Philip Rocco Napolitano

Sun City resident, Philip Rocco “Phil” Napolitano, passed on Wednesday, October 2nd after a brief illness. He was born November 28th, 1945 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey to Philip and Rose Marie (Thomassetti) Napolitano. He graduated from Memorial High School in Cedar Grove, New Jersey and embarked on a life-long career as a plumber and welder. He was an active member of the Plumbers Local #24 of New Jersey for over 50 years and worked several years as a project manager on large commercial construction sites as well as a welder in nuclear powerhouses.

On September 4th, 1965, he married his soulmate, Nancy Lee Eggleston, and started their family in Cedar Grove, NJ. They moved to Budd Lake, NJ where always wanting to give back, he volunteered as a firefighter for Budd Lake Fire & Rescue during his time in Budd Lake and served as the Rescue Squad’s President before moving to Long Valley, NJ to raise their children.

In 2002, Phil and Nancy moved to Bluffton, SC to be closer to his sons and their family and enjoyed being an active grandparent who could be found cheering all of his grandsons on at Bluffton Bulldog football games and watching his granddaughter cheer on the sidelines. He enjoyed taking his family on vacations to Walt Disney World where his love of the magic of Disney was contagious. He worked for 10 years for Beaufort County as a Building Inspector, imparting his vast knowledge of construction to both his co-workers and various area builders. He was an active member of Saint Gregory the Great Catholic Church where he served as a Eucharistic Minister until his retirement in 2014.

Phil was preceded in death by his parents, Philip & Rose Marie, his brother, Paul Napolitano, his sister-in-law, Patricia Brockson, brother-in-law, Gary Eggleston, and his daughter, Paula Marie Napolitano. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Nancy, Brother-in-Law David Eggleston and his wife Terri, his sister-in-law, Jane Napolitano, his only surviving Aunt, Ann “Dolly” Pflug, his son Philip and his wife, Elizabeth and their children, Paula Michelle and Michael Anthony, and his son Kevin and his wife Jennifer and their children Brendan Michael and Hayden Matthew, as well as several nieces, nephews and cousins.

The family has planned a Celebration of Life for Saturday, October 12th from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm at Sauls Funeral Home in Bluffton, SC. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Heart Association.

American Heart Association
Web: http://www.heart.org/donate