Pasquale Scamardo

On Friday, September 16^th, 2022, Pasquale Scamardo, a devoted husband, father, and dear friend to many, passed away peacefully at the age of ninety-two. Born on June 25, 1930, Pasquale was the youngest and last surviving member of a family of seven children born to Salvatore and Angela (Castagna) Scamardo in San Giuseppe Jato, Sicily, Italy.  He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Anna (Gumina) Scamardo, daughter Angela Castro and granddaughters Nicole and Lauren, who all reside in Jacksonville Beach and by his son Salvatore A. Scamardo, who resides in New York City. 

Pasquale was passionate about family, friends, music, cooking, gardening, and architecture.  He loved being outside tending to his garden and flowers or relaxing outside for a bit of fresh air listening to the sounds of Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli or Napolitano singer Sergio Bruni or American jazz/soul artist Lou Rawls or Top of the Pops British balladeer Engelbart Humperdinck.  To many, Pasquale was synonymous with delicious Italian food as he often celebrated his Sicilian roots by preparing his favorite dishes for friends and was famously known everywhere for his exquisite homemade cannoli that he would often surprise people with to express his gratitude.

Dreaming of a better life growing in wartime under fascism and Mussolini, Pasquale immigrated to the United States in 1957 to catch up to his bride and childhood sweetheart Anna who was living with family in Rochester, NY for a short time.  They soon decided to move to a predominantly Italian neighborhood famously named Green Bush in Madison, WI where many Sicilians from San Giuseppe Jato had settled and started a family.  The son of a builder, Pasquale quickly established himself as an expert terrazzo and tile setter working for Lumina Terrazzo and Tile Company and he soon built a 3-bedroom home and bought brand-new Buick Wildcat.  His pursuit of the American dream was fully realized when he was naturalized a U.S. Citizen in 1967.  He purchased Lumina in the early 1970s changing the name to Metropolitan Terrazzo and Tile with clients that included the University of Wisconsin, local hospitals, public schools, hotels and shopping centers across the state.  When tile went out of fashion he pivoted to his love of food by becoming the franchise owner/operator of Guido’s Supper Club, a top restaurant destination in the Madison area that featured great Italian/American fare and live entertainment where Pasquale was chef.  If you were lucky, you could catch a performance of Pasquale singing a classic Italian song to a clapping and dancing audience. The years of very long hours and late nights took a toll and Pasquale and Anna decided to pack up and relocate to New York City to reconnect with some old childhood friends from Sicily and be closer to their son who moved there after graduating college.  New York quickly recognized Pasquale’s rare talents as a marble, terrazzo and tile artisan and he was requested to oversee work on iconic buildings such as Carnegie Hall for its centennial, floors at the original World Trade Center, the relaunch of The Russian Tea Room and major NY City public works projects such as the 107^th Street Pier in Harlem.  14 years later in 1998, Pasquale retired and moved with his wife Anna to Jacksonville Beach, FL to be near their daughter and two grandchildren who he cherished and loved so much.

A funeral will be held on Sunday, October 2nd at Quinn-Shalz Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 3600 3rd St S, Jacksonville Beach beginning with a reception at 1:15 PM, followed by a service at 2PM to be performed by Father Kelly.   In lieu of flowers or gifts, please consider making donations to The Alzheimer’s Association of Central and North Florida in honor of Pasquale’s wife Anna who he dedicated his life to caring for: https://www.alz.org/cnfl?form=alz_donate