Caldaroni, Alfredo LAKE GEORGE Alfredo Caldaroni, age 87, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, at his home in Lake George, while watching his favorite sport, Italian football. Alfredo was born on March 11, 1935, the son of Tomaso and Giuseppina (Raponi) Caldaroni in Anitrella, a beautiful hill town South of Rome, the commune of Monte San Giovanni Campano, Italy. He is remembered in his hometown of Italy as “Caruso,” as he had a beautifully powerful singing voice that reminded villagers of the famed Italian opera singer Enrico Caruso. Alfredo would often accompany his friends and join them in serenading young ladies in the town. He loved to retell stories such as this, always taking great joy in recalling his formative years in his beloved home nation. However, the past is not always full of song, and some of his earliest memories were of growing up during World War II. Alfredo lived through a period in which a German commander had taken over and occupied the family home strategically located above the Lire River, thus giving him a firsthand look at the danger and harsh realities of war. This experience helped shape the character of a young man who would go on to work fearlessly and tirelessly to achieve whatever goals he set his sights on. His tenacity was evident at an early age when his carpentry talents were recognized, and he was selected to train as a carpenter’s apprentice. He learned to build furniture and began making his own creations starting at the age of 13. Alfredo’s furniture pieces can still be found in family homes in both Italy and the U.S. Alfredo’s ambition to explore and prosper led him to Venezuela at the age of 16, where he found work as a painter in a high-rise building construction crew. Being a time of unrest in the region, Alfredo and his fellow crew members were often amid gunfire, and he decided to return home to Italy after two years. During that time, he was able to master the Spanish language. Back in Italy, Alfredo met his future wife, the beautiful Donata Raponi, while he was in the midst of a new business venture: selling chickens house to house. This cherished story continues to bring heartfelt smiles to family members. During this era, Alfredo, a talented athlete, also played football semi-professionally as a midfielder for the Arpino team. After briefly emigrating to America in 1961, Donata returned to Italy to marry Alfredo in 1962. Soon afterward, they began their life journey in America together, settling in Jamaica, Queens, then Richmond Hill, where Alfredo worked as a painter and carpenter in New York City. In 1969, Alfredo and Donata purchased the Green Acre Motel in Lake George. After having three children in Queens and spending their summers in Lake George, which reminded them of their beautiful homeland of Central Italy, the couple finally decided to relocate their family permanently to the Lake George region in 1973. Alfredo quickly made friends with many other Italian business owners, who he would often work for during the days and then join for gatherings full of food, wine, and laughter late into the evenings. In 1987, the Caldaroni family opened Lazio Pizza in the Village of Lake George where, for three years, delicious family recipes and homemade wine could be shared by all. In 1995, Antonio’s Pizza Place was established in Glens Falls, where Alfredo worked year-round alongside his wife Donata and his son, Tony. Alfredo greatly appreciated all of the opportunities and good fortunes that the United States afforded him; however, his love for his home country of Italy never left his heart. By encouraging his children and grandchildren to appreciate and love their Italian heritage, he has ensured that they will always have a place in his quaint hometown of Anitrella and a seat at the tables of his large and loyal family members. Alfredo was a person of great energy, spirit, and humor and significantly impacted all of the lives he touched. Alfredo was predeceased by his wonderful wife, Donata; his father and mother, Tomaso and Giuseppina Caldaroni; his brothers, Antonio, Rocco, and Geraldo; and his sisters, Uldidea, Nisia, Maria, and Anna. He is survived by his daughters, Gloria and Lora; son, Antonio; sons-in-law, Doug and John; daughter-in-law, Catherine; grandchildren Austin, Johnny, Sofia, Dominic, Antonio, Anya, and Pasqualina; his sister-in-law, Maria Famosi and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and countless beloved friends. Services will be held on September 17, 2022, in the Sacred Heart Church in Lake George. Relatives and friends may begin to call at 9:30 a.m. The funeral service is to commence at 11 a.m. Burial will take place immediately after in the Evergreen Cemetery in Lake George. Out of gratitude for Alfredo’s fantastic care in the final months of his life, in lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to High Peaks Hospice, 454 Glen St., Glens Falls, NY, 12801 or online at highpeakshospice.org/donate. For those who wish, online condolences may be made to the family by visiting www.sbfuneralhome.com.
Published by Albany Times Union on Jul. 31, 2022.