Edith S. Schapiro, US Navy 1942 Edith S. Schapiro

Edith Sylvia Schapiro lost her battle with cancer at the age of 87 last week when she passed on at her Garden City home with her three daughters at her side.  Mrs. Schapiro was a strong and determined woman who completed U.S. Naval Training School and served her country in World War II from 1940 until 1943 while her husband Mervin B. Schapiro was serving overseas in the U.S. Army.  Mr. Schapiro, who passed in 1996, was a Real Estate Developer on Long Island, Past President of the Suffolk County Builder’s Association and referred to by Newsday as “Champion of Senior Housing” for building a high density “55 and over” Senior Citizen residence community in Deer Park, N.Y. which was the first of its kind in Suffolk County.  Edith took an active role in the management of Babylon Park Center Company.

After the war ended, Mr. and Mrs. Schapiro started their family and their son Steven M. Schapiro was born in 1946.  Steven, known as “Skip”, who passed away in 2004, was the former Babylon Town Attorney and a highly respected Appellate and Election Law attorney who handled many high profile cases and was involved with the successful election of numerous Conservative Republican judges in Suffolk County.  

Edith had her “fifteen minutes of fame” the following year when she appeared on the cover of the Daily News in May of 1947 after giving birth to identical twin girls in the family car on Mother’s Day in the driveway of Parkchester General Hospital in the Bronx, N.Y.  The front page photograph depicted Mrs. Schapiro in her hospital bed holding the newborns as her husband, wearing an ear to ear smile, looked on as he held a plant in each arm.  When the proverbial “stork” arrived before the doctor, Mervin Schapiro’s mother stepped up and delivered the babies. The twins are Randy Ackerman, a retired nutritionist now living in Noyac, N.Y. and Ronni Gentile, an administrative assistant at the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.

The Schapiros left the Bronx, NY, in 1953 and settled in the suburban Plainedge section of North Massapequa N.Y where the couple was instrumental in founding the first synagogue.  In 1963, their youngest daughter, Merril Schapiro Biscone of Garden City N.Y. was born.  Mrs. Biscone is an appellate attorney like her brother was, and also serves as a Village Court Justice for the incorporated Village of Garden City.  She is the first woman to ever hold this position.

A true matriarch, Mrs. Schapiro loved to “make a party” and relished family gatherings and traditions, especially Thanksgiving, when dozens of family and extended family members would travel from near and far to congregate year after year.  Edith would also join her daughter Merril and son-in-law Craig G. Biscone and their children, Tyler, Tianna and Trent Biscone each year for an end of Summer vacation at Woodloch Pines in Hawley Pennsylvania.

Her family members remember Edith Schapiro as a woman of honor who put her family above all.  She was generous, caring and able to persevere through each and every obstacle that life presented including major surgery in 2009 for hip and femur replacement.  While she will be missed by everyone whose life she touched, they are sure that her memory and legacy will live on forever. 

In addition to the Biscone family and her twin daughters, Mrs. Schapiro is survived by Randy Ackerman’s husband Gary Ackerman and Randy’s sons Christopher Zant and his wife Catherine and Scott Zant; Ronni Gentile’s daughters Gina Giaccone and her husband Anthony; Kiersten Palma and her husband Charles, and son Keith Gentile and his wife Victoria as well as Steven Schapiro’s son James Schapiro and daughter Heather Sullivan and her husband Edward, in addition to seven great grandchildren.

Barbara K. Maitan

Barbara K. Maitan passed away peacefully at the age of 94 on August 24, 2010 at the home of her son Roger in Wilton, New York surrounded by her loving family. Born in 1916 in Brooklyn, NY and growing up in Brooklyn and Queens communities, she graduated from Jamaica High School, Jamaica, NY in 1934. A resident of Garden City for 55 years, Barbara was active as a cub scout den mother, a member of the Garden City Community Church and various community bridge groups. For 15 years, she worked at Adelphi University in the Career Services Office. In addition to being an avid reader, she and her husband were avid travelers, enjoying many vacations abroad. Pre-deceased by her husband Joseph, grandson Marc Maitan and son-in-law David Daniel, Barbara is survived by daughter Marjorie Daniels of Lower Gwynedd, PA; sons Robert and his wife Beverly of Centennial, CO and Roger and his wife Linda of Wilton, NY; 7 grandchildren Brad Daniels of Colt’s Neck, NY, Betsy Graseck of Rye, NY, Susan McEwen of West Yarmouth, MA, Amy Thompson of McLean, VA, Barbara Graves of Wilton, NY, Michael Maitan of Centennial, CO and Karen Hickcox of Wilton, NY; and 16 great grandchildren.

The memorial service will be held at the Garden City community Church on Saturday, September 4, 2010 at 3 pm.

Memorial donations may be made to the Garden City Community Church or to the Hospice Community of your choice.

Muriel Celia Enderle

Muriel Celia Enderle, beloved wife, mother and grandmother died peacefully on August 25, 2010.

She was born June 23,1921 in Brooklyn, New York, the only child of Katherine Kelly Florulli and Samuel Florulli. Muriel graduated from Bushwick High School, Brooklyn, New York. She worked as a bookkeeper for Doubleday Publishing and as an evaluator of transfer students for Hofstra University.

In retirement she volunteered for the MS Society, The Battered Women Home of Sarasota and Sarasota Hospital. She lived in Brooklyn and Queens, Garden City, Sarasota, FL, and Winston-Salem, NC. She is survived by her husband, Clifford H Enderle, children Jean Alsup and husband Bob of Winston Salem, and Clifford J. Enderle and wife Ellen of Garden City, along with grandsons Jack Alsup of Bangor, Maine; Ben Alsup(Bridget) of Norfolk, Virginia, and Richard Enderle of Garden City.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Brighton Gardens Employee Fund(2601 Reynolda Rd. Winston-Salem NC 27106) or Hospice(101 Hospice Lane, Winston Salem, NC 27103) or a charity of your choice. The family would like to thank all of the staff of Brighton Gardens and Hospice for all their kindness and careful attention. There will be a private family service.

James T. Molloy

James T. Molloy died on July 22, 2010 of a stroke at his home in Garden City. He was born on August 1, 1925 in Rockaway Beach, N.Y. He was a graduate of Xavier High School and St. Johns University. He served in the U.S.C.G. aboard the U.S.S. Woonsocket in the NJames T. Molloy orth Atlantic for three years during W.W. II Jim was a former member of the New York City Police Department resigning to become an Agent with the F.B.I. from which he retired after twenty-five years of service. he served in Springfield, Ill, Baltimore, MD and New York offices. He joined the original office for NYS Deputy Attorney General office for Medicaid Fraud in which he served until 1992.

Jim was active in Garden City serving for nine years as Director of Eastern Property Owners Association as well as being involved in Little League for many years. He was active as a parishioner in St. Joseph Church serving on the First Parish Council as a lector and Principal of the CCD program for over ten years. He was a summer resident of Southold Long Island for almost fifty years where he was a member of Kenney’s Beach Civic Association.

His son James and daughter Margaret Price (a nurse in NYC office) preceded him in death. Survivors include his wife Margaret (Peg) married 63 years daughter Helene Mastro, Maureen Colitre, Dianna Sheehan and son Christopher Molloy,