“Bobby D” Dionisio Obituary

“Bobby D”…father, grandfather, businessman, former councilman, and friend of the Seaside Heights community.  He will be greatly missed by many of us.

AGE: 72 • Seaside Heights and Point Pleasant

Robert N. “Bobby D” Dionisio, 72, lifelong resident of Seaside Heights and Pt. Pleasant, passed away on Monday, Dec. 3, 2012, at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune. Born in Hackensack, he lived in Seaside Heights most of his life, moving to Pt. Pleasant 15 years ago. Bob enjoyed a longtime career in the restaurant business, owning Bob’s Ranch House, Captain Hook’s Restaurant and managed Nick’s Clam Bar for his dad and Park Seafood Restaurant for his son, Nick. He also managed and worked at Martell’s Shrimp Bar, Pt. Pleasant, The Surf Club, Ortley Beach, and Yakety Yak’s in Seaside Heights and Ocean Township. He served as a councilman in Seaside Heights for 12 years. Bob was an amazing cook. He enjoyed spending time with his cherished family and will be dearly missed by all who knew him.

He was predeceased by his parents, Nicholas and Antoinette Dionisio. Surviving are his former wife, Marsha Dionisio; his children, Stacey Ann Smith and her husband Glenn, Nicholas and his wife Lauren, Robert and his wife Elena, and Rodney and his wife Augelle; and his grandchildren, Shane and Alanah Smith, Carver, Lucien, Giovanni and Sasha Dionisio.

A Memorial Gathering to celebrate Bob’s life will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, with a service at 8 p.m. at Anderson and Campbell Funeral Home, 703 Main St., Toms River. Cremation will be private. Condolences may be made by visiting www.andersonandcampbell.com.

Some news articles and photos I was able to find among Terry’s, Leonard’s, and Tony’s collections…
 

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B. Dionisio, M. Graichen, G. Mazzanti and A. Raniero

There’s a lot of Seaside Heights history among these four former borough councilmen. In the first photo from the late 1970s – early 1980s era, Bob Dionisio, Anthony Raniero, Mike Graichen, and Guy Mazzanti (l-r) stand alongside the town’s new beach rake machine at the Borough Plant on Grant Avenue.  Bob Dionisio has owned numerous businesses in Seaside Heights over the years and these days can be found at Park Seafood on the Boardwalk helping out the owner – his son Nick.  Anthony Raniero was a local builder and motel owner before leaving Seaside Heights.  Mike Graichen owned the towel stand on the Boardwalk at Webster Ave. for many years before moving to the North End where today he owns and operates Lucky’s Arcade.  Folding towels at the stand for Mike was my first job as a kid. Nickel a dozen. Then a dime a dozen. I “retired” at a quarter a dozen.

Guy Mazzanti worked for the family’s food market on the southeast corner of Blaine Ave. & Central Ave and operated the LaFontana Motel and other local apartment complexes in the borough. His family’s roots in Seaside Heights go back more than 50 years.  Guy is an active member of the Seaside Heights Vol. Fire Company and served as fire chief for a time.  All four of them had children who grew up in town and went through the Hugh J. Boyd Elementary School. In fact, Stacey Dionisio (Smith) returned to the school as a teacher (joining her mother Marsha)!  Great people like these made growing up in Seaside Heights the memorable experience that it was.