Obituary of John E Tiscornia
John Edward Tiscornia "JT", 71, of Mendham left this world for the celestial realm on his birthday, September 24, 2020.
John was pre-deceased by his father Joseph Tiscornia, his mother Helene Tiscornia (nee Rezler), and brothers Joseph Tiscornia Jr. and Charles Tiscornia. He leaves behind cousins in New Jersey, North Carolina, Washington D.C. and Japan and two amazing goddaughters, Katheryn Sweeney and Kate Shavel.
Born in Hoboken, New Jersey on September 24, 1949, John and his family moved to Mendham Borough in the early 1960s, when his father became the assistant principal at Hilltop Elementary School. John graduated from West Morris Regional High School in 1967. Afterwards, he attended and graduated from Bucknell University in 1971. Blessed with an adventurous spirit, John attended the famous Woodstock Music Festival in Bethel, New York at age 19, and shared many a good Woodstock story with his friends and acquaintances.
He cared deeply about young people, and after pursuing other endeavors, he worked at Lakeland School, an alternative high school for several years teaching wood shop and photography. Next, he graduated from the Chubb Institute of Computer Technology with certification in computer programming. He had a long career as a programmer at Suburban Propane in Whippany, working there until 2005 while making many lifelong friends.
Following his brother Joseph Tiscornia Jr.'s death, he left Suburban to take over the family business, the Mendham Health and Racquet Club, which he ran for 13 years. During that time period, John was loved and admired for his service to the community, as the Club that he ran was part of the very fabric of Mendham. A generation of appreciative Mendham residents have enjoyed countless fond memories thanks to the hard work and dedication of John and his brothers, Joseph and Charlie. His selfless contributions to the community will long be remembered, with gratitude, by all. John recently sold the club and was enjoying his well earned retirement.
John was also involved in independent filmmaking. He worked as an executive director, actor, locations manager (and more) for films that have screened globally. These include BANANAZZZ (2012), Zombies Incorporated (2013), Ghoul's Night Out (2016), Pretty Fine Things (2016), Reveries (2020), and network TV sketches.
Known as a loyal friend; John was extremely intelligent, witty (sometimes corny), very generous, compassionate and dedicated to his family and friends. Several people were invited to live with him when their lives were in flux and they needed a place to stay. An avid reader, John enjoyed many genres - history, geography, spiritualism, astronomy and physics. Every Sunday John looked forward to the New York Times crossword puzzle which he inevitably finished. He and his brother Charlie were well known for hosting epic "Superb Owl" Super Bowl and Halloween parties at the “Tiscornia Estate”.
John lived a fulfilling life as a loving son, brother, cousin, godfather and dear friend to many people. All those that knew him can testify to John's generous, affable, non-judgmental nature. He will be profoundly missed, but his memory will live on through all of us who loved him.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Schiff Nature Preserve, where John enjoyed walks over the years. https://schiffnaturepreserve.org/donate.cfm
A graveside prayer service will be conducted on Thursday, October 8, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. at the Hilltop Cemetery, 18 Hilltop Road in Mendham Borough, New Jersey through arrangements made by the Bailey Funeral Home. Friends and family are invited to attend that service. Due to the current pandemic, it is respectfully requested that all attendees wear a face mask and observe social distancing guidelines, a practice that John adhered to, and endorsed, in the last several months of his life.
