Michael Simonetti, 83, former Winslow councilman and school grounds supervisor

They had a rare love, refusing to part in their last days together.

He suffered from asbestosis, and she lost her ability to speak as Alzheimer's progressed. Still, they remained in their Winslow Township home, with his hospice bed next to hers.

When Michael Simonetti asked for his wife, relatives put Josephine in a wheelchair, her hand in his.

Hours later, on Friday, March 31, Mr. Simonetti, 83, died.

That day, Josephine broke her silence, calling for her husband. At dinner, she did not smile as she normally did when Mr. Simonetti was brought to the table and told her, "I love you." Instead, tears rolled down her face, said the couple's daughter, Barbara Elliott.

Relatives and friends said Mr. Simonetti was loved by many. He lived his life to the fullest, they said, from his time in the Navy during the Korean War to serving as a Winslow councilman for more than a decade, farming tomatoes, making wine, volunteering at his church and the Winslow Fire Company, and working full-time for five decades in the private sector and later for the Hammonton, N.J., School District.

"He was just a good-hearted guy," said Mr. Simonetti's godson, Frank Italiano. "He wasn't a politician. He just wanted to help people."

Former Winslow Mayor Dominic Maiese said he recruited Mr. Simonetti, a Democrat and lifelong Winslow resident, for the council because he was liked and respected.

"He never missed a meeting," Maiese said. "He was loyal to his people."

Elliott recalled her father taking calls just as the family was having dinner at  the kitchen table.

"It was mostly people asking for streetlights," she said. No matter what it was, her father tried to help.

His family, however, was most important, Elliott said. For years, Mr. Simonetti cared for his wife after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, lifting her into a wheelchair to take her outside until he also became too frail.

The couple met at a skating rink, and then again at a wedding before Mr. Simonetti left for the Navy. He served on the Hornet, exchanging letters with his sweetheart. When he returned in the mid-1950s, they married. In addition to their daughter, Barbara, they had two other daughters, Donna Krason and Lisa Grasso.

The family lived on two acres in Winslow, where Mr. Simonetti grew grape tomatoes that he would share with family and friends, or sell at the produce market. His family also made wine from Jersey-grown Concord grapes, winning in a local wine competition.

After the Navy, Mr. Simonetti got a job at the Glen-Gery Corp., working his way up from fixing machinery to supervisor. He worked for another brick company after Glen-Gery relocated. After 25 years, he changed careers, spending another 25 years working as the grounds supervisor for the Hammonton School District.

Mr. Simonetti was also a member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Society, Holy Name Society of St. Joseph Church, and Inskip Antlers Gun Club.

Besides his wife and daughters, Mr. Simonetti, who was one of nine siblings, is survived by six grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and a brother and a sister.

A viewing is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, and 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, April 5,  at St. Mary of Mount Carmel Parish-St. Joseph Church Hammonton, 226 French St., Hammonton. A Funeral Mass will follow at 11 a.m. Burial will be in Oak Grove Cemetery, Hammonton.

Donations may be made to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Society, Box 182, Hammonton, N.J. 08037, or Alzheimer's Association, South Jersey Regional Office, 3 Eves Dr., Suite 310, Marlton, N.J. 08053.

Condolences for the family may be left at marinellafuneralhome.com.