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Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Thursday, February 19, 2015 from 2-4 and 7-9 PM.
Funeral Services will be held on Friday, February 20, 2015 at 10:00 AM from the funeral home, then to St. Gerard R.C. Church, 501 West Broadway, Paterson, where at 11:00 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered.
Norman J. Gravino, age 93, of Haledon, died peacefully at home with his family lovingly by his side on Monday, February 16, 2015.
Born in Carbondale, PA, Norman was raised in Paterson. From the time he was just a little boy, Norm was a hustler. At age eight, he figured out that if he polished shoes, people would pay him. When he was twelve, he got a job setting up bowling pins – manually! He was as sharp with his hands as he was with his mind so, after ninth grade, he transitioned from traditional high school to vocational technical school.
When his school days were past him, Norm initially worked various jobs including delivering for a local optometrist, a dress shop, and working for Wright Aeronautical. About this time in his life, he met a sweet young girl named Catherine DiPaola. He was interested in dating her but she wasn’t an easy catch. As she put it, “I couldn’t be bothered” but Catherine didn’t realize how focused Norm was on getting what he wanted. He finally got her to go on their first date – a walk to Paterson’s Westside Park. After that first date she was sort of sold…..sold enough that when he visited her at the local Kresge Five and Dime where she worked part-time, and asked her out again, she obliged. After work, they went on that second date – another walk to Westside Park. This time though, Norman had a secret weapon, namely Fanny Farmer brand candy. This was the crème de la crème candy in its day and it helped Norm win Catherine’s heart. They settled into a nice courtship and one night while Catherine was babysitting for her cousin’s child, Norm stopped by with a ring and asked Catherine to marry him. She said yes but the wedding would have to wait. Read on to find out why.
Norm was seventeen at this time and, while he loved Catherine, he was hungry for some of life’s other pursuits too, so he decided to enlist into the U.S. Navy. There was one problem though; you had to be eighteen. Undeterred and never taking no for an answer, seventeen-year-old Norm came up with the perfect plan. He needed a letter from one of his parents certifying that he was the legal age to enlist. Since he knew his parents wouldn’t cooperate and because he had a friend who also wanted to enlist but was underage too, Norman proposed to his friend that they forge each other’s father’s signature on that required letter. It worked! When he got his notification to report, Norm had his brother stand between him and his father when he told him because he figured his dad would probably want to kill him before the enemy could. So, at seventeen years of age, Norm was on his way to defend his country – a country that he loved so much. He proudly served for three years during World War II aboard the U.S.S. Wilkes 441 in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. As he looked back on his Navy days, Norm often said, “I got to see the world aboard the luckiest ship.” He dubbed it the luckiest ship because, while destroyers were sinking, the U.S.S. Wilkes 441 never sunk and there was never a casualty.
While on leave from his Navy service, early one week, Norm suggested to Catherine that they get married “this Saturday!” Believe it or not, she agreed. What a week it was! Blood work, marriage license, wedding gown, aaaaarph! It was crazy but they pulled the wedding off, marrying that following Saturday, August 14, 1943 at St. Michael’s Church in Paterson. The honeymoon was only one night in Stroudsburg, PA, and then Norm had to return to his Navy ship to finish out his service.
After being honorably discharged from the Navy in 1945, Norm came home, hung his trousers on the bedpost and nine months later, he became a father for the first time. Catherine gave him a beautiful girl which they named Virginia. They were still living in Paterson at that time but, in 1946, they moved to Haledon. After welcoming a baby boy named Norman, it was time to move into a bigger home, so they built a brand new one, also in Haledon. Norm was personally involved in the whole process of construction, from design to actually rolling up his sleeves to help. They moved into the new house in 1957 and, over the next few years, three more children were added to the family ranks: Mariann, Michael, and Kathryn. Norm and Catherine continued to live in that home to this present day.
Norm’s first job when he got out of the Navy was working as a custodian in the Haledon Schools, but as always, he longed for greater adventures. He often saw the milkmen delivering their dairy products so one day he asked a milkman what it would take to get his own milk route. “A truck and a lot of initiative” was the reply. Well Norm had the initiative, he just needed a truck. He borrowed money to get that truck and he worked hard. It was a risky venture but Norm had enough confidence in himself to be successful and, successful he was! He canvassed door-to-door and built up a large base of customers in the Lions Head Lake section of Wayne and beyond. Over the years, the wheels kept turning in Norman’s head. He began to realize that instead of working for a local dairy, he could start his own dairy. He got a bunch of other milkmen to agree and he helped them all to establish Westbrook Farms. He went from “working for the man” to “being the man!” Westbrook Farms prospered until stores started selling milk. Before stores, milk was always delivered in quarts. The stores started selling it by the gallon. Norm always said, “The gallon killed door-to-door delivery.” He saw the writing on the wall and one day, while on the way to a Westbrook Farms meeting, he and another guy passed the old Sharry’s Tavern in Oak Ridge. It was a run-down bar and it was for sale. Always a visionary, Norm said to his partner, “Hey, we should buy it.” Long story short, they did buy that tavern. They added on to it and called it the Milton Inn. Eventually, Norm bought out his partner and brought his two sons into the business. Norm always felt that the tavern needed a restaurant, so eventually, while still running the original Milton Inn, he and his sons built a brand new building, right on the same property as the old one. The new Milton Inn opened on November 17, 2004. Then they tore the old one down. This was the culmination and fruition of all of Norman’s dreams. It was his rags-to-riches story. He loved being the proprietor of the Milton Inn. He never really wanted to retire but health issues forced him to slow down when he turned 88.
To Norm, working was his main hobby but he also liked to go fishing and hunting. He especially liked freshwater fishing and deer, pheasant and grouse hunting. He and Catherine owned a home down the Jersey shore in Lavallette. Norm would take his family down to the house, stay a day or two, and then go back to work. When he was a young guy, Norm was very athletic. His kids have fond memories of when they were little and he’d take them ice skating. They were amazed at his skating skills. He’d also take them sleigh riding down Haledon’s Mason Ave. He loved having his wife, children, and grandchildren together and New Year’s Eve was always a great occasion for family celebrations. In the early years, Norm always shot a shot gun to usher in the new-year at midnight. While the shotgun tradition eventually had to be stopped, the New Year’s Eve get-togethers went on for many years.
Norm loved going with Catherine to his Navy reunions. They occurred all over the U.S. and they gave him the opportunity to maintain friendships with his former comrades. Always giving, he also helped build the Haledon Veterans Hall on Mason Ave. and he marched in the holiday parades, always carrying the American flag.
Extremely generous, Norm encouraged excellence in his children and grandchildren. He had a soft spot in his heart for nuns and he regularly donated dairy products to St. Gerard Church in Paterson. It wasn’t unusual for him to invite orphans to his family’s Thanksgiving dinners. This made his children feel a little uncomfortable but it also taught them valuable lessons about counting your blessings and caring for those less fortunate.
Surviving are his beloved wife of 71 years, Catherine; five dear children: Virginia Bator of Lincoln Park, Norman and wife Jane Gravino of Oak Ridge, Mariann and husband Albert Bisaccia of Essex Fells, Michael Gravino of Oak Ridge, and Kathryn and husband Steven Unger of Wayne; ten cherished grandchildren: John, Leann, Catherine, Vito, James, Jessica, Mariann, Norman, Karyn, and Nickolas; eight adored great-grandchildren: Owen, Mariann, Sarah, Jackson, Kendall, Leo, Caroline, and Anna; and his dear brother Patrick Gravino of Toms River.
Norman was predeceased by his two brothers: Sebastian and Carmen Gravino, his sister Rose Fusco, and his son-in-law John B. Bator.
Those wishing to make a donation in Norman’s memory are asked to consider Passaic Valley Hospice, 783 Riverview Drive, Totowa, NJ 07511.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Thursday, February 19, 2015 from 2-4 and 7-9 PM.
Funeral Services will be held on Friday, February 20, 2015 at 10:00 AM from the funeral home, then to St. Gerard R.C. Church, 501 West Broadway, Paterson, where at 11:00 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered.
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Thursday, February 19, 2015 from 2-4 and 7-9 PM.
Funeral Services will be held on Friday, February 20, 2015 at 10:00 AM from the funeral home, then to St. Gerard R.C. Church, 501 West Broadway, Paterson, where at 11:00 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered.
Norman J. Gravino, age 93, of Haledon, died peacefully at home with his family lovingly by his side on Monday, February 16, 2015.
Born in Carbondale, PA, Norman was raised in Paterson. From the time he was just a little boy, Norm was a hustler. At age eight, he figured out that if he polished shoes, people would pay him. When he was twelve, he got a job setting up bowling pins – manually! He was as sharp with his hands as he was with his mind so, after ninth grade, he transitioned from traditional high school to vocational technical school.
When his school days were past him, Norm initially worked various jobs including delivering for a local optometrist, a dress shop, and working for Wright Aeronautical. About this time in his life, he met a sweet young girl named Catherine DiPaola. He was interested in dating her but she wasn’t an easy catch. As she put it, “I couldn’t be bothered” but Catherine didn’t realize how focused Norm was on getting what he wanted. He finally got her to go on their first date – a walk to Paterson’s Westside Park. After that first date she was sort of sold…..sold enough that when he visited her at the local Kresge Five and Dime where she worked part-time, and asked her out again, she obliged. After work, they went on that second date – another walk to Westside Park. This time though, Norman had a secret weapon, namely Fanny Farmer brand candy. This was the crème de la crème candy in its day and it helped Norm win Catherine’s heart. They settled into a nice courtship and one night while Catherine was babysitting for her cousin’s child, Norm stopped by with a ring and asked Catherine to marry him. She said yes but the wedding would have to wait. Read on to find out why.
Norm was seventeen at this time and, while he loved Catherine, he was hungry for some of life’s other pursuits too, so he decided to enlist into the U.S. Navy. There was one problem though; you had to be eighteen. Undeterred and never taking no for an answer, seventeen-year-old Norm came up with the perfect plan. He needed a letter from one of his parents certifying that he was the legal age to enlist. Since he knew his parents wouldn’t cooperate and because he had a friend who also wanted to enlist but was underage too, Norman proposed to his friend that they forge each other’s father’s signature on that required letter. It worked! When he got his notification to report, Norm had his brother stand between him and his father when he told him because he figured his dad would probably want to kill him before the enemy could. So, at seventeen years of age, Norm was on his way to defend his country – a country that he loved so much. He proudly served for three years during World War II aboard the U.S.S. Wilkes 441 in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. As he looked back on his Navy days, Norm often said, “I got to see the world aboard the luckiest ship.” He dubbed it the luckiest ship because, while destroyers were sinking, the U.S.S. Wilkes 441 never sunk and there was never a casualty.
While on leave from his Navy service, early one week, Norm suggested to Catherine that they get married “this Saturday!” Believe it or not, she agreed. What a week it was! Blood work, marriage license, wedding gown, aaaaarph! It was crazy but they pulled the wedding off, marrying that following Saturday, August 14, 1943 at St. Michael’s Church in Paterson. The honeymoon was only one night in Stroudsburg, PA, and then Norm had to return to his Navy ship to finish out his service.
After being honorably discharged from the Navy in 1945, Norm came home, hung his trousers on the bedpost and nine months later, he became a father for the first time. Catherine gave him a beautiful girl which they named Virginia. They were still living in Paterson at that time but, in 1946, they moved to Haledon. After welcoming a baby boy named Norman, it was time to move into a bigger home, so they built a brand new one, also in Haledon. Norm was personally involved in the whole process of construction, from design to actually rolling up his sleeves to help. They moved into the new house in 1957 and, over the next few years, three more children were added to the family ranks: Mariann, Michael, and Kathryn. Norm and Catherine continued to live in that home to this present day.
Norm’s first job when he got out of the Navy was working as a custodian in the Haledon Schools, but as always, he longed for greater adventures. He often saw the milkmen delivering their dairy products so one day he asked a milkman what it would take to get his own milk route. “A truck and a lot of initiative” was the reply. Well Norm had the initiative, he just needed a truck. He borrowed money to get that truck and he worked hard. It was a risky venture but Norm had enough confidence in himself to be successful and, successful he was! He canvassed door-to-door and built up a large base of customers in the Lions Head Lake section of Wayne and beyond. Over the years, the wheels kept turning in Norman’s head. He began to realize that instead of working for a local dairy, he could start his own dairy. He got a bunch of other milkmen to agree and he helped them all to establish Westbrook Farms. He went from “working for the man” to “being the man!” Westbrook Farms prospered until stores started selling milk. Before stores, milk was always delivered in quarts. The stores started selling it by the gallon. Norm always said, “The gallon killed door-to-door delivery.” He saw the writing on the wall and one day, while on the way to a Westbrook Farms meeting, he and another guy passed the old Sharry’s Tavern in Oak Ridge. It was a run-down bar and it was for sale. Always a visionary, Norm said to his partner, “Hey, we should buy it.” Long story short, they did buy that tavern. They added on to it and called it the Milton Inn. Eventually, Norm bought out his partner and brought his two sons into the business. Norm always felt that the tavern needed a restaurant, so eventually, while still running the original Milton Inn, he and his sons built a brand new building, right on the same property as the old one. The new Milton Inn opened on November 17, 2004. Then they tore the old one down. This was the culmination and fruition of all of Norman’s dreams. It was his rags-to-riches story. He loved being the proprietor of the Milton Inn. He never really wanted to retire but health issues forced him to slow down when he turned 88.
To Norm, working was his main hobby but he also liked to go fishing and hunting. He especially liked freshwater fishing and deer, pheasant and grouse hunting. He and Catherine owned a home down the Jersey shore in Lavallette. Norm would take his family down to the house, stay a day or two, and then go back to work. When he was a young guy, Norm was very athletic. His kids have fond memories of when they were little and he’d take them ice skating. They were amazed at his skating skills. He’d also take them sleigh riding down Haledon’s Mason Ave. He loved having his wife, children, and grandchildren together and New Year’s Eve was always a great occasion for family celebrations. In the early years, Norm always shot a shot gun to usher in the new-year at midnight. While the shotgun tradition eventually had to be stopped, the New Year’s Eve get-togethers went on for many years.
Norm loved going with Catherine to his Navy reunions. They occurred all over the U.S. and they gave him the opportunity to maintain friendships with his former comrades. Always giving, he also helped build the Haledon Veterans Hall on Mason Ave. and he marched in the holiday parades, always carrying the American flag.
Extremely generous, Norm encouraged excellence in his children and grandchildren. He had a soft spot in his heart for nuns and he regularly donated dairy products to St. Gerard Church in Paterson. It wasn’t unusual for him to invite orphans to his family’s Thanksgiving dinners. This made his children feel a little uncomfortable but it also taught them valuable lessons about counting your blessings and caring for those less fortunate.
Surviving are his beloved wife of 71 years, Catherine; five dear children: Virginia Bator of Lincoln Park, Norman and wife Jane Gravino of Oak Ridge, Mariann and husband Albert Bisaccia of Essex Fells, Michael Gravino of Oak Ridge, and Kathryn and husband Steven Unger of Wayne; ten cherished grandchildren: John, Leann, Catherine, Vito, James, Jessica, Mariann, Norman, Karyn, and Nickolas; eight adored great-grandchildren: Owen, Mariann, Sarah, Jackson, Kendall, Leo, Caroline, and Anna; and his dear brother Patrick Gravino of Toms River.
Norman was predeceased by his two brothers: Sebastian and Carmen Gravino, his sister Rose Fusco, and his son-in-law John B. Bator.
Those wishing to make a donation in Norman’s memory are asked to consider Passaic Valley Hospice, 783 Riverview Drive, Totowa, NJ 07511.
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