Umberto (Al) Joseph Arena Obituary (1945

Umberto (Al) Joseph Arena 66 of Jamesburg died Sunday May 1 at St. Peter's University Hospital, New Brunswick. Al was born in Palermo, Italy to Salvatore and Rosalia (Lamantia) on March 4, 1945. He came to the U.S. at the age of 7 and resided in Brooklyn, NY. After several moves in the New York area he lived in Staten Island, where he attended elementary and high school. As a young man he showed an interest in boxing and was a contender for the Golden Gloves. Al always enjoyed excitement in his life and would visit NYC frequently. He also enjoyed harmonizing on the street corners with his friends. At the age of 22 he enlisted in the Army and served in combat in Vietnam, earning the National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Sharpshooter M14, Expert M16, Vietnam Service Medal, the Purple Heart and the Army Commendation Medal. Also from the State of New Jersey he earned the Meritorious Service Medal and the 25th Anniversary Commemorative Award. Upon returning to the U.S., Al took employment in the plastic blow molding business and worked for the Owens-Illinois and Continental Can Companies. He later started training to become a Corrections Officer for the State of NJ Juvenile Division. During his training he had a serious accident and had to give up that career. Upon recuperation, he began training for a career as a tractor trailer driver, which became his final career in life. He drove tractor trailers for 15 years, retiring in April 2005. After his retirement, Al decided to try his hand at being a children's book author. He wrote a book called, "The Angel and the Greedy Kid," and dedicated it to his two sons Jason and Brian. Al also enjoyed the Broadway theater, Do-Wop 50's shows, home cooking, fine dining, traveling and collecting German Steins. He was an avid fan of the old time Yankees, especially Mickey Mantle. Al was a member of the Central NJ Teamsters Retiree Club. He was predeceased by his parents, Salvatore and Rosalia, his three brothers Vincent, Anthony and Philip, his beloved son Brian and his dog Max. Surviving his wife of 36 years, Amelia (Amy) Stellato Arena, his son Jason, his sisters Rosalia and Nickolina, his brother Joseph, his mother-in-law Margaret Stellato, many nieces and nephews and his dog Charlie. Services will begin 10 a.m. Friday at the Lester Memorial Home 16 W. Church St., Jamesburg followed by a 10:30 a.m. funeral liturgy at St. James RC Church, Jamesburg. Entombment will be in Holy Cross Burial Park, South Brunswick. Visiting hours for family and friends will be Thursday 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. and Friday 9-10 a.m. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either the Embrace Kids Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, American Diabetes Assn. or the Disabled American Veterans.