John Anthony Pignatelli

John Anthony Pignatelli Jr., 77, of Leesport, PA, passed away on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at his residence, surrounded by his loving family. 

He was the loving husband of Robin (Cox) Pignatelli, whom he married on February 20, 1967. 

Born March 5, 1949, in Philadelphia, PA, the son of the late John Pignatelli, Sr. and Anna (Kane) Pignatelli. 

John attended Bishop Neumann High School through the 12th grade before relocating to New Jersey, where he earned his GED. He also pursued coursework at Atlantic Community College. 

John and his wife left South Jersey and moved to Los Angeles, CA. John’s passion for model ship building led him to build many ships that are in museums around the world.  He also worked as a member of the master model builders' crew for DreamWorks in the creation of the movie Titanic.  Prior to retirement, he was employed by the Department of Homeland Security as an Adjudication Officer for more than 14 years. 

John had a strong interest in trains. Wherever he traveled, his first stop would be the train station to admire its beauty and sophistication. He loved building train platforms, watching, and learning about different types of trains. John was a Godzilla fanatic and enjoyed all the movies under the Kaiju Japanese genre, which translates to “Strange Beast". 

John looked forward to the little things in life: listening to the birds’ chirping, watching deer and other wildlife from the back patio in the early evening, and being around friends. John had a heart of gold and loved helping others. What brought him true joy in life was spending time with his family. 

Surviving are two children: Gina Schwartz of Leesport and John Pignatelli III, husband of Lori (Wrye), of Duluth, GA. 

Also surviving are one grandchild, Leah Schwartz of Duluth, Georgia, and one niece, Christine Caruso of Galloway, NJ. 

John was predeceased by one sister, Donna Llyal. 

Services will be private at the family's convenience. 

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. 

Stitzel Family Funeral Homes & Crematory Inc., Laureldale, is in charge of arrangements. 

For online condolences, please visit www.StitzelFamilyFuneralHomes.com

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