Michael Joseph Corrado, 98

July 29, 2019

Michael Joseph Corrado passed away Monday, July 29, 2019 in Willow Street, Pa. after a long, eventful and fruitful life at the age of 98.

Born April 19, 1921 in Camden NJ, he was the son of Aneillo and Lucia Corrado, and the last survivor of 10 children. Michael had his first job at 8 years of age stocking shelves at a grocery store, and started a coal delivery service at age 15 with two older brothers while still attending Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden. Following graduation, Michael moved to Washington state and worked as a firefighter for a short while before returning to the coal business. But after an older brother’s ship was one of those attacked and sunk at Pearl Harbor, he and two other brothers and a sister enlisted the next day. He was sent by the Navy to study radio at Northwestern Univ and radar at UCLA. He served in the Navy in North Africa over the next 4 years where his ship, the USS Delta, repaired other ships and equipment for Patton’s invasion of Italy.

After the war, he married his “first mate”, Eva Tomaselli Corrado, attended Taylor Business College and had two children, Michael Louis and Marianne Teresa. His coal business having collapsed due to the time he and his brothers were at war, he held several jobs before starting a furniture store in Camden which he ran for 30 years before leaving it to develop land and build industrial facilities. Having pursued property development for a decade he settled into a new career, one he preferred to the others, farming. He had 50 head of cattle and stabled as many as 20 horses on his Vincentown, NJ farm in addition to the various crops he raised. He finally sold the farm land and moved with Eva to Pennsylvania to be closer to his children and their families.

Michael was a 4th degree member of the Knights of Columbus, was active with the Disabled American Veterans, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and loved attending his reunions of men and women who served on the USS Delta during any of its wars or conflicts. Michael was devoted to the memory of Padre Pio, a spiritual source of solace in his life, of whom he first became aware during his time in the Italian Invasion of World War 2.

Michael, having joined his beloved wife to whom he was married for 70 years in life eternal, is survived by his son, Michael Louis (Sandra) of Perkasie, PA, his daughter Marianne Vasquez of Alburtis, PA, four grandchildren, Preston Vasquez of Alburtis, Michael H. (Annmarie) Corrado of Coopersburg, PA, Kelli Spangler of Maple Glen, PA and Kristi (Daniel) Milano of Northborough, Mass. and four great grandchildren, great grandsons Michael Toth Corrado and Drake Corrado Spangler and two great granddaughters, Hannah Elizabeth Corrado and Carmella Ruth Spangler. While never one to lie, when it came to his great grandchildren, Michael was known to augment the truth a wee bit. Such was his intense pride in them.

Relatives and friends are invited to a viewing to be held Monday, August 5, 2019 from 6 to 8 PM at Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home located at 414 E. King St., Lancaster, PA 17602. Burial and a Catholic interment rite will be held Tuesday, August 6, 2019 at 11:30 AM at Calvary Cemetery & Mausoleum located 2398 Route 70 West, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: The National Centre for Padre Pio, 111 Barto Road, Barto, PA 19504.