Jack Forestieri

Giacino (Jack) Forestieri, 87, of St. Joseph passed away on Saturday, August 30, 2014. Visitation will be held on Friday September 5th from 5:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M., with a prayer service recited at 7:30 P.M.  at Starks & Menchinger Chapel and Cremation Services, 2650 Niles Rd, St. Joseph. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated by Father William Jacobs, Jr., on Saturday, September 6th at 10 A.M.  at St. Bernard Catholic Church, 555 E. Delaware, Benton Harbor. Burial will follow at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Hillandale Rd, Sodus. Memorial contributions may be made to SS John & Bernard Parish. Those wishing to sign Jack’s guestbook may do so online at www.starks-menchinger.com. Jack was born in Benton Harbor on August 12, 1927. He graduated from Benton Harbor High School in 1946.  An outstanding athlete, he was selected for the AP‘s All- State  high school 1st team in basketball, as a guard in 1945 and 1946,  and in the honor grid in football,  as an end in 1944,  and as a  half-back in 1945 . After high school he attended the University of Notre Dame, and left when he signed to play professional basketball with the Indianapolis Kautsky team. Jack owned and operated Sodus Supermarket and later Chief’s Bar in Millburg. He then worked as a Berrien County court bailiff until his retirement. Jack was faithful to all of his core interests: family, friends, sports, current events, and music, especially jazz. He was a consummate story-teller and spun tales to amuse and entertain his friends and family. He married Mary Topping in 1948; their marriage lasted until her passing away in 2011. Jack enjoyed many wonderful friendships, some of which lasted for more than 70 years. Jack is survived by his daughters, Mary Beth (Lorne) McConachie, Chrisanne (Patrick) Stocker, Catherine Forestieri (Jay Perlmutter), his sons Paul Forestieri and Thomas Forestieri, his widowed daughter-in-law Kathleen (Torphy) Forestieri, his former daughter-in-law Jacqueline (Lutz) Forestieri, his 12 grandchildren, his 6 great-grandchildren, and  his cousins, nieces and their families. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary (Topping), his son,  John Forestieri ,his parents,  Concetta and Ciro Forestieri, his sister, Concetta (Russel) Farina, his brother, Sebastian Forestieri, and his sister, Mary (George) Orlando.