Peter Paul Siciliano, Sr  (Oct 11, 1926 – Jun 13, 2021)

Peter Siciliano, Sr., a lifelong Madison resident, passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 13, 2021, at the age of 94.  He was born in Jersey City on October 11, 1926, to the late Paul and Palma Siciliano. The family settled in Madison when Peter was just five years old where he was raised with his sister, Betty.

Peter attended St. Vincent Martyr Elementary School where he was an infielder on the school’s baseball team.  He graduated from Madison High School, where he excelled in agriculture and was a talented infielder on the high school baseball team.

After graduation, Peter answered the call to service, and he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at the age of 17. He completed basic training at Camp Lejeune and proudly served in the Pacific during WWII from 1944 to 1946.  The aircraft carrier, Bon Homme Richard CV31 delivered Peter and his fellow Marines to Pearl Harbor and then to the island of Guam.  He played softball on the flight deck of the carrier while at sea.  His duties while stationed on Guam included guarding Japanese prisoners of war, scouring the island for possible invading Japanese troops, and transporting additional prisoners to Guam from the island of Truk.  Following the Japanese surrender, Private First Class Siciliano was promoted to Corporal and received an Honorable Discharge on December 16, 1946.

Peter remained a proud Marine at heart for the rest of his life and his service shaped who he was as a man.

He was a member of the 4th Marine Division Association, as well as the Slattery Detachment of the US Marine Corps League in Whippany, NJ.

Peter married the love of his life, Natalie Picone on November 26, 1949. The couple settled in Madison where they raised their family. Peter and Natalie were married for 60 years. He was a member of the Painter’s and Allied Trades Union with District Council #10 for 30 years before retiring in 1988. In his retirement Peter was a devoted grandfather. He cherished the time he spent with his grandchildren, and he never missed a sporting event, dance recital or school play.

Peter also loved gardening and grew vegetables and flowers. He had a green thumb and was famous for his fruitful garden.

Peter had a deep faith in God and was an active lifetime member of Saint Vincent Martyr Church, where he was always eager to volunteer and was a church counter on Sundays. He also volunteered his time at the Lyons Veterans Hospital to assist his fellow veterans. He was a leader in establishing Madison’s Little League program in the 1950s and served as coach, manager, umpire, and league official. For his 25 years of service to the community, he was inducted into the Madison Little League Wall of Fame in 2002. He also served as a coach of the Elk’s team, player agent, umpire, and 1991 manager of the year.

In 2017 Peter was asked to be Grand Marshall of Madison’s Memorial Day ceremony and parade which he proudly accepted.

Peter was a kind, generous and selfless man whose love for his family was immeasurable.

He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He will be deeply missed by all who loved and knew him.