Alfred Avitabile
Obituary Reports the death of an individual, providing an account of the person’s life including their achievements, any controversies in which they were involved, and reminiscences by people who knew them.
Alfred Avitabile, a leader in the Yorktown Lions and a pioneer in the Leos program, died Nov. 13. He was 82.
He was born in the Bronx in 1942. He was the oldest of five children, along with Patty, John, Linda and Ann Marie. Mr. Avitabile was also a proud veteran of the U.S. Navy, where he served both domestically and overseas working on top secret projects.
He was married to the love of his life, Diana, for 51 years, residing in Yorktown since they wed. He leaves behind three children, Amy, Jennifer (and husband Sly Musilli) and Jeffrey (and wife Janine Samperi), and four grandchildren that were his best friends and his pride and joy, Tommy, Alex, Gennaro and Massimo. Being a Pop Pop was his proudest accomplishment. He also leaves behind an extensive family of siblings and cousins that were an integral part of his life.
Mr. Avitabile passed along lots of life lessons learned in his 82 years, including how to erect a Korean War era tent all over the East Coast, offensive driving to get to rest stops in an emergency, how to make up ridiculous songs that you can never get out of your head, how to dress for function, not fashion and how to make things happen. He was a fashion icon with his zip-off pants that he never actually zipped off (but he was prepared like a good Boy Scout).
He left a positive impression with everyone he met, whether for a brief moment or through years of friendship. He truly loved life and had a passion for helping others through his extensive charity and volunteer work with Guiding Eyes for the Blind, the Lions, the Leos and other organizations in and around Yorktown.
Anyone that ever participated in a Midnight Run will remember how happy helping people made him. He never came home from one of those cold outings with his gloves; he always ended up giving them away. He also never left those cold nights without a view of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree – a way to thank volunteers for coming along and helping. Everyone knew his voice, could hear him coming to give you a hard time or a friendly joke. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
Mr. Avitabile loved watching old movies, doing puzzles, talking politics, sharing stories of his family, and most of all, loved camping and playing with his four grandsons. He passionately believed everyone should learn something new every day and share that with others so we can all continue to learn and grow and be better. Please go and learn something today and share it with someone you love.
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