“I came home and I had to go in and make a pizza,” he said.

Pace didn’t stay at work all day Sunday; he ended up at a party celebrating his 95th birthday with all his friends and family. Pace owned the local restaurant, Pace’s Pizza, until he was 90 years old. The pizzeria began in Lakewood in 1953 and relocated to Jamestown in 1963.

After his retirement, Pace moved to Florida — but he made the special trip back to observe the occasion with his loved ones.

Dina Pace, his daughter, said she and her sister, Michele Pace, wanted to throw a party for him in the place where he spent most of his life. “We decided to have a nice celebration for him to be recognized and let his friends and family all come and celebrate him,” she said.

Pace is pictured making pizza in the shop he previously owned.

Michele Pace said the most striking thing about the party was how many generations were present. “It was generation after generation,” she said. “There were probably four generations of friends and family together, celebrating together.”

Eighty to 100 people attended the festivities at Landmark Restaurant in Jamestown to wish Pace well and celebrate the milestone with him. Several public officials were on hand to provide commendations to Pace, including Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist; Lisa Vanstrom, a representative of state Sen. George Borrello’s office and county legislator; and Lakewood Mayor Randy Holcomb.

Dina Pace said she was honored the elected officials attended.

Between the music, the food and the good company, Pace said he felt years younger. “I felt like I never left,” he said. “It’s like I was back to 80 years old.”

Pace said he is glad to be retired, but still misses the business. He had a few words of advice for business owners who may be just starting out today: “Don’t give up, that’s all,” he said. “You have to believe in what you’re doing and do it.”

Dina said treating customers well was always a large part of the business for Pace. “He was able to name all his customers when they walked in the door and to recognize them and show appreciation for them every time they come for a visit,” she said.

Pace said he left his pizzeria in good hands before he left.

“I sold the business to a nice young man, Joe Town, and he’s doing a wonderful job,” he said. “He started with me when he was 16-years-old and he’s 33 now.”

Pace said he hopes area residents will continue the tradition of visiting Pace’s Pizza to keep the local treasure going forward for years to come.

“It keeps on going as the legend of Pace’s Pizza,” he said.