Obituary of John Perozzi, Sr.

John Perozzi, Sr., age 98 of Cherry Hill, passed away on July 31, 2018 at Care One in Evesham, NJ.

He is the beloved son of the late Phillipe and Elizabeta Perozzi and devoted husband of the late Grace (nee Schukay).  John is survived by his loving children, Linda P. Brubaker and her husband James, and John Perozzi Jr. and his wife Kimberly; grandchildren, Sherry, Kai and Christopher, great grandchildren Rachel and RJ and his beloved niece Esther Perozzi.  He is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.

Prior to his retirement in 2010, Mr. Perozzi was owner and operator of Beacon Auto and Truck Collision in Pennsauken, a company that he started in 1948 and grew to be one of the largest body shop facilities in NJ which repairs everything from cars to fire apparatuses.  He was a decorated United States Army Veteran of World War II.  He went through the toughest training of the day and became a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division. He jumped into Normandy, France 6 hours before the beach landings and helped secure the first liberated town, St. Mere Eglise'. On the second day he was hit by a sniper and the doctors found that the bullet was so close to his heart that surgery was not possible. He carried that "German Souvenir" for the balance of his life. He went on to make a second jump into Holland, fought at the Battle of the Bulge, crossed the Rhine river and helped with displaced Germans after the wars end.  John was a recipient of the Bronze Star, 3 Purple Hearts, and the French Legion of Honour.  He was a member of the Pennsauken Lions Club and the 82nd Airborne Division Association.  John also spent 30 years volunteering his time with kids at the Gold Crown Foundation Basketball Camp for inner city youth.

Relatives and friends are invited to the Visitation and Funeral on Friday, August 10th, from 6 to 8 PM and Saturday, August 11th, from 9 to 10 AM at the Falco/Caruso & Leonard Pennsauken Funeral Home, 6600 N. Browning Road, where a Funeral Service will be held at 10AM.  Interment will follow at Locustwood Memorial Park in Cherry Hill.  

The family requests memorial donations be made in his name to the Gold Crown Foundation, 1743 Wazee Street, Suite 300, Denver, CO 80202.