Obituary
John A. DiFulgentis, 72, of The Villages, FL passed away on July 11, 2021, at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL after a 5 year battle with urothelial (bladder) cancer surrounded by his wife of 49 years, Lenda C. DiFulgentis (Schmidt), and their children, Lisa and Joe. He was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1949 to the late Anita (Guzzetti) and John DiFulgentis (DeFulgentis). He grew up in Haddon Heights, NJ and graduated from Bishop Eustace Prep in Pennsauken Township, NJ where he played baseball and football and was known for jumping into the stands in his football uniform at halftime to play drums with the school band. He went on to play collegiate baseball at New York University where his team had an impressive run, advancing to the College World Series in 1969. He was also a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and graduated from NYU in 1971 with a degree in Psychology.
John worked at Aetna Insurance for 33 years in Allentown, PA where he led with a sense of humor, customer focus, and genuine concern for his employees. During these years he also coached several of his kids’ sports teams and never once missed a game. He retired in 2014, first to Millsboro, DE and then to The Villages, FL. He enjoyed golf, fishing, various clubs, organizing bocce tournaments for charity, and also rekindled his passion for playing drums by marching with The Villages Drum Corps. He adored his grandchildren and never missed an opportunity to make people laugh, despite the challenges he faced.
He is survived by his wife, Lenda, and two children: Lisa Fitzsimmons and her husband, David, of Tampa, FL and Joseph DiFulgentis and his wife, Callie, of Evaro, MT; and four grandchildren: Everett and Luke Fitzsimmons, and Finley and Lily DiFulgentis.
A Celebration of Life will be held in The Villages, FL on October 16, 2021, on what would have been his 50th wedding anniversary. Place and time TBD.
Visit John A. DiFulgentis’s Memorial Website
Moffit Cancer Center Foundation Donation2
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