LEONARD ‘LEN’ ALESSANDRO GAGLIARDI – Obituary
Leonard “Len” Alessandro Gagliardi, age 92, of Clayton, NJ, passed away peacefully on March 7, 2026 at his home with his family by his side. Beloved husband of the late Margaret Aloysia Gagliardi (nee Dugan), with whom he shared 63 devoted years of marriage since 1960. Loving father of five children: Leonard A. Gagliardi (Beth) of Four Oaks, NC; Mark A. Gagliardi (Andrea) of Medford, NJ; Donna Marie Gagliardi of Elk Township, NJ; Diane Gagliardi of Clayton, NJ; and Andrew J. Gagliardi of Clayton, NJ. Cherished grandfather of 13: Melissa Ann Gagliardi and Nikki Elizabeth Olive (Jacob); Janessa Moyer (Jeff), Dominic Gagliardi, Rhianna Byrne (Geoff), Eva Keysuhr (Ian), Marlaina Gagliardi (Bill McFedridge), Madelyn Nalley (Kyle), Matthew Gagliardi, and Samantha Gagliardi; Tony Petrilli (Liz Rodden), Rachel Royal (Nicholas Metzger), and Angelina Guevara. Proud great-grandfather of eight. He was the beloved son of the late Peter and Catherine (nee DeLuca) Gagliardi. Len was predeceased by his five siblings: Frank Gagliardi (Margaret), Lena Gagliardi, Diana Prate (James), Gemma “Jean” Benhaim, and Vincent Gagliardi.
Born October 8, 1933, Len was raised in the Highland Avenue neighborhood of Pennsauken, NJ, where he lived for the first 18 years of his life. He graduated from Merchantville High School in 1951. Three years into his college studies, Len entered the United States Army and proudly served from 1954 to 1956 during the Korean War as Military Police. Stationed in Bonn, Germany, he was involved with POW camps. Following his honorable discharge, he returned to Rutgers–Camden University to complete his education and graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Education in 1961.
After briefly living in Philadelphia, PA for three years, Len returned to Pennsauken and made his home in the Springfield Avenue neighborhood for the next 45 years before moving to Clayton seven years ago. He began his professional career at RCA in Camden as a Learning Specialist and continued working through the company’s subsequent legacy organizations—GE, Martin Marietta, and Lockheed Martin—as an administrator within an electrical engineering department focused on developments for the defense industry. Over the course of 35 years, Len proudly served four major defense contractors without ever changing his desk or his phone number before retiring.
Len was deeply involved in his community and family life. For 20 years he volunteered as a coach with the Pennsauken Youth Athletic Association, coaching baseball and soccer—including many of his own children’s teams. Known for his caring nature, he was the kind of coach who would wait in the parking lot after games to ensure every child had a safe ride home, often driving them himself if needed. He later became a certified referee with the New Jersey Referee Association and spent 10 years refereeing collegiate and early professional soccer matches. In his earlier years he was also a member of the New Jersey Racquet League, enjoying racquetball throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
A man of deep faith, Len was an 80-year member of Saint Peter’s Church in Merchantville and, in recent years, a member of Saint Michael the Archangel Parish. He met the love of his life, Peg, while they worked in the airline industry, and together they shared a lifetime of travel across the United States and into Canada with their family.
Len had a lifelong love of music, particularly Big Band and Jazz, and took special pride in the artists associated with RCA’s music labels. His Hi-Fi sound system filled his home with music for many years. A devoted student of history—especially United States history—he nurtured his curiosity from a young age, collecting and reading LIFE Magazine and later National Geographic, carefully saving each issue. His passion for learning never faded, and he remained engaged with current events and lifelong study well into his later years.
Above all, Len was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He loved spending time with his children and grandchildren and rarely missed their important moments—from sports games to dance recitals and piano performances. He would often walk to the neighborhood 7-Eleven with his grandchildren, where he would treat them to a Slurpee and a Slim Jim while sharing stories and words of wisdom. His family remembers him as a loyal man with strong integrity, deep conviction, inner strength, and a profound sense of honor. Len believed that every experience in life was an opportunity to learn, a lesson he passed on to his children and grandchildren.
His legacy of dedication, curiosity, faith, and love for family will be remembered by all who knew him.
Relatives and friends are invited to his visitation on Thursday, March 19, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Church of the Nativity, 2677 Delsea Drive, Franklinville, NJ 08322. Funeral mass will begin at 12:00 PM with military honors and ennichement to follow at Gloucester County Veterans Memorial Cemetery. Services are under the direction of BARCLAY FUNERAL HOME. Sign the guestbook and send condolences at BarclayFuneralHome.net.