Dominick Earnest Armenti's Obituary
After 67 years of marriage Dominick (96) and June Armenti (87), each passed away last month of heart failure – June on December 18 and Dominick on December 30. They are survived by their six children, Tom Armenti (Amy), Diane Covelli, Donna Armenti, Joan Bennett (David), Dan Armenti, and Barbara Yanni (Phil); granddaughters, Jessica Bennett (Nathan) and Kristin Evans (Chris); grandsons, Peter Yanni and Ryan Yanni; great-grandchild, River Evans, and many dear friends and relatives.
Dominick Earnest Armenti was born on October 1, 1927 in Newark, New Jersey and raised, along with his brother, Thomas and sisters, Jeanette and Marie (all deceased) by his parents, Gustino and Philomena Armenti.
June Ann Borquist was born on April 22, 1936 in Orange, New Jersey and raised, along with her two brothers, Alan and Gary (both deceased), by her mother, Dorothy Borquist.
At age 17, Dominick quit school and joined the Navy to serve our country during World War II. He was stationed in the Philippines from 1944 until 1946, when the war ended. He returned home to New Jersey and began his 40-year career working for Public Service Electric and Gas Company.
Dominick and June first met on a blind date and dated for less than a year, before marrying on October 6, 1956. They bought a house and settled down in Woodbridge, New Jersey, where they would raise their four daughters and two sons. Even with a full-time job and six kids, Dominick still found time to train for and complete four marathons, including the New York City Marathon in 1979 and begin rebuilding a 100-year old house in New Hampshire from the ground up. He would not have been able to do this without the help of June who was a stay-at-home mom and made sure that everyone ate three meals a day, had clean clothes and completed their homework. She supported Dominick in each of his ventures.
One of the happiest moments of Dominick and June’s lives was in March of 1985 when they became grandparents to twins, Jessica and Kristin Bennett. Even though they were on the east coast and their granddaughters lived in the Midwest, they kept in close contact with the girls by visiting, phone calls, letters and cards.
After their children were grown and Dominick retired from PSE&G, Dominick and June moved to their house in Farmington, New Hampshire. They would spend the next 10 years there with Dominick growing a vast garden of vegetables and fruit trees. Each summer, their granddaughters would visit for a month of fun helping grandpa with his vegetable garden, going to the beach and other fun places with Grandma June and Grandpa, and just running around and playing in the mountainous fresh air. It was the highlight of the year for both grandparents and granddaughters.
When Dominick’s arthritis could no longer bear the harsh New Hampshire winters, he and June moved to Sun City Grand Retirement Community in Surprise, Arizona where they would thrive for the next 23 years. They made numerous friends in the community and Dominick, even in his 70s and 80s, never stopped exploring new ways to improve himself. He took kickboxing lessons, guitar lessons and learned to rollerblade and speak Italian. He also continued swimming, biking, walking long distances, running local races and marching with the VFW in community parades. Dominick ran his last race, a 5-k, in 2018, when he was 91. In addition to supporting Dominick in his adventures, June participated in water aerobics, and lunched with her many lady friends. One of June’s favorite hobbies was to visit the casinos and play the slot machines with her “mad money.”
In his early 90s, Dominick began showing signs of dementia which worsened over time. June was his caretaker, searching the neighborhood for him when he got lost on a walk and helping him find things he misplaced. June’s mobility began to decline and their children arranged for the two to move to San Diego (Rancho Bernardo) to be closer to them. June continued to care for Dominick with the help of their children.
Dominick and June were both diagnosed with end stage heart failure in November of 2023 and passed away at home within 12 days of each other. Although the family is saddened by this tremendous loss, they are thankful that June’s and Dominick’s last days were peaceful and that neither was aware of the other’s final days.
Dominick and June were kind to everyone they met and treated their children’s friends and spouses like their own children. Up until their final days, Dominick and June would give each other a hug and kiss each morning and hug and kiss before going to bed each evening. They ate all of their meals together and very rarely went out without the other. They were definitely a dynamic duo.
Finally, the family would like to thank Palomar Hospice for their incredible support in keeping Dominick and June comfortable and supporting their wish of passing away peacefully at home. The family would also like to thank Synergy Home Care of North County and their knowledgeable and compassionate employees for the care and kindness they bestowed on Dominick and June.
As Dominick and June spent the vast majority of their lives together, they will fittingly share a Memorial service on January 30, 2024 at 11.00 AM at Miramar National Cemetery
Dominick and June’s family asks that, in lieu of flowers, a charitable donation be made to a local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) or the German Shepard Rescue.
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