Faith a key to golden years of Colangelos of Amsterdam

There's no hired gardener making sure that retiree John Colangelo's hedges are cleanly trimmed or that his backyard garden is blooming. Mr. Colangelo wields the tools himself when they're needed.

At 93, keeping his house in tip-top condition is one of the many things he's proud of.

"I'm active. I feel good. I like to be busy, and I'm not a couch potato," he explained.

Involved

"He does all these things," said his wife, Rita, as she listed getting involved with volunteer pursuits at St. Mary's Church in Amsterdam, driving, golfing with friends, gardening, and babysitting or chaperoning some of the couple's ten great-grandchildren.

In addition, he often cooks lunch and dinner for the couple, and recently helped a grandson build a house in Galway.

Mr. and Mrs. Colangelo once owned Johnny's Seafood, a deli and fish fry located across from St. Mary's. He used to arrive at the restaurant as early as 4 a.m.; now, morning finds him hitting long balls on the golf course.

Kids and more kids

The Colangelos place a premium on staying busy. Much of their life revolves around their great-grandchildren, whose pictures are plastered on walls from the floor to the ceiling.

Boys grin behind baseball bats and girls show silver braces in school-picture grins. Mr. Colangelo proudly displayed a photo in silver frame that has the place of honor at the center of the mantel: his newest great-granddaughter.

He often takes his grandsons to baseball practices, attends their games, views his granddaughters' dance recitals and babysits.

Fishy past

Because their deli was right across from St. Mary's, patrons "lined up out the door" for Friday fish dinners during Lent, and Mr. Colangelo often supplied schoolteachers and pastors with lunch.

To this day, many parishioners still stop Mr. Colangelo while he's shopping in the supermarket to jokingly cajole him about opening the restaurant again.

"People always say, 'John, we miss your fish,'" he said.

Faith at heart

Faith means "everything" to the couple, they said. Mrs. Colangelo has been ill, so she can't always get to Mass; but, she makes sure to watch it daily on TV.

At St. Mary's, Mr. Colangelo is a reliable volunteer, counting the collection every week and serving as a Eucharistic minister. He also is involved in the charitable efforts of the Society of the Holy Names there, collecting and distributing gifts at Christmas, and aid at Easter. He is proud of one great-granddaughter who is training to be a lector.

"John is on the altar all of the time," said Mrs. Colangelo. Added her husband, "They're always short on [volunteers], so I always go help. Anything for the church. Anytime they need me, just give me a call."

Beginnings

The two met at an Amsterdam dance hall in 1932. Mr. Colangelo was a young immigrant from Italy who had worked on the railroad and in the copper mines; Rita was an Amsterdam native with "flaming red hair." The two have been married for 68 years.

"We go together," said Mr. Colangelo.

The secret to their marriage has been "understanding one another," according to Mrs. Colangelo. "You cannot be happy if you keep an argument going on. If you want to be a success in marriage, it has to be a two-way street, a give and take."

Woes and joys

Their lives haven't always been easy. The couple lost their 18-year-old daughter to a car accident more than 30 years ago. Mrs. Colangelo is in remission after a six-year battle with cancer.

Their experiences have taught them to face their challenges, they said.

"I always tell people: Don't give up. As long as you can, be active. Keep on going," Mr. Colangelo advised. "I thank God every day because I am doing as good as I am doing. I'm fortunate. For the last 50 years, I've been telling Rita: My goal is to live until 110."

(6/30/05) [[In-content Ad]]