“A heart is not judged by how much you love;
but by how much you are loved by others.”
– L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Unlike the Tin Man, V. Carl Gacono didnโt need much help from The Wizard. He pretty much had both ends of the heart area covered.
Gacono was loved because he loved.
Gacono, a local business man, community activist and family man, passed away at 1:13 a.m. on Nov. 1. Surrounded by family and loved ones, Gacono died at age 90, from complications related to heart failure.
Gacono was interred at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in a private ceremony on Nov. 8. He died a Lt. Col., receiving full military honors for a career in the United States Army, Army National Guard, and U.S. Army Reserve, the recipient of several meritorious service medals over his time in the service.
Gacono left behind an enduring legacy, including an unwavering devotion to his family and community. The town of Annville was a better place because thatโs where he called home.
โBy far, his greatest accomplishment was his family,โ said Becky Gacono, Carlโs daughter. โHis family was everything to him. We werenโt handed things. We worked hard for everything we got. And loving his wife (Mary Jane Bowman Gacono) was at the top of the list, and it trickled down to the rest of the family, and it went to our extended family. But they did it quietly. It was just who they were.
โHe set the bar really high,โ continued Gacono. โIf I could be anybody, it would be him. He never spoke badly of anyone. โYou never know what battles people are fighting,โ he would say. He always saw the good in everyone.โ
Gacono founded the Annville real estate agency that Becky Gacono and her sister Mary Ann Gacono currently own. Before opening Gacono Real Estate in 1984, the elder Gacono had been a real estate agent with the former Rauch/Minnich agency in Lebanon since 1975.
Gaconoโs notorious โgift of gabโ served him well in his line of work, as did his high standards and a work ethic motivated by providing for his family.
โIf you asked him what time it was, heโd tell you how to build a watch,โ said Gacono. โThe difference with him was he cared about people. He wasnโt just a salesman. He lost business because he wouldnโt waiver on that. He always took the high road.
โI never met anyone who ever talked badly about my dad,โ Gacono continued. โPeople liked him. He always made you feel like he was your biggest cheerleader. It would be a wonderful world if it was filled with V. Carls.โ
The son of an immigrant from Italy, Venice Carl Gacono was born in Wildwood, New Jersey on June 6, 1929. He eventually settled in Lebanon County, and he and Mary Jane were the parents of six children, the grandparents of 14 and the great-grandparents of six.
โWe felt like we were blessed,โ said Gacono. โA lot of people donโt have their parents that long. He did a lot in his life. But itโs never easy.
โHe was a very strong Christian in his beliefs,โ added Gacono. โHe felt like he was going to be with my mom again. He was in love with my mom. When she was gone, he was lost. He missed her terribly.โ
Never was Gaconoโs love for his family tested more than during Mary Janeโs nine-year battle with dementia. But never was Gaconoโs resolve more apparent than during that time.
Mary Jane succumbed to her struggles with dementia in March of this year, some eight months before Carlโs passing.
โHe cared for her until the last six months,โ said Gacono. โMy mom was strong and in charge at home. She kept the household. Before she died, he did everything for her. He loved her so much.
โIt took its toll on him, physically, mentally, emotionally,โ Gacono added. โBut not one time did he ever say it was too hard, or that he couldnโt do it. Weโd look at him and we could see it was exhausting. Towards the end, there were days that were very hard on him. But he was always patient with her. He loved his wife above everything else.โ
It was a feeling of being blessed that caused the Gaconos to give back to the Annville community.
In the early 1990s, the Gaconos re-invented Annvilleโs Memorial Day parade, and through their guidance and hard work it became the largest Memorial Day parade in the Pennsylvania. The Gaconos were also instrumental in establishing and maintaining Annvilleโs annual Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony and Santaโs Arrival at the Allen Theatre.
โThe Annville parade had dwindled down to a fire engine and the high school marching band,โ said Gacono. โMy dadโs father was an immigrant from Italy and my dad was always appreciative of what the United States had to offer. We were always a strong military family. We respected the people who served, and we understood it came at a cost.
โHe and my mom worked on the parade, and when he did things, he always did them big,โ continued Gacono. โIt became a wonderful Annville tradition. That was their goal, to bring the town together, to bring the community together, so we would remember. They raised all the money for those events. They always thought it was important to give back.โ
Read More: Plenty to see at the Annville Memorial Day Parade, 29-year community tradition
The Gaconos continue to honor their parentsโ memories through involvement with the community events that they started. In many ways, Becky Gacono is the person she is today because of the things she learned from them.
โI think I will always smile when I remember him,โ said Gacono. โI think there will always be tears too. There will be a gaping hole left in our lives. He was one of a kind.
โThe people I know in the community always have kind things to say about him,โ concluded Gacono. โI think he was responsible. People knew he was a good person. His goal was always to better himself. He would pay attention to what you were saying, and he would remember. He was always encouraging us to learn. When you give, it comes back ten-fold.โ
V. Carl Gaconoโs Life Lessons
- Be a person of action.
- Choose to be happy.
- Acknowledge fear.
- Persistence without exception.
- Forgive.
- Surround yourself.
- Leadership.
- Money is not everything.
- Be kind.
- Higher standard.
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All photos in this article special courtesy of Annville-based photographer Barb West.