Angelo Formosa, Sr. Tribute

    He was born as Angelo Formusa in Trabia, Sicily on August 15, 1898 and immigrated to the United States at the age of 16 in May of 1915, where his name was changed to Formosa.  He met his future wife Katherine Mary Josephine St. Charles.  They were married at St. Mary of the Seven Sorrows Catholic Church on October 20, 1920 in Nashville, Tennessee.  They had four children, Salvatore Joseph Formosa, Sr., Pete Anthony Formosa, Sr., Angelo Formosa, Jr., and Rose Marina Formosa. Katherine (Katie) passed away four years before him on June 4, 1984.  They were married for almost 64 years. They had 21 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren.  He was truly a great person to know and a joy to be around and to love!
     He owned and operated Angelo Formosa Foods until his retirement in the mid 1970's.  He continued to work four to five hours a day until he reached his mid 80's.  In July of 1986 he was the subject of WSMV TV's "Land of Liberty" series.  He told of his immigration to America as a Third Class passenger on the Trans-Atlantic liner "The Dante Alighieri".   He was called "a  citizen that made this country great".  He spoke of the years that he sang in the choir at the Cathedral of the Incarnation Catholic Church and his missed opportunity to join the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, New York.  He had a family to raise and that was his first obligation.
    He passed away in Nashville, Tennessee on May 25, 1988 at the age of 89 years old.  His son Pete A. Formosa, Sr. died on February 19, 1990 and his son Salvatore J. Formosa, Sr. died on March 3, 2007.  His son Angelo Formosa, Jr. and his daughter Rose Marina Formosa Bromley live in Nashville, Tennessee.