John G. Lombardi

John Gaetano Lombardi was born in White Plains, New York on June 15th, 1932. His life story, seldom shared, is about how high character is not genetic, it’s more about discovering and developing your own talents, knowing which opportunity is the correct choice when a positive impact matters most, and staying humble and accessible to as many friends, neighbors, family members and co-workers as possible, all along the way. During his remarkable journey, John consistently put all others before his own needs, exemplifying The Greatest Generation.

John’s mother Filomena hails from family that arrived from Italy to eventually settle in Bristol, Rhode Island and Wallingford, Connecticut. His father, Rocco Lombardi, was a first-generation immigrant from Aqua Viva del Fonti, in the Apulia region of Southern Italy. To Rocco, White Plains was just enough of a small town as it was a growing city, and it was where he believed he could find the most suitable work for a versatile tradesman.

At an early age John soon met his lifelong, very best friend Maria right in his own neighborhood. Maria was just two and he was five years old. They were part of a working-class community of immigrants from many countries, and John and Maria’s fathers became partners in a painting and decorating business. Their steady friendship will last forever; so far 86 years in our existence on earth, 66 of them married, and 65 in deep commitment to all three of their children, Loretta, John and Chris, as well as their children’s children and every other kid in their neighborhood.

Working for Rocco and Maria’s father Jimmy, John eventually learned his first craft skill while simultaneously being introduced to the construction industry at a young age. During summers off from school, John also traveled to live and work on the family farm in Wallingford, with full responsibility for the poultry house, as well as regular tasks in the apple orchard. As a child, he witnessed the operation’s transition from horse drawn to mechanical equipment and was soon assigned to operate a John Deere Model 40 General Purpose tractor, which was the second machine purchased by his uncles, just four years after a Caterpillar was first put into service.

During this same period, the United States was economically experiencing the “Great Depression” and before John was an adult, the US had entered World War II. Filomena set a high standard of citizenship for her children, continuously teaching John and his two sisters Rose and Anna that money meant less than character, and that in the long run they would be measured more for what they gave to other people than what they took for themselves. With this message, John used a work ethic adopted from his parents to become a leader in a citywide scrap metal drive to resource the war effort. His natural talent as an artist was utilized to produce a nationalist poster that won an award for school-aged contribution to the American Spirit which still resides today at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC.

As a student, John received the benefit of a Jesuit education, which was only made possible through a sliding-scale tuition assistance program, and he became a member of the first graduating class of Archbishop Stepinac High School. While there, he played on the school’s football team, academically struggled through English classes as he battled with dyslexia yet excelled in mathematics and spatial geometry. In these later disciplines, he was observed to have achieved perfect results on final chapter exercises during the first few days of the course work. Throughout his life, what John learned at Stepinac regarding logic, philosophy and reasoning guided his own principles and was implemented to the benefit of everyone around him.

After graduation in 1951, John spent a season back on the farm then enlisted in the United States Army. Through an administrative mishap, he was left stranded on a runway without orders to ship to the Korean Conflict and was directed to board a flight to join occupational forces in Germany the very next day. In Europe, John was assigned to a forward guard battalion, stationed at the boundary directly proximate to Russian forces. He quickly mastered artillery ranging, was selected for officer’s training, and ultimately received two field promotions. When John reached the rank of Seargent, he became the youngest Non-Commissioned Officer in the US Army-European Theatre during the period. On his way home to marry Maria, he took several photographs on the transport ship, which eventually won a US Army award for military art. Up until the time of his passing, he still received holiday greeting cards from members of his Howitzer team.

Arriving back in the US, John joined the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, where he later accepted an appointment as an apprenticeship skills judge during the graduation candidate’s practical exams. With tuition assistance provided under the GI Bill, John attended SUNY Westchester Community College for studies in Construction Technology.

At the top of his class in architectural drafting, the residence John produced as his capstone project became his family’s home on Alpine Terrace in Pleasantville, New York. Rare for any architect, his design functioned perfectly without any post construction modification. It was among the first of American homes to receive energy saving elements such as double-glass windows, over two decades before these became a standard within national building code. Both the main kitchen, and the in-law apartment kitchen in the Alpine Terrace house were featured at separate times in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. John not only designed these kitchens, he ordered the components and professionally installed the cabinetry.

Consistent with this part of his story, John quickly worked his way from a field installer at Westchester Custom Kitchens to become their Project and Operations Manager. In the late 1960’s John partnered with his brother in-law Herb Rogers to establish their own company, Alpine Carpentry, which was known primarily as a high-end kitchen, bath and interiors collaboration that eventually branched into corporate interiors and new home building. John and Herb wisely used this platform as a starting point for several of their children’s career experiences, just as Rocco and Jimmy had done a generation before.

By 1978, through work that he and Herb processed together, John was recognized by the Pella Window and Door Corporation as a leader in retrofit installation techniques, as well as direct sales. Starting with a single, random request by an oil futures trader that Alpine Carpentry had previously furnished interior work for, the company quickly became the single highest volume product installer in the northeastern region of the United States. John accepted an offer to become a Sales Manager and later, Corporate Operations Manager for Pella’s regional sole source distributor. He also served as their lead Real Estate and Planning Center Developer. Herb continued on with Alpine, installing Pella products for jointly acquired customers, while also branching further into post and beam homes, and successfully filling out the kitchen and bath business.

Over the years, John was a willing volunteer in many community functions. He provided tractor and cart rides at Pleasantville’s annual Roselle Elementary School Fair, with a custom-built cart he called the Tiger Tank, which was his evening shop project for months before its first appearance. He also supported Scouts with his workmanship during several annual Pinewood Derbies. Through Herb’s encouragement, as well as that of a neighbor and close friend Leo Danielle, John became a member of Pioneer Engine Company in the Pleasantville Volunteer Fire Department. Among other achievements, he built a scale architectural model to demonstrate firefighting techniques in various construction assemblies, still in use for training today. John also served a five-year term as a publicly elected member of the Pleasantville Board of Fire Commissioners from 1976 through 1981. He lead renovations to modernize the apparatus room floor to support the weight of modern fire engines. It was his foresight to introduce automatic truck transmissions to a changing constituency of volunteer membership.

Following in John’s footsteps, in tandem with those of Herb and Loretta’s father-in-law Albert Brooks, John proudly witnessed all three of his children join the tradition of generational fire service alongside his son-in-law John Brooks, nephew Lloyd Rogers, family member Randy Muller and grandson Jesse Brooks. Throughout his adult years, John maintained the highest regard for the members he worked alongside and delighted in hosting sport fishing trips out of Point Judith for as many firefighters as he could possibly fit in his house in Rhode Island.

Although John has always had ties to Rhode Island, his constant presence really started in 1971, after a kitchen job in Watch Hill for a Westchester based client. John and Maria discussed how beautiful South County was and set out to find a cottage. On Green Hill Avenue in South Kingstown, they found what they were looking for; a distant view of Block Island and just 780 square feet of living area for the whole family.

21 years of enjoyment and a few fishing boats later, John retired from Pella to focus on a major renovation, bringing their home to approximately 3,000 square feet. When building was completed in 1992, he was joined full-time by Maria who had recently retired from a career at Pace University.

Not one to stay idle, John continued to work as a part-time contractor throughout the Green Hill neighborhood. He was notable for being able to fix anything, becoming lifelong friends with each client, and his deliberate choice of using a wheelbarrow to move his tools from project to project rather than a truck.

In this time, John continued to produce fine photography, beautiful gardens, and learned to play golf. He was once the youngest member, and later in life the oldest member, of the Green Hill Men’s Golf Group. He played in the Couples League with Maria along with their tremendous group of good friends, and most enjoyed the sport with his grandson Jesse. While not one for sitting on the beach, John also valued membership in the Green Hill Beach Club, visiting with neighbors at regular events.

For over twenty years of semi-retirement, John and Maria wintered in Hobe Sound, Florida, in constant visitation with friends and family from everywhere they had lived. They traveled extensively together, often sharing expeditions with other couples, other times simply cherishing their own company.

In 2015, facing his first battle with cancer and determined to be sure that Maria had a less complicated house to care for, he began construction on a new custom home in Charlestown on the same day he started chemotherapy. By the time the move from Green Hill was accomplished, John’s cancer was remarkably in full remission.

Just weeks before his passing 8 years later, John continued to work with his tools, now renovating his basement to make room for an expanding family. He made a point of detailing his car and kept up with local, national and international news on a daily basis.

In only one form, John leaves behind Maria, the absolute love of his life, and his three adult children Loretta (John), John (Sandy) and Chris (Susan), who have all succeeded due to the example he set. He also leaves his six grandchildren, and very shortly his first new great-grandchild. He will be missed by his sister Anna and her husband Herb, his many nephews and nieces, along with their children and grandchildren. He has left to join his sister Rose and her husband George, who he also loved dearly.

In many significant ways, his example, contributions and generosity will continue to live on.

Honoring John’s request, there will be no wake or burial ceremony. A Mass of Christian burial will be held in St. James Chapel, 2079 Matunuck Schoolhouse Road, Charlestown, Rhode Island, at 11:00 AM Saturday on November 4th, 2023.

Immediately following mass, a Celebration to Commemorate John’s Life will be held on the shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean, at the Green Hill Beach Club, 1064 Green Hill Beach Road, South Kingstown.

All are welcome to attend both events. For those who can’t make the trip, but would like to witness the mass by webstream, they can visit (please copy and paste in to your browser):

twitch.tv/stmjparish

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to (please copy and paste in to your browser):

Hope Hospice at:    https://www.hopehealthco.org/services/hospice-care/

St. Jude’s Research Hospital at:     https://www.stjude.org

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