Stefano Antonio Postiglione of Wantage passed away on Monday, Feb. 26. He was 28.
Born in Denville, Stefano graduated from Sussex County Vocational and Technical High School, where he was in the welding program.
His love for the military encouraged him to take on a major undertaking of making the military silhouettes that are placed at the Northern New Jersey Veterans Memorial Cemetery. This will forever be Stefano’s mark for all the veterans and fallen soldiers in our county.
After graduating high school in 2015, Stefano followed his calling to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps, graduating boot camp at Paris Island, S.C. He was stationed in Camp Lejeune, N.C., then went on to aviation school in Pensacola, Fla.
He then was stationed in Portsmouth, N.H., and continued aviation training in Jacksonville, N.C., before being stationed in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. Stefano graduated Marine Security Guard School in Quantico, Va., and was active duty at the embassy in Tijuana, Mexico, before returning to Virginia.
He enjoyed spending time with his family and was the godfather to his nephew, Ethan Cucinotta.
He also loved to hunt, especially bird hunting, and enjoyed his gym life and staying physically fit.
Stefano also spent time volunteering in the community and was active in the Salvation Army and Toys for Tots.
Anyone who knew Stefano was blessed to have known him. His smile was contagious, and he strived for perfection no matter what he was involved in.
He was predeceased by his brother Gregory Postiglione in 2012 and his father, Antonio Postiglione, in 2016.
Stefano is survived by his loving mother, Angela Prestipino Garrity, and her husband, Glenn, of Wantage; his brothers, Anthony Postiglione and his wife Jen and Frank Postiglione and his wife Enza; his sisters, MaryAnn Cucinotta and her husband Andrew, Theresa Cardato and her husband Nick, Anne Marie Postiglione, and Angie Porr and her husband Brian; his maternal grandmother, Hilda Prestipino; his maternal grandfather, Dominick Prestipino and his wife Wanda; his aunt, MaryAnn Cruz, her husband Lennie and their children Victoria and Christopher; and his uncle, Dominick Prestipino Jr..
Friends may pay their respects to the family on Saturday, March 9 from 10 a.m. to noon at St. Monica R.C. Church, 33 Unionville Ave., Sussex. A Mass of Christian burial will be held at noon at St. Monica Church. Interment will follow at Fairview Cemetery, Wantage.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Stefano’s name to help with the funding of the Northern New Jersey Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 75 N. Church Road, Sparta, NJ 07871 or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Pinkel Funeral Home, 31 Bank St. (Route 23), Sussex.
Online condolences may be offered to the family at www.PinkelFuneralHome.com