A TRIBUTE TO OUR CLASSMATE RICHARD CATARELLI

Richard Catarelli

Family Tribute:Richard Catarelli – written by Santa Catarelli

Richard lived his life simply- he deeply loved his family-he idolized our daughter Anamarie, he cared about the welfare and happiness of everyone he knew, prayed for those less fortunate than he, and he worried about how to make the world a better place for the youth of our society.

Many who knew Rich knew that he was always happy-go-lucky, always had a smile – always had a funny story, and always had a kind word for anyone he met.
My husband accomplished things quietly behind the scenes, and with no fanfare – that was the way he preferred it. He had an uplifting attitude and a very vibrant spirit. His enthusiasm and energy were boundless. He will forever be always on our minds, and in our hearts, and a part of our lives.

Tribute to a Special Person
Not only St. Finbar’s Parish but also all Pallottines suffered a personal and great loss on September 11th. Our Pallottine brother, Richard Catarelli, worked on the 100th floor of the World Trade Center Tower 1. The Sisters at St. Finbar’s were the last to see him. Every morning at 6:30 A.M., three knocks announced his arrival. Richard said morning prayers with us before going to work. Little did we know we would say our last goodbye to his unforgettable smiling face that morning.

Richard had a great love of St. Vincent Pallotti whose charism, ideals and life he knew and emulated. Like St. Vincent, he stretched the twenty-four hours of each day. He untiringly worked for his parish - a trustee of the church, a Eucharistic minister, and an honorary member of the Marian Rosary Society. Most especially he had a great concern for youth. His dream of starting a teenage parish group was about to become a reality. He zealously strove to make Jesus alive for his Confirmation class. His last gift to the CCD program was seven banners which he and his wife Santa made on the seven Sacraments. All this was done while never neglecting his primary responsibility as husband and father – holding a full time job which at times had him traveling – teaching a college class once a week – taking evening classes in theology – and going for certification in youth ministry. Like his role model St. Vincent, Richard gave of himself without counting the cost.

Richard touched everyone he encountered. Richard was a caring family man who often spoke of his wife and daughter. He gave of himself wholeheartedly and with a smile. Richard touched all of our lives. We shall miss his physical presence among us, but his presence in the hearts of all who knew him will continue to affect the world in ways beyond all telling.
Written by Sr. Ann Joachim.


Terrorists Took Life of New Diocesan Youth Minister
BY JERRY CRONIN
Ten parishes in Brooklyn and Queens soon will be strengthened by 15 dedicated laypeople of various ages and backgrounds who have been certified by the Diocese as official youth ministers. The original number of candidates scheduled for graduation on Sunday, Sept. 30 was 16. But Richard Catarelli, an employee of the firm Marsh and McLennan, was working on the 100th Floor of the World Trade Center when the terrorist attack occurred Sept. 11. His diploma was awarded posthumously to his wife, Santa.
Catarelli is also survived by his only child, Anamarie, who also was one of the 15 graduating youth ministers.
Over the years, the Catarelli Family has been intimately linked to parish life at St. Finbar’s, Bath Beach. Richard was one of only two parish trustees. Father Joseph Holcomb, pastor of St. Finbar’s, said, “Rich Catarelli was a terrific parishioner. He had a positive and enthusiastic spirit. He had a great concern for the youth of the parish which is why he went to Father Michael Carrano’s classes to be certified. I truly valued his wise counsel. He will be deeply missed.”
The principal of St. Finbar’s school, Sister Hyacinth Serravillo, CSAC, spoke lovingly of her deceased friend who had the playful habit of calling her, “Buddy”. “Rich Catarelli was a man who didn’t know how to say ‘No’,” she pointed out. “He helped everyone. Each morning he would join myself and the sisters for morning prayers at 6:50 a.m. before heading off to work. On Sept. 11, he asked me for the address of my niece who was about to undergo surgery. He wanted to write to her. He put the address in his coat pocket and he went on his way as usual. He was such a wonderful man. It is hard to believe that he is gone.”
Mrs. Catarelli accepted her husband’s certificate at the graduation ceremony. She plans to frame it alongside her daughter’s certificate. “My husband was a man who loved everybody,” she said. “His favorite line was ‘Keep Smiling’.”
Next month would have been the 25th wedding anniversary for Santa and Richard. A memorial Mass was celebrated at the packed church with nearly 900 people.
Catarelli had a special relationship with his daughter. “I was looking forward to reaching out to the youth of my parish with my Dad,” she said. “I know what he was hoping to do and it is my goal to follow through on those ideas.”
Anamarie, a graduate of Fontbonne Hall Academy, Bay Ridge, is a junior at St. Francis College, Brooklyn Heights, working towards a degree in social work.
Father Carrano, diocesan director of youth ministry, added words of praise as well. “Rich Catarelli was a dedicated man who had a tremendous concern for our teenagers. He was a prayerful man who was insightful and conscientious.”

CLASSMATE UPDATE: LAURA SHIRLEY

 I am the world’s worst when it comes to staying in touch with people!  Sadly, I had lost touch with everyone from my childhood and High School years.  Now, through the magic of Facebook, I have reunited with my high school BFFs, as well as other classmates, some of whom I am getting to know for the first time.  I had a blast at the Look Who’s Turning 60 Birthday party!  It is so hard to believe that we have all turned 60!  Somehow, it seems like just yesterday that we graduated high school, and at the same time, it was a million milestones ago……

My father owned Ed’s Deli on Merrick Road in Massapequa, catty-corner to All American.  When I was born, my family lived in an apartment above the Deli, but when my younger brother came along, we moved to a house in Harbour Green.  I don’t remember a lot about this house, but I have some memories of cutting through the vacant lot (that would one day be the site of the new library) to get to Bar Harbour to shop at Grant’s or Kresge.  We loved to go to look at the turtles and fish, or to buy penny candy.  When we were flush with change, we splurged on an egg cream at the luncheonette.

Life as we knew it then changed suddenly in the summer of 1959 when my 51 year old maternal grandfather was robbed and murdered in his Islip delicatessen.  My family bought a mother/daughter house in Nassau Shores, so that my grandmother could come to live with us.  Even though tragedy brought us to Nassau Road, it was a wonderful neighborhood to grow up in.  There were lots of kids to play with and we rode our bikes everywhere, sold lost golf balls back to the golfers and set up Kool-Aid stands near the course.  We played outdoor games like hide-and- seek, cops-and-robbers, red light- green light and kickball.  I would not trade those memories of my childhood for anything.

I loved the social part of High School, but was not crazy about the education part.  My favorite teacher was Mr. Rizzuto who took the time to see me through three attempts to pass Geometry.  I will never forget his patience and dedication.  Another teacher whose words had an impact on me was Mr. Eliot Palter.  I had him for Driver’s Ed and to this day, I still hear him when I get behind the wheel.

Me in High School

I had a lot of great times with my High School friends, camping, horseback riding, playing Spades on Friday nights, Prom, Senior Day at Tobay, shopping at Mays, walking everywhere before we got our licenses, parties, concerts, taking the LIRR to NYC, and just having fun.  In my junior year of High School, I skipped school for almost 3 months straight.  My parents were livid, but I was able to pass all my Regents Exams and was promoted to 12^th grade.  Looking back, I wish I had taken my studies more seriously.

After High School, I attended SUNY at Cobleskill, enrolling in classes to become a Legal Secretary.  I really wanted to be a lawyer, but my Mom talked me into becoming a Legal Secretary instead.  My birthday is not until November, so I was only 17 when I went off to college.  Being immature and “free” for the first time, I partied for 4 months, came home for Christmas and never went back.  My Dad gave me 2 weeks to find a job, and I did.  I got a job as a Clerk Typist for the Hartford Insurance Group in Garden City and made $77.00 a week.  I was in the money!  I stayed there for a couple of years until I attended the wedding of a friend in Virginia.  It was there that I met my first husband.

We dated long distance for about a year and then got engaged and married just before I turned 19.  He was 26.  I was in love with being married, having our own house and starting a family.  Our daughter, Jennifer was born in January of 1976.

My parents convinced us to buy a Drive-in Restaurant in my Dad’s hometown in Tennessee.  We sold our little house, packed up everything and made the move.  Unfortunately, the restaurant was barely able to support us, and it put pressure on our struggling marriage.  

Our identical twin sons, Jeremy and Jason were born in April of 1980.  I hadn’t even realized I was pregnant for quite some time and the news that it was with twins was shocking and scary!  They were born nearly a month early, and had to remain in the hospital for an additional week.  Running a business, caring for a toddler and two premature infant boys was more stress than our marriage could handle and my husband left our little family.  When the boys were 9 months old, my husband decided he missed us, and I foolishly let him come back.  We sold the business and went back to Virginia.

Four years later, I found out I was pregnant again with another set of twins!  I worked until I was six months pregnant and was put on bed rest.  I went on Disability and found a job typing at night.  I typed all night and took care of the kids during the day.  Justin and Jared were born prematurely in August of 1984. They were not as healthy as their brothers had been and had to remain in the hospital for about a month.  They were sent home with monitors and we were trained in infant CPR.  

To put it mildly, life was tough, but my babies survived, although the marriage did not.  I managed to secure a position with the Federal Government, but it just wasn’t enough.  I found a second job in a department store at night and on the weekends.  I climbed the ladder in my Government job, from Clerk Typist to GS-11 in Information Technology.  After several years, I went into private industry because it was more lucrative.  I built a good life for my kids.  We didn’t have a lot of money, but we had a lot of love.  
 

My kids in 1987:  Twins Jeremy and Jason are standing behind Jennifer.  She is holding Justin and Jared.

I met my current husband, Ed at a local bar that had live music and dancing.  We dated for four years before we tied the knot at sunset on the beach in Nags Head, NC in a simple but romantic ceremony in August of 1994.

This picture of Ed and me was taken in 2014

Ed did not have any children and I still cannot believe that he didn’t run when he heard I had five kids!  I continued to work, and Ed was a full time soldier in the National Guard.  He was sent to Bosnia on a peace-keeping mission on September 10, 2001.  The events of September 11^th the following day changed his mission to a wartime mission and he was responsible for about 200 18-19 year old kids.  The mission affected him deeply, something he didn’t talk about for a decade.  He would later be diagnosed with PTSD.  In July of 2007 he retired from the military and began working as a Contractor.

I continued to work as a Computer Programmer/Analyst until 2005.  At that time, I took a few years off and then became a school bus driver.  I did this for 7 years until we decided to move to Florida in an effort to relax and live a simpler life.  Ed still works for the company he worked for in Virginia in a Telecommuting program.  He continues treatment for PTSD and we continue to strive to attain the life we long for!

My passion is my Faith, which is central to my life.  My five children have blessed me with 9 beautiful granddaughters:  Katrina, 14; Brooke, 13; Hailey and Hannah, 12 (identical twins!); Maddie, 11; Sarah, 10; Alyssa, 8; Addison, 5; and Tamberlynn is 6 months.  I recently started to crochet an afghan for one of my granddaughters, and I hope to make one for each of them. 

I am passionate about Dog Rescue!  I rescued Beau, a 10 year old Jack Russell mix, and Auggie, a 5 year old Cairn Terrier from a woman who ran a private non-profit Rescue group in Virginia.  I ended up working with her and I have done everything from bathing, socializing, transporting, and running Adoption Events to creating flyers, marketing tools. and designing and maintaining their website.  

L to R:  Beau and Auggie, my furry babies

My life has been a series of ups and downs, hills and valleys, good and bad, but all of the things I experienced have made me the strong and happy person that I am today.  All in all, I have been extremely blessed.  

-written by Carolyn Hammer through emails with Laura

INTERVIEW WITH PAUL HART

Carolyn: Paul, I want to find out who you became.  Let’s start with what you did after graduation?

Paul: I remember hanging out in the parking lot and talking & joking with everybody. We were trying to figure out what parties we would go to and when…

Carolyn: Paul, Paul, Paul, I didn’t mean literally after graduation, I meant big picture, what have you been doing these 40 plus years since graduation?

Paul: Oh.

Carolyn: Let’s start with college and the rest of the 70s.

Paul: I went to Plattsburgh University or as we used to call it PU. Besides myself, there was Dennis Flanagan, Dave Goldstein, Bobby Albert, Grace Keegan, Garrett King, Don Sartorius , Bill Lourie, Neal Corkery and Bob Newman. I majored in fun, with a minor in Economics. Didn’t take college too seriously. My father called me Mr. Minimum (nicknamed me that in East Lake, when I had to write a 150-word composition and when he went over my homework, he counted 149 words. So I erased the word can’t and wrote can not. ) And my mom called me a good time Charlie. They were both right. 

Dennis Flanagan, Bob Newman, Dave Goldstein and me in Plattsburgh around 1974.

•  I never purchased a book
• I would routinely go a month or longer without attending a single class.
• We partied on Monday afternoons, like The Who partied on New Year’s Eve.
• Our visitor’s log was a veritable who’s who in Berner 72 folklore.
• We made our own beanbag chairs by putting copious amounts of Cheez Whiz in green Lawn n Leaf bags.

Carolyn: How did you graduate?

Paul:  Luckily I have a hysterically high IQ and was very resourceful.  For example: Senior year I had skipped all my macroeconomic classes and on Thursday bumped into a guy from class, who informed that on Tuesday was my 3 hour oral presentation to the class on The Economic Dynamics of Paraguay. I borrowed a bike and staged an accident in front of the local hospital. I did inflict wounds on myself to help support my phony soft tissue injuries. I was admitted to the hospital and discharged a few days later. 

Since technology was not that advanced in Plattsburgh in the seventies and with people probably not figuring what I was up to, I hobbled into my professor’s office the day before my presentation with a neck brace, crutches and discharge papers from the hospital. I also spoke with a tremendous stutter. (Least proud of that part). The professor agreed to give me 10 days to get my presentation done, but allowed me to do a written report of 75 pages. Then it was like Berner: get an encyclopedia and change the words around. I got a B. (This one is all true).        

Before the seventies ended, I made two cross-country trips, one right after college and one near the end of the decade. Just a good time Charlie, I took any job: drove a cab in San Diego, picked fruit up the California coast, gave blood, and worked as a zombie in a Halloween scary hay wagon farm. I was a very happy underachiever.

Carolyn: What were the 80s like for you?

Paul:  The 80s marked my third cross-country trip and brought me closer to my goal of visiting all 50 states.

Other than that, I would call it a decade of personal crusades. I lobbied long and hard for years trying to get Gary Coleman an Emmy for his work in “Different Strokes”. I believe if I didn’t beat Conrad Baines in a nude Twister tournament, on the Santa Monica Pier, that Gary would have gotten that most coveted statuette. 

The 80s also saw me take a run at politics. I ran for County Legislator in Wuchatawkinboutwillis County in southern Wisconsin. My platform was simple: divert all tax dollars that went to funding education, infrastructure and public safety, to concentrate on breaking the space/time continuum. Part two was to permanently eliminate one of the Ls from the word Llama. 

Carolyn: How did the election turn out?

Paul: While I did not win, I did become an historical footnote, as I am the only candidate ever to receive more death threats than votes.

Carolyn: What did you do in the 90s, ring people’s doorbells and run away?

Paul: Actually in the 90s I finally matured. Got a good job with an insurance company and married my true love Ginny, who happens to be a Berner Grad herself (1973).  She is one of 10 and between us we have about 50 relatives who live within an hour of us. We became the party house (one summer we had 4 gatherings of over 100 people) and that is what our legacy will be.

Most of my brothers, sisters, sister-in-laws, brother-in-laws, some nieces, and nephews at a Charity event I host yearly to raise money for children in need.  It also honors Jenna, a niece we lost to brain cancer some years ago. 

One of my nephews and I took part in various KC Barbeque sponsored competitions and actually took a couple of First Place trophies home. Grilling and going in the pool with family and friends is what I like to do the most, and still do today.

On my right is my nephew John with our First Place trophy for Pulled Pork at the Nassau County BBQ competition held at Eisenhower Park

Carolyn: How 'bout the new millennium, how’s that been working out for you?

Paul: Well, I made it to Hawaii and that was last of the 50 states. My niece/nephew total grew to 39 and they are a very big part of my life. I was honored when my nephew Patrick asked me to preside over his wedding ceremony.

Here I am performing the marriage ceremony at my nephew Patrick's wedding

Most of my nieces and nephews at a family wedding

I worked at 7 World Trade Center and was there on 9-11. That kind of changed me forever. I knew 268 of those lost that day. While it made me very afraid of things that I had never even thought of before, I think it also made me realize that life is too short and precious to waste even a second on negative, petty behavior. I owe it to those 268 and I make every effort to pay it forward with kindness and compassion to folks.

One thing the new millennium brought me was Facebook. And I am profoundly grateful for it.  It enabled me to reconnect with so many people. Some were great friends in the past, some were acquaintances and others became friends because of Facebook, and those new old friends may be the best of it. I really feel I have gotten to know so many of the people I did not have a chance to get to know, even through 12 years of school. I was fairly shy back then and this is my second chance. The 60^th birthday reunion was a great example of that. 

Speaking of Facebook, I would love to add a new tradition. We have Throw Back Thursday, so I would like to offer Fun Fact Friday. Every Friday, we each share a fun fact. It could be about ourselves or others we know or a random amusing fact. I will offer a few examples to get things started:

I have never had a cup of coffee and I have never had a bloody nose. Not world changing revelations, just trivial fun facts, which give, further insight into the complex beings we have all become.

To wrap up, I now live in Nassau Shores just a mile and a half from where I grew up on Park Lane. I recently retired and we are traveling about 5 months this year and who knows about next. (We already have 98 cruise days booked).

As I mentioned I have many nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews. All of them, their friends, and many of my numerous brothers and sisters in law all call me “Uncle Paul”. Wherever I go, in town, in NYC, even sometimes on vacations, it’s not uncommon for someone to yell, “Hey Uncle Paul”.
This summer my oldest niece asked me to be godfather to her baby, and at age 60, that brought me to tears. So I guess that is the short answer to your first question. I have led a very happy, blessed life and I am proud to say that I have become “Uncle Paul”

Ginny and Me in Alaska

-Written by Paul Hart