Obituary of Alfred A. Ballerini

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Alfred Albert Ballerini

Born: November 21, 1946 – New York, NY

Died: March 5, 2024 – Maywood, NJ

Survived by his wife Patricia (nee Brunner), his children Alfred Jr. & Jennifer Ballerini, Catherine & Christian Corbett, Laura & Eric Entwistle, his siblings Linda & Anthony Petruzzello, Catherine Kurz, Darlene Ballerini, Frank & Sondra Ballerini, Patricia & David Frasier, and Joseph Ballerini, along with his grandchildren John & Anna Corbett, Alfred Thomas Ballerini and his fiancé Alexa Behrens, Matthew Corbett, Lauren Ballerini, Frederick Corbett and his fiancé Allyson Nisay, Sean Entwistle, Michael Entwistle and Joseph Entwistle, and many beloved cousins, nieces and nephews. Predeceased by his parents Alfred Angelo and Louise Catherine (nee Bigott), sister Karen Prescott and husband Wayne, and his brother Gerard.

Al and Pat’s story together began in 1962 at St. Joe’s high school in West New York. He was the oldest of nine Italian/Irish kids, and she was the second daughter of a big Irish/Italian family. They fell in love and very soon started life together in Guttenberg, NJ. The “Big Guy” and “Baskets” then moved their new family to the Ballerini’s hometown of Edgewater, NJ. They bought a house, then bought a business – a legendary River Road bar called The Wharf. They built their new life with their three children, Alfie, Cassie and Laura. Al hustled harder than anyone, driving cabs and pumping gas until he landed his first job in the packaging industry at Presidential Container. He excelled in his new career designing and building boxes for the highest profile cosmetics and fragrance brands, winning awards for innovation and excellence several times during his time at J&PB Myers. Always an athlete, Al fell in love with golf and spent many happy days on the links with his life-long best friend Joe Cullum and his Myrtle Beach golf trip pals. His love for all his kids was unconditional, and he especially adored Chris, Jennifer, and Eric, who married into the family and made it complete. Just like he built “PocoMimi’s”, his family retreat in the Poconos, he showed his children how to build homes of their own, taught them how to love each other the way he loved his beautiful wife, and how to make the world’s best sangria! After retiring from DiDomenico Packaging in 2010, he began his second career as a professional poker player. Al dominated the poker rooms in Atlantic City, eventually winning a World Series of Poker bracelet as a champion at the Showboat Casino. When he decided to take a seat at his first Las Vegas WSOP event at the Rio, he brought his two oldest grandkids Johnny and Tommy on the adventure of a teenage lifetime. Al’s love for his wife, golf, and poker was matched only by his love for his family. He helped raise his beloved nephew Jesse and his darling nieces Justine and Jenna. The Frasier kids were great practice for his starring role as “Pop Pop.” Johnny, Tommy, Matt, Lauren, Freddie, Sean, Mike and Joe were the sun, moon and stars of his life. Pride found a new level when he spoke of them, and love was redefined when he was with them. In the golden years of his retirement, Al found a family of loving friends at Greentree Villas in Boynton Beach, FL. He ruled the poker room at the Palm Beach Kennel Club and loved Tuesday night trivia at the Brass Monkey. Before he went to be with his parents, his brother Ged and his sister Karen, Al welcomed the newest member of the family Anna, his oldest grandchild Johnny’s wife. He also got to kiss his soon-to-be grands Ally and Alexa after they said “yes” to Freddie and Tommy. Al spent the last few years splitting time between Florida and his new home in Belmar, NJ where he made new friends, found new favorite eateries, and enjoyed the beach life with his usual lust for life. Al went “straight up” to join the “heavy hitters” on March 5, 2024, surrounded by his family and the love of the Lord.  

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donation to the Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation  https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/donate