris was able to utilize his French fluency and his Chemical Engineering degree to secure product development work at General Foods.  Chris’ two boys, Christian and Mark were born while in Canada. He was a dedicated father and taught his sons to strive high and to be their best selves. 

His entrepreneurial nature was initially sparked during this time as he ran a bakery, with his mother - all while working his primary job and attending graduate school at McGill University in the evenings, ultimately, earning an MBA degree.

In 1969, Chris moved the family to Nutley, NJ when he got a promotional offer from Shulton/Mennen. In the early 1970’s, he decided that his true calling was as an entrepreneur and started an export company with his cousin, outsourcing Professional Purchasing services for large overseas companies. The business became a huge success, especially as requirements for US-made parts grew internationally.

During this time, Chris and Elaine were divorced.  This was very difficult for him, but ultimately, it became a blessing, as he married his current wife, Barbara, in 1979. She has faithfully been by his side for 44 years.  Chris and Barbara had three wonderful daughters, Michelle, Kristen, and Natalie who have all grown up with the same strong principles around family, responsibility, commitment, and loyalty.

Not finished, Chris and Barbara opened their home to take in four foster children and had a critically important impact on their lives using the same character-building approach and love.

Chris always wanted to do more and created a new company, CD&P Health Products using his Chemical Engineering talents and education.  There he developed skin care formulas using essential oils, several years ahead of the mainstream industry. Leading spas including The Spa at the Hotel Hershey and The Greenbrier used his products exclusively at their resorts. 

His accomplishments only grew from there. He had a strong interest in flying and fulfilled the associated training and extensive flight hours to be certified as a fully licensed pilot. He was a professional speaker at skin care conferences. In his 70’s he wrote a book. In his 80’s, even as his health started to fail, he got a patent for one of his skin care formulations.

He was also a strongly religious man and deeply committed to his church and community.  As a deacon at Calvary Temple International, he always looked to help others that were less fortunate and teach God’s word.  He gave more than he took and has a long list of people that benefitted from his generosity.

He truly loved being around people, having food and sharing stories. One of his greatest gifts was his laugh.  It was deep and genuine and made others feel accepted and wanted.

A great, great “good” man who achieved much more than most.

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital at www.stjude.org or His Helping Hands at https://linktr.ee/Hishelpinghands  HisHelpingHands is a local charity, providing food, medicine, and supplies to homeless people in Paterson, NJ.  It was set-up a few years ago by Chris’ son-in-law, Joseph Careri, in his efforts to give back to his community.