After a courageous battle with cancer, Alfred John Schiavetti Jr. passed away peacefully June 28, 2023, surrounded by his family and overlooking the beloved Navesink River. A 50-year-plus resident of Fair Haven, he had a distinguished banking career and dedicated his retirement to improving and delivering education and health care opportunities as an active and engaged nonprofit board member.
Al was an avid reader, a six-continent traveler, and an ardent collector of art and wine.
The son of Elizabeth and Alfred John Schiavetti Sr., Al grew up in Stafford Springs, Connecticut, where his father served as the small town’s doctor, sometimes accepting barter in lieu of payment. After graduation from Avon Old Farms in 1957, Al headed north to Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he joined the Williams College Class of 1961. He was inspired by the surrounding mountains and art museums that brought a lifetime of great joy and a second home to him and his family.
As a member of the “Bottoms Up Ski Club,” Al met the love of his life, Barbara (Bauer) Schiavetti, whom he adoringly called Bobbie and married in 1966.
After graduating from Williams, Al pursued an MBA from the New York University Stern School of Business (Class of 1969) and joined the management program of Chemical Bank where he built a 30-year career, culminating as managing director in the company’s Banking and Corporate Finance Group. Colleagues referred to Al as an old-school “banker’s banker” who approached client relationships by emphasizing character, integrity
and trust.
The New York Times highlighted his move to the Midlantic Corporation in 1991 by labeling him “Credit Czar” for continuing to enforce the tough lending standards that had been loosened in the 1980s. He was Midlantic’s first Chief Credit Officer, tasked with restructuring their lending practice, recouping losses and transforming the bank for a profitable future.
Al was most importantly a team builder. At his retirement he simply said, “I didn’t do much. I tried to hire really good people, gave them the tools to do their job, and got out of their way.”
Retirement didn’t suit him, so he dove into volunteer activities as the third phase of his career, continuing his passion for working with organizations and people. For decades, he served as a dedicated trustee at both Monmouth University and Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH). He held a deep commitment to both missions and served actively and strategically until his very
last days.
Presented with an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from Monmouth in 2011, Al and Bobbie were invested in building scholarship and art conservation opportunities. His devotion continued to the stands where Al’s lively cheers and commentary could be heard throughout the arena at the Hawks’ home basketball games.
A long-time HMH board member and chairman of the Ambulatory Care Board and Academics and Research Committee, Al worked diligently to better the welfare and medical care for the greater community with a great focus on research and education. Al previously served as president of the Rumson Country Day School Board of Trustees and was a trustee for the Williamstown Art Conservation Center; he worked with major museum directors as chairman of the Williams College Museum of Art Visiting Committee.
Caring, compassionate and known for his great (and long) storytelling and sense of humor, Al developed a vast number of deep, long-lasting friendships. He and Bobbie taught their children to love new adventures and travel, he mentored innumerous individuals who grew to call him a great friend and he enjoyed exploring, from unknown neighborhoods in the U.S. to flying over Mt. Everest. He loved reading the newspaper at the beach and spent countless hours behind books looking out over the river.
Al is survived by his wife, three children, Alfred III, Andrew and Sarah, two grandchildren and siblings Dreda and Nick and their families.
A celebration of life is planned for the fall near his family home on the Jersey Shore. A memorial gathering will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9 at Thompson Memorial Home, 310 Broad St., Red Bank. In remembrance of Al’s life, the family asks that any charitable donations be made to the scholarships in his name at Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation, 343 Thornall St., 7th Floor, Edison, NJ 08837 or online at givehmh.org/donate or Monmouth University at Monmouth University, c/o University Advancement, 400 Cedar Ave., West Long Branch, NJ 07764 or online at monmouth.edu/schiavetti.
This article originally appeared in the August 24 – 30, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
