Obituaries

– Compiled by Peter Jovanovich –

Tilda DeCicco

Tilda (Tillie) R. DeCicco, a sixty-year resident of Rye, passed away May 14.
Born on February 21, 1914 in Windham, Conn., she moved to Rye in 1947 after marrying Frank DeCicco.

After Mr. DeCicco died in 1957, she raised her five children alone, working outside the home in fields like catering.

“She was a loving, caring person,” said her daughter Jean. “She did whatever she had to do, working into her seventies, to provide for her family.”
She is survived by three daughters: Jean Moroney, Madeline DeCicco and Ann Christensen; two sons: Frank and Vincent DeCicco; six grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

A mass of Christian Burial was held at Church of the Resurrection May 19.

Donations may be made in her name to the North Shore Animal League, 25 Davis Avenue, Port Washington, NY 11050.

Joseph A. Marano

Joseph A. Marano passed away May 20 in New Rochelle. He was a Rye resident for over 15 years.

Born in New York City October 11, 1924, Mr. Marano grew up in the Bronx.
He was a graduate of Fordham University and received his Master’s degree from Columbia University.

He was a Professor of Mathematics at Nassau Community College, Manhattan College, Marist College, and Fordham University, where he taught calculus over a span of 40 years.

Besides being a devoted Yankee and Jet fan, nothing brought Mr. Marano more pleasure than spending time with his children and grandchildren, according to his son John. “My dad always enjoyed a good joke and had a great sense of humor,” he recalled. “He was a great Henny Youngman fan and loved to tell jokes.”
Mr. Marano was a devoted member of Rye Seniors at Rye Recreation. He enjoyed traveling and playing tennis, and was an avid bowler.

Mr. Marano was predeceased by his wife Marie, and his son, Martin. He is survived by his children, Christine Barton of Southbury, Conn., Mary Miller of Suffield, Conn., Charlotte Doria of Rye, and John Marano of Bardonia, N.Y. He also leaves behind his grandchildren, Michael Marano, David Barton, Kacie Marano, Ryan Miller, Marissa Marano, Stephen Barton and Alessandra Doria.

A Mass was held May 20 at Church of the Resurrection followed by burial at Gate of Heaven Cemetery.

Donations in his memory can be made to the Martin J. Marano Fund, 217 Pebble Beach Court, Holmdel, NJ 07733.

Edward J. Gerrity Jr.

Edward J. Gerrity Jr., a former newspaper reporter, decorated combat infantryman in World War II, and corporate executive, died June 2 after a long illness. He was 85. He was a resident of Rye and Palm Beach, Fla.

Mr. Gerrity, known as “Ned,” retired as an executive vice president of the former ITT Corporation in 1985 after 28 years with the worldwide conglomerate. He had been a chief aide to the legendary Harold S. Geneen as part of the management team that built ITT from a company with slightly more than $700,000 in sales in 1959 to a corporate giant, often called America's first global conglomerate.

Born in Scranton, Pa., Mr. Gerrity was the son of Edward J. and Helen Walton Gerrity. His father was executive editor of The Scranton Times and wrote a daily column for many years.

During World War II, Mr. Gerrity was decorated three times for gallantry in action. He was awarded the Silver Star and the Bronze Star with cluster while serving with Headquarters Company, 54th Armored Infantry Battalion, 10th Armored Division in Europe. During the famous siege of Bastogne, Belgium, where his company was a unit of Combat Command B, Mr. Gerrity led daily night patrols and daylight combat patrols while the American forces were surrounded. According to the history of the 10th Division, Combat Command B withstood alone a furious assault by multiple Nazi tank columns during the battle, gaining crucial time until reinforcements could arrive. Mr. Gerrity served as an officer in The U.S. Army Reserve for several years upon his return to civilian life.

Mr. Gerrity graduated from the University of Scranton with a B.S. degree and received his M.S. degree from the Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia University, where he was president of the class of 1948. He was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Scranton.

Following graduation from Columbia, Mr. Gerrity went to work as a reporter for The Scranton Times, where he became a sports columnist and later City Hall reporter for the newspaper. In 1957, he joined the public relations department of ITT, eventually becoming manager of its worldwide government relations, public relations and advertising.

During the 1970s, he managed the Washington office for ITT, when it was under attack for its purported roles in the reelection of Richard Nixon and the overthrow of Chilean president Salvador Allende. “We were running uphill,” said Gerrity in an interview with the Wall Street Journal in 1982. “No matter what you explained, nobody wanted to accept it.”

Mr. Gerrity was known for his longstanding relationships with the press. In 1970, he was named Public Relations Professional of the Year by Public Relations News. For two decades, starting in 1982, he organized an annual press gathering, The Belgium Boys Club, named after a fountain in Belgium called Manneken Pis. A glass replica of the statue was handed out at the end of each gathering. In 1983, he received an award for distinguished service from the Foreign Press Association of New York.
Mr. Gerrity was a member of the Sovereign Military Order of the Knights of Malta and a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. He was a parishioner of the Church of the Resurrection in Rye.

He was also a member of the Winged Foot Golf Club and the Metropolitan Club. He was a past president of Westchester Country Club and of the Pennsylvania Society of New York.

In addition to his wife Nadia Bardwil Gerrity, he is survived by a daughter, Katharine of Philadelphia; a son, Edward III, of Rye, and a brother, Thomas of Scranton. He is also survived by a grandson, Edward IV; six stepdaughters; a stepson; and 16 step-grandchildren. Mr. Gerrity's first wife, Katharine Casey, died in 1993.
A mass of Christian Burial was held at the Church of the Resurrection on June 6.

Donations in Mr. Gerrity’s name may be sent to the Hospice and Palliative Care of Westchester, 95 South Broadway, 4th floor, White Plains, NY 10601.