Obituary of Arthur M. Conarello

Our father passed away Saturday morning at 10:41 a.m. I (Gayle) was lucky to be in the hospital with him, holding his hand and my two sisters, Jayne and Stacey, were on a conference call and I was holding the phone to my dad’s ear as he drifted off. He was 98 years old, and we are profoundly grateful for the extraordinary amount of time we had with him. That alone is a gift. Still, we already miss him, and our hearts are very sad.

My dad lived fully and with dignity until the very end. He was driving and physically going to the gym until two years ago, later he transitioned to at home workouts. He was an accomplished man in every sense, strong in body, sharp in mind, and rich in character. He served his country in the U.S. Navy, protected his city as both a New York City police officer and a New York City firefighter, and then went on to build multiple successful businesses. He owned a gym, an apartment building, and a storm window company called APEX Installations.

After his years with the fire department, while still in his early thirties, he transitioned into the corporate world and rose through the ranks at Marsh & McLennan, a job he truly loved. His career advancement allowed him to move our family to Short Hills, New Jersey, fulfilling my mother’s long-held dream. He ran the Cedar Knolls office with pride and purpose.

He was funny, kind, athletic, and disciplined. He worked out until just days before the end, earning his affectionate nickname, “Jack LaLanne.” He instilled in us a lifelong dedication to exercise, hard work, and responsibility. He also shared endless sage advice, especially when it came to finances, always reminding us to put the maximum into our 401(k) and stock purchase plans, and frequently saying, “A fool and his money are soon parted.” We would roll our eyes and now we smile.

In recent years, my sisters and I centered our lives around him, and that time together was precious beyond measure. 

We hope he is somewhere wonderful now, strong and smiling, still living up to that Jack LaLanne nickname.

Here’s to you, Dad. Salute!

Visitation will be held on Thursday, December 18th, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at The Jacob A. Holle Funeral Home, 2122 Millburn Avenue, Maplewood, NJ.

He is survived by his three beloved daughters: Jayne (Billy LeCompt), Gayle and Stacey Conarello, VMD (Larry Handt). He is also survived by his sisters, Elaine Cugini and Alice Dixon, and his brother, Nicholas Conarello, as well as his cherished grandson, Chase Handt and his devoted dog Bixby.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Arthur’s memory may be made to  

FDNY Foundation.