Obituary of Emil J. DeSpirito
Emil Joseph DeSpirito, born in Brooklyn in 1932, passed away peacefully on Saturday February 20th, 2021. As a young man, after serving in the Air Force, he met his loving wife, Rose. Together, they had six beautiful children, whom he loved dearly – his daughters Clarice, Lisa, Maria, Michele, and Stefanie, and his only son, Mark.
To those who knew him, Emil was a colossus of a man, whose spirit and passion for life would spread happiness to anyone he met. Above all else, he put his family and friends first, and believed that love could get us through any struggle. An avid skier and lover of nature, he often found peace in the majestic solitude of the mountains, and he spread this appreciation of Earth’s beauty to his children and grandchildren.
Emil had compassion for all those who walked this Earth, and selflessly offered his time to such organizations as the Special Olympics, as well as building and maintaining the Appalachian Trail. He was a man who would give you a kick in the butt if you deserved it but would wrap you in his arms when you needed it. He loved his job at Roche, where he worked for many years, and which allowed his love to meet and talk to all kinds of people to flourish.
Emil is survived by his loving wife, his six children, and his sixteen grandchildren, whom he would have sacrificed everything for. His contagious smile and boisterous laugh perfectly exemplified his passion for life, and all those who were lucky to have met him are better for it. Though we will miss him dearly, his memory and impact on this world will live on with all those he touched.
His family will receive friends on Tuesday, February 23rd from 2-5pm at Clark Associates Funeral Home, 4 Woods Bridge Road, Katonah, NY.
The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, February 24th at 10:00 am at St. Mary Of The Assumption Church,55 Valley Road, Katonah, NY 10536
Interment will follow at Gate Of Heaven Cemetery, 10 West Stevens Ave., Hawthorne, NY 10532
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Lewy Body Dementia Resource Center by going to https://lewybodyresourcecenter.org and then clicking on the DONATE button on top.
Checks can be mailed to:
Lewy Body Dementia Resource Center, 750 West Broadway, #2R, Long Beach, NY 11561
If anyone has any questions, they can call Norma Loeb at 646-248-9292
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Visitation can be attended virtually via ZOOM from 2pm-5pm on Tuesday, February 23rd:
https://zoom.us/j/2608209098
Meeting ID: 260 820 9098
The Mass of Christian Burial can be attended via ZOOM at 10am on Wednesday, February 24th:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/78155529614?pwd=SFhOMjlnc3Z1MXdyQjdnZld5TTFOUT09
Meeting ID: 781 5552 9614
Passcode: MWFf4h
