April 11, 2012
Gigante, Joseph W.
Joseph William Gigante, a resident of Westwood for over 60 years, died Monday, April 9, 2012 at his home. He was 95. Joseph was born December 2, 1916 in New York City, New York, the son of Italian immigrants John and Anna (Gambardella) Gigante. Joseph earned his bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from New York University. He founded STOL Aircraft Corporation in Norwood, Massachusetts. There he designed and produced the UC-1 Twin Bee amphibious aircraft shown in the picture above, until his retirement in 1992. Joe was an avid runner and could often be found at the Westwood High School track. He was the husband of the late Marianne (Ghysels) Gigante and the brother of the late Mario, Victor, Alfred, and Aintonette “Tina” Gigante. Joseph is survived by his daughter, Nina C. Gigante of Venice, California; his two sons, Stephen J. Gigante of New York City, New York, and David E. Gigante of Lawrence, Kansas; his granddaughter, Eden Levin; and two brothers, George Gigante of Van Nuys, California, and John Gigante of Deerfield, Florida. Services and interment will be private.
Comments(6)
I am greatly saddened by the passing of Joe. He was a great man. The thing I remember most was his sincerity.
Joe and I would run together back in 1979-1980, he would run from his house to meet me at the Bubbling Brook Restaurant and then run a 10 mile loop with me and then run back to his house. I drove to the restaurant and then back to my house! I was 23 he was in his 60’s. He was a terrific athlete.
I am very sorry for your loss. Godspeed Joe.
GOD BLESS YOU JOE
MAY YOU FLY TO HEAVEN ON THE WINGS OF YOUR “TWIN BEE”
WIL MISS OUR TALKS
BROTHER JOHN
Mr. Gigante is truly one of the nicest persons I have ever had the pleasure of talking with! A few years ago we talked on the phone about his fantastic UC-1 Twin Bee amphibian. I had a “fearful” respect for this legend before calling him, but he immediately made me feel like we had been friends all life! This is the first time I have seen a photo of Joe, and his charisma is evident! Every Twin Bee and Seabee fan will truly miss this great man. He will be remembered with appreciation. In deepest sympathy with all his family and friends;
Steinar Saevdal(Norway)
Although I did not know you well Uncle Joe, my father spoke highly of you. May you rest in peace on the other side, and when you are done resting may you run, run, run until your soul is content.
I came to know Joe Gigante as a result of a chain of events that took place over an incredible span of years. In 1950, when I was a junior at Brockton (MA) High School, I went on a very long car trip with my best friend, Gus, and his parents. His dad was a first-generation American, having been born in Sweden. In those days, there was still a large Swedish population in the southern part of Brockton, a section known as Campello. They were undoubtedly drawn to Brockton by its then-flourishing shoe industry. We set off in Gus’s dad’s brand-new 1950 Ford, heading for Winnipeg, Manitoba for a planned visit with relatives. Along the way, we stopped in Bemidji, Minnesota to spend the night at a motel. The next morning, as we drove along the shore of Lake Bemidji, we spotted a brand-new Republic Seabee, which I recently discovered was originally intended to be called the Thunderbolt. I presume that its sluggish performance with the original 220 hp Franklin engine (the very characteristic that led Joe to successfully modify it into the much better-performing Twin Bee because of its 360 hp) caused Republic to change its name from one that unduly raised prospective buyers’ expectations to something much tamer! We approached the dock where the Seabee was tethered, and were welcomed by the owner. He asked if we were interested in a ride. My memory of further details has faded – after all, it was sixty-two years ago – so which members of the family went on the flight besides Gus and I is a detail lost to history. At any rate, because it was only my second airplane ride (the first, five years earlier, I kept secret from my parents for a year!), I’ll always have a soft spot for Seabees in my heart. Fast-forward thirty years to the 1970’s: I had followed my dream, and had become an aircraft broker. I was flying a Lake Buccaneer amphibian out of Norwood to make my rounds, and occasionally saw a big, bright yellow Helio Courier coming and going, and noticed that it was kept in a large maintenance and storage hangar. There were several derelict Seabees parked behind it, which led me to ask the resident mechanic what they were. He told me the story of Joe Gigante and his ambitious modification program, which took place in that very hangar, containing the yellow Helio that I was later able to buy. I also somehow discovered that Joe had a considerable part in getting the Helio Courier design refined and put into production in Pittsburg, Kansas. By then, that had become my favorite airplane because of its remarkable STOL capabilities. I resolved, then and there, to meet this remarkable man. Although I live in Ocala, Florida, I was able to visit him twice in his sturdy brick home, perched high on a hill in Westwood. He showed me his large cache of meticulously filed and boxed records on aircraft projects and other aeronautical errata. We had some good conversations, both in person, and on the phone, which I valued highly, and will always remember. He told me about a man named Loertscher in Switzerland to whom he has sold two Twin Bees. Then, as I was about to leave, Joe gave me a beautiful in-flight photo of Mr. Loertscher flying one of his acquisitions with an alpine meadow in the background.
What a generous man! I often regret living so far away, which prevented me from making more frequent visits. I will miss Joseph Gigante. That photo, now matted, framed, and hanging in my office, will remind me of him, every day, for years to come. another good man, Gone West!
Dave Keith
Ocala, FL
I am an employee of an fbo based out of Norwood. During a slow day I found myself wondering through the back rooms of old hangars. After stumbling across a box full of old pictures I took them to the front and poured over them with my coworkers. In almost a quarter of the pictures something kept catching our eye, a beautiful aircraft that was familiar yet new. Of course it was an example (I believe the last produced one) of the Twin Seabee. We spent hours researching the aircraft and was shocked to learn how much history Norwood had behind it and how much you contributed to it.
I really wish I had the chance to meet you, your legacy lives on Mr. Gigante.