John R. Gigante, 96, of Deerfield Beach, passed away peacefully in the early hours of Monday, March 23, 2015 at Northwest Medical Center, with his niece Kristin and her husband Dwight at his bedside. To say John lived a full life is an understatement. Born December 17, 1918 in Brooklyn, New York to Giovanni and Anna Gigante, he lived the childhood of a typical big city kid. His fondest memories were of stickball games and snowball fights with his brothers and other children from the neighborhood. His parents were immigrants from Naples, Italy, and he was the fifth of their seven children. He was a dedicated student and devoted son. John studied engineering and worked for some time with the New York City Department of Transportation. In 1943, he answered the call of duty and joined the U.S. Navy as a Seabee and was stationed mainly in the Philippines for the remainder of World War II. He always had many stories to tell of his time in the Navy, and took hundreds of photographs. He survived a plane crash without a scratch and learned how to properly shuck a coconut. He was proud of his service and always looked back on this time with pride and a sense of accomplishment. After the war, John relocated to Miami Beach where his father owned a restaurant called Posillipo's and began working in the restaurant as a chef. Cooking was truly his calling. After his father's death, John took over the restaurant for a time. For many years after that he worked as a chef at some of the most well-known and popular Italian restaurants in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Eventually, John opened his own restaurant, Giovanni's, in Coral Springs, at which he was owner and chef until his retirement in 1983. Everyone loved John's cooking, and the whole family agreed that even if it was just a piece of toast, it was better than any piece of toast you could get anywhere else. John was an avid tennis player and was a regular at the Winston Park tennis courts in Coconut Creek for many years. At the age of 92, he finally decided it was time to 'retire' from playing tennis, but still kept his racquet and tennis balls in the trunk of his car 'just in case' he decided he felt up to playing. John was truly a special person. He was sometimes stubborn, opinionated, and almost always won an argument, but he was also honest, generous, and fair. He had a smile that could win anyone over, and a sense of humor few could beat. Even at 96, he was sharp as a tack, could cook up a mean lasagna, and was usually one step ahead of everyone else. He cared deeply about his family and friends, even if he wasn't the best at expressing it. He was fiercely independent, conscientious, humble, and sensitive. Everyone who knew him seemed to love him. John was preceded in death by brothers Alfonse, Mario, Victor, Joe, George, and sister Tina Gigante. He is survived by many nieces and nephews throughout the country who will truly miss their 'Uncle John'. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of John's favorite charities: Wounded Warrior Project, Alzheimer's Association, or Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital.