Anthony J. Bellanca
Anthony J. Bellanca, who practiced law for more than a half-century and served as president of the Macomb County Bar Association as well as its charitable affiliate, died Aug. 14 following a three-year battle with cancer. He was 78.
Bellanca practiced law in the firm founded by his late father, James V. Bellanca Sr. in 1935, where he joined his brother Peter Bellanca in 1964.
Another brother, James V. Bellanca Jr., joined them, followed by Anthony’s nephews, Steven J. Grobbel, and James V. Bellanca III.
Anthony Bellanca graduated from the College of Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, received his law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 1963 and pursued a Masters at Law at the University of Michigan Law School.
Active with the Macomb County Bar Association since 1974, he also served as their president. Bellanca recommended the formation of and did some of the initial work to establish the Macomb County Bar Foundation where he served as trustee, director and ultimately president.
Bellanca was on the St. Clair Shores Planning Commission for more than a decade. He was a member of the board of directors of the Catholic Lawyers’ Society and the CYO for many years.
Bellanca served on the Italian American Cultural Society board of directors from 1969 until 1995, serving as its president from 1973 to 1978.
He was the first recipient of the Medaglia D’Onore Life Achievement Award in 1987. He was the founding trustee and president of the NOI Foundation from 1996 until his death.
Due to Bellanca’s commitment to the Italian culture and particularly the Italian language, the president of the Republic of Italy first awarded him the title of Cavaliere of the Order of Merit in 1977 and then conferred upon him the title of Commendatore in 2003, one of the highest awards given by the government of Italy to a non-citizen.
Bellanca is survived by his wife of 49 years, Marianne (Holowinski); four children, Roselie Marie Ruebelman (Charles), Helen Bellanca, James V. Bellanca II (Lisa) and Marie Antonette Bellanca; and four grandchildren, Christopher, Emily, Anya and Jocelyn.
Services were held at St. Mary’s Queen of Creation Church in New Baltimore.
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