Diane Cecere
My uncle Sam has around 40 nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews. I’m sure many of us have great memories and amusing stories of his life.
He reported that over his lifetime. He held 29 different jobs, including; lighting the pilot light for a Jewish woman on Friday night Shabbat. Working at his father’s shoemaker shop shining shoes, setting up pins at a bowling alley, making zippers at a wire factory, watching the yarn machine at a sweater factory, pumping gas, worked in a lumberyard. He owned a deli for a while but didn’t like it, worked in a terra-cotta pot factory, worked for Dupont blending ceramic colors. Collected money door-to-door for an insurance company, until he got robbed at gun point, laying roof shingles and working in a cigar factory.
After the army, he went to hairdresser school on the G.I. bill to meet girls! Shortly after that he met his love Sarah at a dance and she put an end to that education!
His longest and last paying job was for General motors, during which time he met a man that started teaching him the Bible and led him to know the Lord Jesus Christ, which changed his life. Last year, he realized he started that job 31 years ago worked there 31 years and was retired for 31 years! Afterwards he took up full time work in the army of the LORD’s service. Volunteering his time at nursing homes, hospitals , and Alzheimer’s unit and ministering to people wherever he went telling them how to know his Lord and Savior.
He served over 1000 volunteer hours with Reverend Ron Anastase, chaplain at the Masonic village.
Another thing he said often was “one of the smartest things I ever did was take up the trumpet“ He credits his inspiration to Harry James. He worked all summer in a bakery to earn money to buy his first trumpet, which served him well through the years. He started a band, served in the US Army Band, and honored veterans by playing taps for many occasions the remainder of his life.
He surely loved his wife Sarah, he used to say “for 48 years of marriage I waited for her, (teasing about her love of shopping ) and now she’s waiting for me.”
Thankfully, they are happily together again!