Mariano "Skippy" Scarpa

1939 – 2025

Boynton Beach, FL

If ever there was a man who embodied the phrase "larger than life," it was Mariano "Skippy" Scarpa. He passed peacefully after living a happy, love-filled 85 years. If you knew Skippy, you knew a man who loved hard, laughed often, lit up a room and never met a stranger—only friends he hadn't yet made. He had a knack for making people feel special, a smile that was contagious (except, of course, when he wasn't happy about something), and a heart that had room for everyone. He was generous to a fault and always—always—good for a story and a joke.

Skippy was born in 1939 and raised in Brooklyn, NY. From his resilience to his street smarts, his directness, loyalty and passionate energy, Skippy was a New Yorker through and through. He brought that New York energy into everything he did, from work to family and everything in between. He started his career as a programmer at IBM before diving into the family business, Color Age, which he threw his heart and soul into. Successfully expanding it into a full interior design center was something he was incredibly proud of. But above all, Skippy was a family man. He spent 23 beautiful years married to the love of his life, April Rose, who says he taught her how to live life and love the right way. A father to Angie Scarpa, Paul Scarpa and Barbara Marchese, stepfather to Rosemary Calderone and Regina Bailey, and proud grandfather to Orion Marchese, Miko Scarpa, Thomas Bailey and Alexander Bailey. He loved his family, but it would be remiss not to mention the other little love of his life—his little Papillon, Priscilla, who adored him just as much as he adored her.

A natural-born entertainer, Skippy absolutely loved to sing, dance, and even write music. Long before boy bands were a thing, he was ahead of the times as the lead singer of The Four Temptations in the late 1950s, writing and performing songs like Cathy. He had a deep love for Frank Sinatra and spent years singing in piano bars from Fire Island, NY to Florida, hosting karaoke nights and grabbing a microphone any chance he got. If there was music, he was always singing along—although probably in a sweater, because the man was somehow always cold, even in the Florida heat.

Of course, no tribute to Skippy would be complete without acknowledging a few of his more notable and loveable qualities. He was, without a doubt, the worst driver the east coast has ever seen, but hopping in the car with him to head to dinner was always bound to be a great time. He was our very own personal MacGyver, never afraid to use a rubber band or a paperclip to fix just about anything. His strong mindset and positive outlook never ceased to amaze anyone – any time you asked him how he was doing (even if he was having a rough day, week or month), he'd smile and make mention of how beautiful life was. And that is a beautiful thing.

Skippy was truly one of a kind – one of our favorite, wisest guys -- and we're all going to miss him dearly. If we know him, he's already found his way to the heavenly gates where St. Peter is waiting with open arms to show him the way to the best piano bar. Rest easy, Skippy. Your stories, your laughter, and your love will live on in all of us. We'll be thinking of you – and trust us, if we get the chance, we'll leave the gun and take the cannoli.

In lieu of flowers or food, donations can be made to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (mskcc.org ) or the National Kidney Foundation (https://www.kidney.org/) in honor of Mariano Scarpa.