Great Neck resident Richard Stancati dies at 86

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Great Neck resident Richard Stancati dies at 86
Richard Stancati, of Great Neck, died on Nov. 9. (Photo courtesy of Rick Stancati)

Richard Stancati, the president of the Great Neck Village Business Association and involved member of the community, died Nov. 9, according to an obituary posted on Fairchild Sons Funeral Chapel’s website. He was 86.

Stancati, who also served on the Great Neck Chamber of Commerce and the Great Neck Public Schools’ Board of the Teachers Center, was born on June 18, 1936, and lived in Great Neck for 55 years.

Following his move to Great Neck in 1969, Stancati wasted no time in becoming integrated into the business community.

He operated a pair of local businesses, The Kitchen Restaurant and Eastern Queens Cleaning Corporation, according to the obituary.  Stancati also organized the annual Village Crafts Fair to promote local entertainment and artists.

Aside from his work throughout the business community, Stancati managed the United States Merchant Marine Academy’s Melville Hall, working alongside his wife, Lollie, and son, Robert, who served as the hall’s executive chef.

The venue was host to countless numbers of U.S. presidents and dignitaries as well as weddings and other ceremonies.

Stancati also worked on the hall’s renovations more than a decade ago, while still keeping it open every Wednesday to serve lunch to the academy’s employees and the local community.

A Facebook group consisting of alumni from the Merchant Marine Academy expressed their condolences, saying Stancati “was a one-of-a-kind member of the Kings Point community and we will remember him dearly.”

The obituary said Stancati’s answering machine at the Merchant Marine Academy was “May you have fair winds and following seas.” It also described Stancati as a lover of music with a knack for storytelling and as a hardworking individual who made customers and employees part of his extended family.

A larger-than-life person, a quick-witted boss with a heart of gold,” the obituary reads. “He touched many lives with his humor and generosity and his love and commitment to Great Neck.”

Stancati is survived by Lollie, his wife for more than six decades; son Robert and his wife Amy; his daughter Lisa; her husband Jon and their children Cal and Emily; his son Ricky, his children Channon and Cassady; and his grandchild Leo.

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1 COMMENT

  1. My condolences to all of you. Loved growing up with Rob and your family. Great memories. Sending love to all of you. Each one of you had an impact on my life. 💕

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