Angelo Nonna completed his long and fruitful life surrounded by his family on August 4, 2015 . He is survived by his son John and his wife Jean, four grandchildren, Liz ( husband James Cunliffe) Caroline Holland (husband Paul) Marianne and Tim and two great-grandchildren, Amelia and Elliot Holland. He was predeceased by his wife Josephine.
Angelo was born in Civitavecchia, Italy on February 28, 1922 and grew up on Viterbo, Italy. He attended art school and then joined the Italian Navy in 1939. He served in the Italian Navy in World War II until 1943 when Italy surrendered to the Allies. He then escaped the Germans to the island of Ischia in the Bay of Naples, where the Americans had landed. Along with several other Italian sailors, he served in the United States Navy for the remainder of the war, travelling on convoys across the Atlantic between Italy and the United States.
He met his wife Josephine in New York on one of the voyages. He survived three ship sinkings during the war. After the war, he remained in the United States and became a citizen. He worked as a wood finisher on projects at the Metropolitan, Opera, Metropolitan Museum and leading department stores and offices in New York City. After living in the Bronx for many years, he moved to Pleasantville in 1989 to be near his son’s family. He was active in the Pleasantville Senior Citizens and as a parishioner of Holy Innocents. He was inducted in into the Westchester County Senior Hall of Fame. He was a skilled artist who loved to draw and give his drawings to friends and family members. He was also an avid bow hunter. He enjoyed sports throughout his life, from playing volleyball in the Italian Navy, soccer with his grand-children and tennis until his 80’s. In 2005 his life was the subject of documentary in the Jacob Burns Film Center “Unscripted” program. The documentary won an award from PBS. The film was entitled “A Beautiful Destiny” because Angelo truly believed that his destiny was beautiful. The family will receive friends at Beecher Flooks Funeral Home in Pleasantville on Wednesday from 2 – 4 & 7 – 9 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Holy Innocents R.C. Church on Thursday at 10:00 AM. Entombment to follow at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx.