John J. Ciluzzi of Provincetown passed away in his sleep during the early morning hours of Saturday, May 6, 2017. He was the husband of Valerie V. Ciluzzi.
Born in New York City on September 25, 1923 to parents Ralph Ciluzzi and Theresa [Paterno] Ciluzzi, he spent his early childhood in the US before relocating with his father to Italy in the 1930's. He attended a Jesuit school in Rome and made the cross-Atlantic journey between Italy and the US numerous times via ocean liner with his brother Ralph Ciluzzi. He later returned to the US, living with his mother Theresa, sister Helen and step father Joe Miele in New York while finishing high school before attending Seton Hall College in South Orange, New Jersey.
In 1943 he volunteered for the military and served in the US Army's 10th Mountain Division "ski troops" as Intelligence NCO and Italian-English interpreter during World War II. After training at Camp Hale in the Colorado rockies he was stationed in Italy, Germany and France where he was awarded battle stars for the Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe battles as well as the European-African-Middle Eastern Ribbon and US Army Good Conduct Medal.
After the war he returned to New York and worked with the Ford Motor Company during the early 1950's before moving to Provincetown, MA, where he purchased The Masthead Resort in 1959. For close to 60 years he ran the Masthead with his wife Valerie and was an active member of the Provincetown community, where he could often be seen bicycling around town well into his eighties. He served on the town's Water and Sewer Commission for 8 years and was instrumental in starting the Provincetown Rotary Club, where he was charter member and named Paul Harris Fellow. He was a regular on the courts at the Provincetown Tennis Club where he participated in many tournaments and served as president for several years as well as being famed for his colorful on-court personality and wit. Having trained on skis with other members of the 10th Mountain division he also remained an avid skier throughout most of his life and regularly travelled with his family to ski at resorts such as Vail and Steamboat Springs, Colorado and Cortina D-Ampezzo in the Italian Alps.
In addition to his wife of 45 years, he leaves sons John E. Ciluzzi and wife Gretchun of Centerville, MA, Gregory and wife Karen of Vail, CO and Peter Ciluzzi of Provincetown; brother Romano Ciluzzi and wife Rosa of Soverato, Italy; niece Donna [DeGerome] Raab, nephew Dr. James DeGerome and wife Carol as well as numerous cousins including Rick and Dan Moskowitz and familiies, Steven Raab, Jamie and Julie DeGerome, and Allie DeGerome Dick. Grandchildren Jack, Sailor, Wade, Tyler and Hudson also survive him. A brother, Ralph Ciluzzi and sister, Helen [Ciluzzi] DeGerome predeceased him.
Relatives and friends are invited to visit with John's family on Friday, May 12 from 4 to 7 PM at the Gately Funeral Home, 94 Harry Kemp Way, Provincetown. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, May 13 at 11 AM at Saint Peter the Apostle Church, Prince Street, Provincetown. Burial with military honors will follow in Provincetown Cemetery.