John B. Orizino

John (Johnny) Orizino was born on September 13, 1930 in Syracuse, NY and died on July 29, 2022. He resided in Canastota. He is predeceased by his life partner, Don Baker, parents, Innocenzia and Rosario Falcone, sister, Mattia Armstrong, and brothers, William and Joseph Falcone.

Johnny served in the Air Force in the early 1950s. He then went on to work at Ben Franklin for 20 years where everyone in town knew him by name and loved stopping by to talk with him. Johnny also worked at JCPenney where he was another favorite employee, because of his larger-than-life personality. Johnny’s absolute favorite place to be was in his garden. It was impeccably maintained and looked like a picture out of Better Homes and Gardens. He found tremendous peace there. It was a great source of pride and a welcoming space for people and wildlife alike. Family gatherings with Johnny were never dull. He was a simple and humble man, but his mere presence commanded an audience. He was sharp, hysterical and quite the talker, leaving his family in stitches with every conversation. He was the life of the party and his sense of style was second-to-none. He was always dressed to the nines, no matter the event. His sun-kissed skin, a result of the countless hours working in his garden, his stylish glasses and wardrobe, paired with his delightful personality and welcoming demeanor, Johnny could charm the socks off anyone. He loved everyone he met and it showed. He was just so grateful for the time and love people shared with him. His extended family loved him fiercely and will greatly miss his incredible sense of humor, crude in nature at times, his stories and his witty one-liners, which often included the proclamation, “I’ve been around so long, I was a busboy at the Last Supper.”

Johnny is survived by his nephew, Don Armstrong, who was his loving caretaker and confidant for the last several years of his life, his niece, Lynn (Steve) Romanick, who was a rock and constant support for Johnny, his loving nieces, Sue Webb, and Chris (Frank) Resta, sister, Marie (Bob) McCarthy, sister-in-law, Nancy Falcone, several nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, and great-great nieces and nephews. A celebration of Johnny’s long life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests you plant some flowers of your own, or perform a random act of kindness to brighten someone’s day, much like Johnny did. It’s a tribute to him and such a simple gesture, exactly what he would have wanted. Be the sunshine in someone’s life today to honor Johnny Orizino.

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