Joseph Pacifico Jr., Phila. car dealer
Joseph R. Pacifico Jr., 85, of Philadelphia and Bryn Mawr, a car dealership owner and philanthropist, died Tuesday, Oct. 6, of respiratory failure at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
Joseph R. Pacifico Jr., 85, of Philadelphia and Bryn Mawr, a car dealership owner and philanthropist, died Tuesday, Oct. 6, of respiratory failure at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
Born in South Philadelphia to Joseph R. Sr. and Josephine Pacifico, he had an early aptitude for numbers and chess. Mr. Pacifico graduated from South Philadelphia High School in 1947, a year early, and was voted class president.
By age 16, he already was working in the family's automobile business in South Philadelphia.
At age 19, Mr. Pacifico became a partner in a Kaiser-Frazer auto dealership in South Philadelphia. In 1954, he was a cofounder of Pacifico Lincoln Mercury, which became Pacifico Ford Inc. He guided the company for 61 years.
"He worked full-time until he got a blood disease, and even then, he was talking to customers on his cellphone," said son Michael A.
In 1970, he introduced car buyers to the Philadelphia Auto Mall in Southwest Philadelphia, a project he created with other dealers. At that time, it was a new experience for shoppers to have an array of dealerships in one location.
In 1986, Mr. Pacifico became a partner in a Hyundai dealership based at the auto mall. The first South Korean car franchise here, it took a while to catch on, but Mr. Pacifico believed that it would succeed and eventually it did.
Throughout his life, Mr. Pacifico was active in philanthropic and charitable causes. He donated time and money to St. Edmond's Church in South Philadelphia, where he was a member; Waldron Mercy Academy in Merion, where his sons went; and the Guadalupe Guild, benefiting the Sisters of Visitation.
Mr. Pacifico was active in Commonwealth Lodge No. 1949 of the Order Sons of Italy. He was named Man of the Year in the late 1970s for leading charitable events over the years.
With his brother, Kerry, he cofounded the Joseph Pacifico Scholarship Foundation Fund and was a member of its board of directors. The fund provided college grants for many local high school students.
"He was a quiet, simple man, but he wanted to make sure our best interests were taken care of," his son said. "He taught by example; to treat others the way you would want to be treated."
Mr. Pacifico married Vivian Gentile in 1955. She died in 1984. The family kept a home in Ventnor, N.J., where he fished, crabbed, and enjoyed sunsets over the bay.
Besides his son and brother, he is survived by son Joseph D.; daughter Annette Siravo; seven grandchildren; his companion, Virginia Romano; and nieces and nephews.
A viewing Saturday, Oct. 10, from 9 to 10:15 a.m. at the D'Anjollel Memorial Home, 2811 West Chester Pike, Broomall, is to be followed by an 11 a.m. Funeral Mass at St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church, 220 Lawrence Rd., Broomall. Interment is in Calvary Cemetery, Conshohocken.
Checks payable to Thomas Jefferson University may be sent to the Department of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Att: Margaret Fala, Office of Institutional Advancement, 125 S. Ninth St., Suite 700, Philadelphia 19107, or via http://connect.jefferson.edu/makeagift.
610-313-8102