Obituary of John N Belardo

John N. Belardo

88, Resident of Martinsville, Guidance Counsellor at Bridgewater East

John Nicholas Belardo, 88, of Martinsville, passed away on Friday, September 14, 2018, at the Center for Hope hospice in Scotch Plains after a 12-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

He was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, on March 21, 1930, the seventh child of the late Salvatore Belardo and Catherine Scavuzzo Belardo.  He moved to Martinsville in 1967 and resided in the family home he built there until his death.  Graduating from Plainfield High School in 1948, John went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in classical languages, including Latin and Greek, from Seton Hall University.  Later, in 1959, he earned from Seton Hall University a Masters of Arts Degree in the School of Education.

John spent the major part of his career as a guidance counsellor at Bridgewater East High School and was faculty advisor to the first graduating class in 1969.  Students remember him fondly for his saying “Tempus Fugit” or “Time Flies” and for his sense of humor and story-telling.

In 1959, John met and married his wife, the late Ann McCloskey Belardo.  Both were 50 year communicants of Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Parish in Martinsville where they regularly attended Mass, taught catechism and participated in social activities.

John was the last of the seven Belardo siblings - Angelina, Dominick, Vincent, Joseph, Elizabeth, and Salvatore.  John enjoyed visiting his brothers and sisters, attending Bridgewater East football and basketball games, New York Giants games, the Jersey shore and cooking – particularly chicken dishes.  For many years, his devoted students would often stop by his house to visit and talk about their college and life experiences.

John is survived by his three sons, John P. Belardo of Basking Ridge and Thomas S. and David M. Belardo of Martinsville; his daughter-in-law wife of John, Joan Neri Belardo; and John’s and Joan’s children, James N. Belardo of New York City and Jennifer A. Belardo, presently a student at Boston College Law School. 

Visitation will be at Gallaway and Crane Funeral Home, 101 South Finley Avenue, Basking Ridge, NJ on Monday, September 17, 2018 from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. Funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, September 18, 2018 at Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Parish, 1890 Washington Valley Road, Martinsville, NJ. Interment will be at Holy Cross Cemetery in Basking Ridge. For further information, or to light an online condolence candle please visit www.gcfuneralhome.com