James A. Gentilesco, Ph.D., 71, of Holmdel, passed away peacefully at home June 4, 2023. Jim was born in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York, and lived in Holmdel for many years. He worked as a software engineer for Bell Labs at AT&T, Lucent, and subsequently at Orion Innovation. Previous to that, Jim pursued higher education at Columbia University, then at Stony Brook University.
Jim began his career teaching as a mathematics professor at the University of Pittsburgh where he also delivered presentations on fractal geometry and concepts in the then-emerging field of computer science. He loved music, especially classical and opera. He was an especially avid fan of Mozart and he had tremendous respect for Luciano Pavarotti’s voice. He also loved putting on his many hats to go dancing, most notably at Buona Sera Restaurant in Red Bank. It is not impossible that Jim is now listening to “the music of the spheres” while playing a celestial clarinet.
Surviving are his sons, James and Thomas; daughter-in-law Marissa; his beautiful grandchildren, Giuliana and Carter, and their grandmother Barbara Gentilesco.
Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 8 at John F. Pfleger Funeral Home, 115 Tindall Road, Middletown. Burial is private.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Jim’s name to either Memorial Sloan Kettering, for his successfully-won recent cancer battles, or The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, for his love of classical music.
The article originally appeared in the June 8 – 14, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
