Anthony Garrubbo, 82, Husband, Father, Business Owner, Teacher, Student, Seeker, Finder

The following obituary was first published on bradleyfuneralhomes.com:

Anthony Michael Thomas Garrubbo (05/09/1942 – 12/30/2024) — The man who spent 82 years forging his own path and making life far more interesting for himself and every human he met passed away on Monday, December 30. His energy moving on to the next adventure. But only doing so after charming the world with his original mind, boundless spirit, and ferocious soul. He simply didn’t see the world with the same limitations the rest of us do. Everything he did, he did with all his love and might.

*Click here to livestream the funeral mass on Tuesday, January 7th at 10:00am*

Truth be told, his love was his might. He loved his family with a clarity that has always and will forever light each of them with strength. His marriage to his wife Renee was (and is) a union cast in laughter, awe of each other, and the truest, deepest of love. From day 1 to year 54 of marriage, the two laughed like kids, as they shared and deciphered the world together, enjoying each other’s company every breath of the way. A marriage for the ages, the kind the rest of us aspire to, the kind that gives birth to four larger than life daughters.

Anthony Garrubbo

Anthony is survived by his wife, three daughters—Janine, Ashley, and Rebecca—and four grandkids, Ella, Zachary, Samantha, and Reid Anthony. He was predeceased by his special daughter Christin Paige. Never has a father loved his children more, fathering each of them differently but in exactly the way they needed in the moment. There’s a light behind each of his daughter’s eyes that mirrors the electricity that was (and is) Anthony. And it’s in his relationship with Paige that it was most evident that this lion of a man, was also a lamb, as he cared for her with enduring tenderness, giving her a beautiful life.

Age-defiantly good-looking and philosophically curious, Anthony kept everyone on their toes with a mischievous sense of humor. He lived for the moment, toyed with the moment, always seeking ways to stay present, be it through humor, fantastic Italian food, meditation or the constant flow of non-fiction audio books he listened to. “I met the most interesting people, had the most interesting conversations” was a common refrain in the life of Mr. Saturday Night. His motor was always running, likely why he was so drawn to other motors: motorcycles, unquestionably cool cars, trucks, jet skis, fishing boats, sailboats, his touring bicycle, not to mention his drum set and Spanish guitar.

The world was his playground. Yet he worked incredibly hard. Every ounce of his success was earned. He opened the Anthony Garubo Salon in Maplewood, NJ in 1975. Fifty years later it still stands proudly. More than just a business, it was a platform for him to be who he was—the man you listened to and learned from. He nurtured, tutored, encouraged, challenged and inspired the hundreds of employees that passed through his doors. At this very moment out in the world, there are countless lives he touched who still carry the torch he helped light. Whether you literally had the pleasure of siting in his chair getting your hair cut or not, to know Anthony means you’ve figuratively sat there, in his chair and in his hands, being engaged by his playful sense of the world.

Truth really be told, there’s not enough ink in the world to capture Anthony in words. Because he was a feeling. Something that can’t be bottled. Or adequately described. When you were with him, you felt it. He gave you a glimpse into how much life there could be in this life. It was electric. And he left that indelible feeling on us all. For us all. He was (and is) a force of nature. He was (and is) one of the Greats. We love you dearly, Anthony. Pass the macaroni.