Joseph Anthony Lombardi of Springs, who with his late wife, Nicola, was “a true pioneer in the specialty food industry,” died on May 10 of complications of esophageal cancer and Parkinson’s disease. He was 81.
From 1973 until 1984, Mr. Lombardi worked for Zust Ambrosetti, an Italian importing and exporting company, at the World Trade Center in Manhattan. In 1985, he and his wife founded Provender International, a specialty food importing company.
“Niki and Joe were legendary people, not only to their numerous colleagues in the specialty food industry, but amongst their many dear friends and family members,” his family wrote. “They loved cooking and entertaining and enjoyed traveling and spending time in East Hampton as active members of the trails preservation society.” Mrs. Lombardi died in 2018.
Mr. Lombardi was born in Jersey City on June 18, 1941, the middle son of Anthony Lombardi and the former Madeline Blumetti. He grew up in Jersey City and graduated from high school there. Described as “a proud veteran,” Mr. Lombardi served in the Army from 1964 to 1966, stationed at Fort Dix in New Jersey.
He and Nicola Curwin, who was known as Niki, met on a skiing weekend upstate at Hunter Mountain. They were married in 1973 in Kensington, England. They raised their daughter in West New York, N.J., spending weekends and summers on the South Fork. At first they came to North Sea, and in the late 1980s they bought a house in the Clearwater area of Springs. They moved there full time in 2000.
He was a member of Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church here.
Mr. Lombardi is survived by his daughter, Lauren Piver of Springs, and her husband, Andrew Piver, and by his grandsons, Daniel and Samuel. He is also survived by his brothers, Charles Lombardi and Anthony Lombardi, both of New Jersey, and their wives, Margarita and Dee, as well as an aunt, Catherine Colacurcio of New Jersey, and a number of cousins, nieces, nephews, and extended family across the world.
His family has suggested memorial donations in his name to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for the research of Parkinson’s disease at give.michaeljfox.org.
