Pasquale Giovanni Zicari

Leesburg, Virginia

June 24,1928 – March 29, 2021

Pasquale ("Pat") Zicari was a distinguished and successful business executive known for his charm, exuberant personality, and generosity of spirit.  A skilled storyteller, Pat had a story for every occasion and life event.   His stories covered the breadth of his interesting and diverse life including:  his youth in a working-class Italian neighborhood of Endicott, NY; the unconditional love of his stepmother Nancy Micari Zicari; his service as an Army medic; his career as a union negotiator and Human Resources executive at General Electric; his time as an actor; his second career in executive placement and his colorful family history.  Each story he told had a purpose, some were for entertainment and some had a moral.   All of them shared one thing, a deep understanding of people and their circumstances. Pat had a unique gift that allowed him to understand, appreciate and value each individual.

Pat was born June 24, 1928, the only child of Emanuel and Frances Grisafi Zicari.  Pat proudly traced his ancestry as a first-generation American to Agrigento and Catania in Sicily, Italy.

After his high school graduation, Pat worked at A.S. Beck in Binghamton, NY selling shoes. A skilled salesman he was charmed one day by a lovely, young woman buying shoes. Her name was Carmen Elaine Stella. They were married on December 1, 1951, at St. Patrick's Church in Binghamton, NY.  Carmen joined Pat at Camp Pickett in Blackstone, VA where he served as an Orthopedic Technician in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Pat and Carmen were married for 52 years until her death in 2003.

After completing his tour of duty, Pat enrolled in Harper College, now part of Binghamton University.   Shortly after completing his degree, he joined the General Electric Company ("GE") in Binghamton, New York.  He held numerous assignments with GE, retiring as the top Human Resource executive for the Wire and Cable Business. Pat was active in civic activities in Lowell, Massachusetts, and worked on the development of the Lowell Folk Festival in the 1980s. In 1983 he received a Master of Science in Industrial Relations from Western New England College. Pat taught Human Resources and Business classes in the evening division at the University of Lowell, now UMass Lowell, for over two decades.

Proudly, Pat followed in his father Emmanuel's steps becoming a Freemason in 1981. In April of 1989, he became a 32nd degree Master Mason as a member of the William Sewell Gardner Lodge in Lowell, MA.

After retiring from GE, Pat joined Troy Associates as a Vice President, later Lee Hecht Harrison, in Boston.  He helped many displaced executives find new roles during his ten years with the firm.  Also, he acted in television commercials and modeled for print advertisements in the Boston area.

In 2003 Pat relocated from the Boston area to Leesburg, Virginia to join his daughter Barbara and his son-in-law, Jay Kloosterboer. In Leesburg, Pat met Janet LeHane, who became a trusted friend and companion for 15 years. Into his 80's Pat continued to act in local theatre, paint in oils, add to his burgeoning lighter collection and enjoy his role as Grandfather to his twin Grandsons, David and Michael Kloosterboer.

Pat is survived by his daughter Barbara Zicari and her husband Jay Kloosterboer; his grandson David Kloosterboer and his wife Shelby Kloosterboer;  his grandson Michael Kloosterboer and his wife Shannon Gunning; his nephew and niece, Bill and Nancy Starner and his grandnieces Stacey McAllister and Lindsay Blanch.

All memorium gifts should be made to the Massachuetts Freemasons at the following website: https://massfreemasonry.org/donate/