Aldo J. Zazzi Biography
Mr. Aldo J. Zazzi
Feb 21, 1912 – Jul 15, 1983
Aldo Giacamo Guiseppe Zazzi was born on February 21,1912 in Manhattan Borough, New York. Baby Aldo Joseph Zazzi, as he eventually became known, was the second of five children born to Angelo Zazzi and Marie Ghirardi. His parents immigrated from Italy to the United States in 1911 just six months prior to his birth. His father supported the family in those early years working as a chef at the Waldorf Astoria hotel.
In 1921 the family moved to a farm in Branchville, New Jersey where his father opened the Zazzi Inn, a hotel and restaurant situated on a country road intersection called Tuttle’s Corner. Young Aldo helped with the family’s hospitality business but mostly preferred working on the farm operating and repairing machinery and tending to the animals and the crops. From his youth he was instilled with traditional Catholic values and developed a strong work ethic that contributed to the family’s progress. Years of farm work developed his mind and body with steadfast determination and physical prowess. These early life skills and training came to fruition at Newton High School where he was a three-sport varsity athlete, running track, playing football and wrestling. He earned eight letters in high school, won the Wingfoot Award at the New York Athletic Club and three-time winner of New Jersey Association Amateur Athletic Union.
Upon graduation from high school in 1932, he remained in Branchville and became the assistant coach of the wrestling team. Two years later he was awarded a wrestling scholarship to Pennsylvania State University. He went on to a distinguished grappling career at Penn State winning an NCAA championship in 1938. He had a 5-pin, no-loss frosh year and lost just twice in four years at college. He simultaneously excelled on the wrestling mat and in the classroom ultimately graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. For his exemplary achievements in wrestling, Al was inducted to the Pennsylvania State Hall of Fame and New Jersey’s Sussex County Sports Hall of Fame in 1979. Later on in life he picked up golf and went on to win the Horton Trophy tournament at Tullahoma Golf and Country Club. His tremendous athletic achievements are surpassed only by his even greater humanitarian qualities later manifested as a husband, father, engineer, businessman and leader in civic and religious communities
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While in college he was introduced to a sweet young lady, the former Marie Formica, on a date prearranged by friends. She was already working as a school nurse. In June 1940, Al and Marie married at St. James church in Newton, NJ. Together they raised four children: Marilyn, Barbara, Thomas and Donald. With firm parental guidance and loving support, each went on to successful professional careers in the medical field. At home, he liked tinkering with anything mechanical and especially loved European luxury sports cars. He shared his passion for exotic cars with others and was known for taking the neighborhood kids for joy rides around the block.
In pursuit of engineering employment opportunities, Al moved the family to Virginia and Kansas then returned to New Jersey in 1946 to work at Picatinny Arsenal. In 1952 he moved the family to Alabama where he worked at Redstone Arsenal. He finally settled in Tennessee in 1956 working in the rocket propulsion industry with ARO Incorporated as a defense contractor at Tullahoma on-board Arnold Air Force Base. He held professional memberships in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the American Ordnance Association and was on the board of directors of the American Rocket Society.
Al was quite the active citizen and parishioner. He often wrote letters to the editor of the various newspapers circulating in the towns which he resided. Topics ranged from regulating the signaling devices for private automobiles doing double-duty as school buses, proposing a suitable courthouse location, the right to vote on county liquors issues and on occasion wrote a letter of gratitude. He served as the chairman of the St. Jude Hospital fundraising campaign in Tullahoma and collaborated with state senators for the restoration of federal grants. His other leadership roles included director of fundraising Aiding Leukemia-Stricken Children in America, treasurer of Boy Scouts of America Troup 363 and ardent St. Dominic’s parish council member who pushed hard for the construction of the present church located along John B. Dennis highway.
He was instrumental in the development of Arnold Engineering Development Center Federal Credit Union now known as Ascend Federal Credit Union. He was a past president and later served on the board of directors. He also assisted in organizing the Tullahoma City School Credit Union. After retiring at Tullahoma, he came to Kingsport and started his own business, Medical Billing Associates.
Al first joined the Knights of Columbus in 1963 at Tullahoma Council 3991; served as its Grand Knight for 2 years, he then was elected to State Treasurer for 2 years, from 1966-1968. He was State Warden from 1968 to 1969; afterwards he returned to his local council and served as Financial Secretary. Shortly thereafter, in 1973, he served as District Deputy, serving at that particular time for 2 years and then again 2 years later was reappointed for another 2 years. In 1977, he moved to East Tennessee and seeing the need for a council in Kingsport instituted Council 6992. He served again as District Deputy in that region from 1977-1980. In 1980, he was elected State Treasurer for a second time. He was subsequently elected as State Secretary in 1981 and then as State Deputy in April 1983. Mr. Aldo J. Zazzi passed away suddenly on July 15,1983, in Nashville on the eve of his formal installation ceremony as Tennessee State Deputy.
A Mass for Christian burial was celebrated at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church in Kingsport, Tennessee on July 18, 1983. His ashes are interred there in the columbarium alongside the love of his life Marie.
He was the impetus for the establishment of Knights of Columbus Council 6992 and a charter member of the Father Aiken Fourth Degree Assembly. Al was a man of action and a man of principle. He had love in his heart for his fellow man. He himself was an easy person to love because he was sincere and good.
In every aspect and throughout his life, Al was the consummate catalyst – he made things happen for faith, family and friends.