John Irace

John Irace, 93, passed away peacefully at his residence in Falmouth, Maine on Saturday, November 9, 2013. John was born on August 19, 1920 on the island of Ischia in the bay of Naples, Italy. John was an undergraduate at the University of Naples, and already selected as a member of the Italian National Crew Team for the 1940 Olympics, when he was drafted by the Italian Navy and commissioned to duty on the submarine Vortice. After the armistice with the allies in September of 1943, the Vortice was one of eight U-boats that came over to the Allied side and was stationed in Portland to help train with the North Atlantic fleet in submarine tactics. Prior to that time, the US had never had access to the secret workings of enemy submarine weaponry and tactics. While in Portland, he met and fell in love with Adeline (Dina) Montebello. The couple was married on August 22, 1945 in Key West, where John and the Vortice had been transferred prior to their return to Italy. When John returned to the United States, the couple settled in Portland on Munjoy Hill where they raised their family on the Eastern Promenade. For over 40 years, John owned and operated Montebello Seafood, a wholesale and retail seafood company in Portland. He was a founding member of the Portland Chapter of the Son's of Italy which later became the Italian Heritage Center. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus. John quickly learned and mastered any field he chose to undertake, including plumbing, electrical, masonry, carpentry, and gardening. In his later years, he built over a dozen intricate replicas of early classic sailing vessels. His greatest joy was cooking, and he would spend hours preparing gourmet Italian meals, including his signature dish, pasta a la Genoese--its flavor unrivaled in the New World. Survivors include his devoted wife of 68 years, Dina; his children, Dominic of Falmouth; Mary and her husband Richard Burke of East Hartford, CT; Anthony and his wife Mary of Cape Elizabeth; Joanne and her husband Barry Tibbetts of Scarborough; grandchildren, John and wife Julianne; Joe and wife Julia; Rick Irace; Ann Marie and husband Jeff Raymond; Nathan and Andrea Burke; Christina; Michael and wife Laura; Mary, Regina and Anna Tibbetts. He was also great grandfather to 7 month old Dashiell Raymond. Also surviving are his brothers Antonio and Vincenzo, and his sisters Caterina and Giuseppina. An 11:00 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, November 13th, at Holy Martyrs Church, 266 Foreside Road, Falmouth followed by interment at Calvary Cemetery, South Portland. Services are under the care and direction of Conroy-Tully Crawford Funeral Home, 172 State St., Portland, Maine. The family wishes to thank the staff of Hospice of Southern Maine for their wonderful care and support. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Simple Gifts, P.O. Box 2684, South Portland, ME 04116. (www.simplegiftsmaine.org)Online condolences may be expressed below.