This article was updated Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 5 p.m. to include new information regarding funeral arrangements for Chuck Giambelluca.
Hamilton Township lost one of its truly great athletic icons on Oct. 9, when Chuck Giambelluca passed away of COVID-19 at age 77.
“He was a local legend,” said Hamilton Post 31 American Legion coach Rick Freeman, who is also the president of the Mercer County American Legion League.
A 1961 Steinert High graduate who was inducted into the school’s first Athletic Hall of Fame class, Giambelluca was widely known for his role with Broad Street Park Post 313.
He became the BSP manager in 1971 and held that role until 2005, winning a state championship and five league titles. Upon stepping down, he took over as the team’s general manager.
He was also famous for his sporting goods store, Mercer Locker Room.
“He was our longest serving member ever,” said Freeman, who managed head to head against Giambelluca for nearly 30 years. “He lasted almost 50 years. With that experience comes wisdom. A lot of guys leaned on him, not just for coaching acumen but for things that happened in the league. He was a trusted advisor for so many guys.”
Giambelluca was not only popular on the field, but off of it, as well. He was a regular at Fred & Pete’s Deli, holding court there nearly every weekday morning at breakfast. His sense of humor was sharp and his willingness to aid young men was unwavering.
“I always enjoyed competing against him,” Freeman said. “His kids always played hard. His kids never took a day off and that shows what respect they had for him.”
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Sorrows-St. Anthony Parish, Our Lady of Sorrows RC Church, 3816 East State Street Ext., Hamilton.
Interment will follow at Our Lady of Lourdes Cemetery, Hamilton.
Visitation for family and friends will be held on Friday, Oct. 23, from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Saul Colonial Home, 3795 Nottingham Way, Hamilton Square.
Due to funeral restrictions, the staff at the Saul Colonial Home has requested that all funeral attendees wear a face covering of some kind during the services.
An expanded version of this article appears here.
Chuck Giambelluca was a hallmark of the Hamilton Township baseball scene.,
