Benjamin Telesca

Benjamin Telesca died at 83 in sunny Florida after living a very good life.  He was a dad. A grandpa. A devoted husband. A hair icon. And a dear friend.  He was a big bear of a man who gave the best hugs.

He was passionate about food. He would talk about it, cook it and eat it with pleasure.  On Sundays on Long island he’d make a big pot of penne’ for family dinners. His meatballs were famous.

He was a hydraulic mechanic at Grumman. With his two hands he built the first F-14 fighter jet and the Lunar Module spacecraft that landed on the moon.

He was a navy veteran of the Korean War.

He was a longtime bowler. He would hurtle a heavy ball down the lane like it was nothing.

He was NOT a swimmer.  But he kept his swimming pool pristine and skimmed, ready for his grandkids to jump right in.

He was big on naps in hammocks. Actually, he was just checking for cracks in his eyelids.

He was an avid sports fan.  The Rangers! The Giants! His kids’ baseball and football games. His grandkids judo tournaments and hockey games.

He was a man who knew that a family is more than blood.  Its love.

He was husband to Jeanne.

Father to Andrea, Jeannine, Andrew, John, Benjamin and Thomas

Brother to Tom

Best Friend to Pam

And grandfather to Jenna, John, Jonah, Jessica, Samantha, Madison, Dani, Jessie, Tommy, Gina, Sean, Angela, Nikkie, Drew, Nicholas and Emily.

Ben left this earth on March 10, 2020. His family will miss him terribly.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 14, 2020, 1 pm at Collison Carey Hand Funeral Home.  The family will receive friends from 11 to 1 pm before the service.  Interment with Military Honors will follow at Woodlawn Memorial Park.