Ex-Nutley Mayor Dies; Was Family Man, Devoted To Hometown – Belleville, NJ Patch
NUTLEY, NJ — Peter C. Scarpelli, a lifelong Nutley resident who served on a plethora of key local and county offices and made an indelible mark in his community, passed away Sunday, Jan. 27. He was 81.
According to his obituary, Scarpelli was elected to the Nutley Board of Commissioners in November of 1983. In 2000, he was elected as the 14th mayor of Nutley, a position he held until 2008.
Scarpelli also served as a former superintendent with Weights and Measures of Nutley, as well as secretary to the Essex County Planning Board and a former inspector with the Essex County Shade Tree Commission.
Prior to his retirement, Scarpelli was president of Scarpelli & Sons Landscaping Corporation. He was founder of Meadowlands Landscaping Corp. and the Interior Plant Design, and formerly owned and operated the Jo-Lee Nursery & Garden Center located on the Belleville/Nutley border.
He was active with a host of local community groups, including the Third Half Club, Nutley Elks, Knights of Columbus, Nutley Unico, Nutley Chamber of Commerce, Holy Family Church, Chiarello Kidney Foundation and the Nutley Friends of Abused Children.
Over his many years of service, Scarpelli earned several recognitions such as the Mattia Award, the Jaycees Distinguished Service Award and the PBA Silver Card, and was honored by the New Jersey State League of Municipalities – Elected Officials Hall of Fame.
Scarpelli’s son, Joseph P. Scarpelli, is currently serving his third term on the Township of Nutley Board of Commissioners and first term as mayor.
Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. offered the following statement about Scarpelli’s passing:
“I am saddened by the passing of Peter Scarpelli. He was a dedicated family man and devoted to his hometown of Nutley as a longtime commissioner and mayor. Essex County also benefitted from his expertise as a member of our planning board and past member of our public works staff. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
A funeral will be held on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. from the S.W. Brown & Son Funeral Home, 267 Centre St., Nutley. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at Holy Family Church in Nutley at 10:30 a.m. The entombment will follow at Glendale Cemetery in Bloomfield. Visitors will be received at the funeral home on Wednesday from 2 to 8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to the Scarpelli Civic Association, 80 Bloomfield Ave., Nutley, NJ 07110 or the American Kidney Fund (http://www.kidneyfund.org/) would be appreciated. (Learn more here)
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