Umberto Paniccia

Schenectady - Umberto Paniccia, one week shy of being 97, passed away in his sleep on Wednesday October 5, 2022, following an extended illness. He was surrounded by his children and his wife of over 69 years, Amerina. Umberto was born near Veroli, Frosinone, Italy in 1925, and lived through several life-threatening encounters during World War II. After the war he emigrated to the United States, joining his father who had previously come to the US. He gained employment at General Electric Company and continued there as a Steam Turbine Assembler and then as an Inspector until his retirement after 35 years. After relocating to the US, he gained citizenship after 5 years and returned to Italy to marry his childhood sweetheart, Amerina Mauti. The wedding celebration which took place in May of 1953 was a major event in the small village where both Umberto and Amerina were born. Following the wedding, the couple relocated to Schenectady, New York. Besides working at GE, Umberto was a very clever and industrious individual, being a jack-of-all trades when it came to house remodeling. With the assistance of several friends, he worked to upgrade not only his own house but several others. Umberto was also an excellent gardener, having learned these skills while growing up in Italy. His garden was the envy of the community, and he was very generous in sharing the fruits of his labor with friends and neighbors. Umberto also had quite a wit, with a never-ending series of jokes and clever stories in both Italian and English at his immediate disposal. Umberto is survived by Amerina, his loving wife, his children John (Lauren) Paniccia of New Jersey, Lucy (George) Cox of North Carolina, Robert (Carol) Paniccia of North Carolina, six grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. Visitation at DeMarco-Stone Funeral Home will be private. A burial service will be public and held at Saint Cyril’s Cemetery, Duanesburg Road, Rotterdam, at 1:00 on Monday October 10, 2022. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Community Hospice, 179 Lawrence Street, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.