Fiore DeMartinis

Fiore DeMartinis, 82, passed away peacefully on March 16, 2026, surrounded by his loving family.

Fiore was born in Alife, Caserta, Italy in 1944.  While he was not the most avid student, his greatest passion since early childhood was soccer.  He played so well that he was being scouted by professional teams.  But that was not an option for him since at the age of 18, the family had decided to immigrate to Montreal, Canada.

Fiore’s family was very musically talented.  He, his father, and each of his three brothers played different instruments, and his three sisters sang accompaniment to their beautiful music.  While he was an accomplished guitarist, Fiore could play almost any instrument you put in front of him.

Like most young boys at that time, school was secondary to a trade, so they needed to do both at the same time.  At the young age of 12, he worked as an apprentice in a barber shop.  He started as a floor sweeper, shaver, and eventually to a full-fledged and master barber.

After immigrating to Montreal at the age of 18, Fiore eventually learned to adapt to his new culture and made countless good friends.  He simultaneously worked as a barber and musician in many bands.  He was so talented in music that he was eventually hired as a lead guitarist to Tony Massarelli, a famous professional singer in Montreal. They played at many venues, including several appearances on TV, and he loved every minute.

In 1969, he met and married Michelle, the love of his life.  They went on to have two beautiful sons, Marco and Giuseppe (Joey).  In 1976, during the height of the French Separatist movement in Quebec, the family decided to move to Madison, NJ, where Michelle’s family lived in the “Orchard” on Baker Avenue.  They went on to have a third beautiful son, Adam.  Fiore continued to work as a barber and eventually owned several salons, including “Cosmos Hair Salon” at the Hickory Tree Mall and “Salon du Temps” on Main Street in Madison.  Unfortunately, he never found a good fit to integrate professional music in his life while in the United States.

Sadly, in 1985, his marriage to Michelle ended, and he struggled to find a new normal.  He went on to establish strong friendships with his good friends from Madison and the Forum Club.  His friendship with these special friends remained constant, and the family is forever grateful for the love they gave Fiore.  While a number of his closest and loving friends like Rocco Iossa, Tony Cianci, Frank (Cheech) Iossa and Tony Bassolino have passed away before him, the family would like to acknowledge the love and continued friendship of Pietro Iossa, Rocco Nigro, Sal Bassolino, Sandro Gajano, Gino Cerbone and Mario Oliviero just to name a few.

A special acknowledgment also goes to Frank Romanelli, who provided Fiore with spiritual direction, love, and friendship since the day Fiore stepped foot in the US.  Fiore and Frank would spend countless quality time with their commentaries after every soccer game and discussing the virtues of every player and every play.  Thank you, Uncle Frank, for your constant love and friendship to Fiore!

Most recently, the family would like to express a special thanks to all the wonderful people who gave Fiore extra love and care.  Thank you to Margaret Villamil and Luis Cambra, who assisted him with love and compassion, and to ALL the staff and many friends from The Green Village Deli.

An extra special thank you to Tom Betkowski, who humbly and graciously remained in the background, offering unsolicited assistance to Fiore throughout the years.  Tom’s actions and comportment taught us all the real meaning of family love and “inclusion”.  You are the best, Tom B!

Finally, to his former spouse and lifelong friend, Michelle Di Giacomo, thank you for being there for Fiore throughout the years and until the very end, through thick and thin, through fires and floods and everything in between.

Fiore was predeceased by his parents Agostino and Rosa and his siblings Lucio, Maria, Titina, Ottavio, and Sisto.

Fiore leaves behind his devoted and loving sons of whom he was so very proud, Marco (Holly), Joey, and Adam (Ann), and his cherished grandchildren Marco, Joey, Sebastian, Meadow, and Luca.  Fiore was the loving brother of his only surviving sibling, Concettina Volpi, as well as his many loving nieces and nephews both in Canada and Italy.

Visitation at the Leonardis Memorial Home, Inc., 210 Ridgedale Avenue, Florham Park, on Sunday, March 22nd, from 1-4 p.m.  Funeral on Monday, March 23rd, assembling at the funeral home at 9 a.m., followed by the funeral mass at St. Vincent Martyr Roman Catholic Church in Madison at 10 a.m.  Entombment at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in East Hanover.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to your favorite charity.

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