Federico V. Palma Jr.

The visitationwill be on Thursday at the LaMonica Memorial Home 145 E. Mt. Pleasant Ave., Livingston from 4-8 pm. Services will be held on Friday, March 28, at 11 am in the First Baptist Church of Bloomfield, 1 Washington St., followed by the interment in Glendale Cemetery, Bloomfield.

Federico V. Palma Jr. was born in Newark, NJ to Federico and Rose Palmo (nee Ciffrodella) on December 25, 1924 and was raised in Newark, Irvington, and Bloomfield with his siblings Catherine Guerino and Vince Palmo.

At the age of 8, he developed a love for music from his father and distinguished himself as an accomplished accordionist. In 1940, he performed on the nationally broadcasted Major Bowes Amateur Hour CBS radio program. A 1942 graduate of Bloomfield High School, he was athletic manager of the football, basketball, and baseball teams under legendary coach, William “Bill” Foley. In 1955, he graduated from Upsala College with degrees in Liberal Arts and Business Administration.

Federico served in the Navy during WWII from 1943 to 1946. He was a signalman aboard merchant ships throughout the European Theater. While serving in Europe aboard the SS Warrior, General Eisenhower called upon him to play at his cocktail party. In the Pacific Theater he performed the naval show units that included Bob Fosse and Farley Granger.

Federico successfully pursued a career in music as a teacher and professional musician appearing with the likes of the Mills Brothers, the Nat King Cole Trio, Ella Fitzgerald, and his uncle Nick Lucas, who originally introduced “Tip Toe Through the Tulips”. In 1947, while on tour with Nick in Denver, CO, they had the pleasure of playing golf with the renowned woman athlete of the first half century, Babe Zaharias, at the Cherry Hill Golf Club.

In 1951, he entered the tile, terrazzo, and marble business joining a firm founded by his father in 1927. Envisioning a great future with epoxy flooring in the late 1960’s, he subsequently changed the operation in the late 1970’s to include both the formulation and application of epoxy flooring on a national basis for many Fortune 500 companies. He was President and CEO of Palma, Inc., working daily with his sons Fred III, Michael, and son in law, Greg Manton, until his retirement in 2009.

An avid sports fan, his hobbies include golfing at the Essex County Country Club, travel, fine dining, reading, politics, the arts, and hobnobbing with politicians, athletes, and entertainers. He was pleased to share his resources with both the Newark Library and Newark Museum in addition to other charities.

Federico’s many affiliations include past President and Board member of both the NJ Tile Contractors Assoc. and the Greater NY Terrazzo & Mosaic Association. He served on the Board of Directors of the Local and National Associated Builders & Contractors, the Essex County National Football Hall of Fame, and the Essex County Human Relations Board. He served as chairman of the Legislative Committee of Associated Builders & Contractors of Northern NJ, Program chairman ELC Essex County for NJBIA, and County Committee Chairman of the Republican Party 3rd Ward in Montclair. He was also a member of the Nat’s Committee for Gov’t Affairs and Legislation for ABC Contractors American Concrete Institute 503, the NJBIA Health, Gov’t Affairs & Education Committee, the ASTM Committee, the UTCA Legislative Committee, the County Committee of the Bloomfield Democratic Party, and the First Baptist Church of Bloomfield.

In 1996, NJBIA presented him with the Man of the Year Award for being a dependable and persistent voice for small businesses. In 2004, the Essex County Chapter of the Nat’l Football Hall of Fame presented him with the Football Fan of the Year Award and named distinguished American for his contribution to amateur football which included heading the chain gang for Bloomfield and Montclair High Schools over a 30 year period and as a recruiter for Northwestern, Syracuse, Illinois, Missouri, and Purdue Universities. He was also recognized at the 100th Anniversary of Abington Ave. School in Newark, which he attended, for his dedication and contribution through the years.

Federico’s pride shines the brightest when he speaks of his five wonderful children, Fred III, Cathy, Michael, Leslie, and Barbara Jo, and his six bright and delightful grandchildren, Allie, Ashley, Luke, Greer, Catherine, and Miles. He was married for 47 years to his beloved Catherine Puccio Palma, who passed away in 1996. He also took great pride in his stepson Michael Kotlarz and loved being a fantastic grandfather to Mollie and Alex. In 1998, Federico was fortunate to meet and marry his second wife, Patricia Hamilton Palma. Together they waltzed through the remaining years of his life, enjoying all it had to offer.

In lieu of flowers, kindly make contributions in his memory to the Newark Library or the Newark Museum.