John Michael Scafidi

MUNROE FALLS - John Michael Scafidi went ahead to help prepare heaven for the rest of us. He no doubt already has wire cutters in his hand and some screws in his mouth. He lived a long life full of love, hard work, and "sketts", lots of "sketts." John was born in July of 1931, one of six children born to Anthony and Mary (Ruggiero) Scafidi, who immigrated to Cuyahoga Falls from Palermo, Sicily. Growing up in a house that originally had a dirt floor shaped John’s work ethic. There was no electrical work or project safe from John. That John, at about five foot three, was the captain of the football team and was class president at Cuyahoga Falls High School, is no surprise to anyone who has met John. He had no friends, he only had family; to know John for more than three seconds was to be part of his family. John was honorably discharged from the U.S. Air Force, after serving as a stateside medic during the Korean War. It was while he was stationed at Westover Air Force base in Massachusetts that he met Joyce, his wife of 68 years. They met on a train - the dashing serviceman and beautiful, outgoing young woman. The two were married at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Jamestown, New York, November of 1953. They had three sons: Stephen, Daniel, and Michael. As you may imagine, life was full of mayhem. John recently celebrated 65 years as a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 306. He worked as an electrician for Romito Brothers for the vast majority of his working life. John was a co-founder and first secretary of the (local) 306 retirees club. John also was instrumental in getting classmates to return to Cuyahoga Falls for reunions. And was the center, along with his beloved goddaughter, Patty, of huge, annual family reunions that brought relatives home from as far as Tennessee, Detroit, Florida, and Los Angeles. Always energetic, John was the self-appointed leader of games. He is predeceased by his parents, Anthony and Mary, and siblings, Mary, Lena, Basil, Yana, and Ann; his beloved daughter-in-law, Theresa, and multiple others in his very large Italian family. He is survived by his wife, Joyce, three sons, Stephen (and wife, Jeri), Daniel (and wife, Mary), and Michael, as well as three grandchildren: Nicole, Bryan, and Sarah. What we have lost is a force of nature and a force for good. What we have gained is having had that force in our lives. Visitation will be held 5 PM to 8 PM Monday, April 11, at Redmon Funeral Home, 3633 Darrow Road, Stow, OH 44224. A Mass of Christian Burial celebrating John’s life will be held 11 AM, Wednesday, April 13, at Saint Joseph Parish Church, 1761 Second Street, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221. Interment Chestnut Hill Memorial Park.