Camille Louise Blok

Camille was born in Queens, New York. Her parents, Alexander Joseph Castaldi and Emma Louise Van Bargen Castaldi, were children of first-generation Americans from Sicily and Alsace-Lorraine. She spent her childhood in Queens, New York.

Camille earned a bachelor of arts and master degree in elementary education at Queens College in Flushing, New York. She earned an education specialist degree in audio-visual communication at Indiana University. Camille was an elementary school teacher and media research teacher for the Westbury (New York) School District from 1961 until she retired in the mid-1980s.

She and her husband, Richard Blok (“Dick”), who was a bartender at the Windows on the World in the World Trade Center, lived in Mineola, New York until they retired and moved to their dream house in Old Saybrook, Connecticut in 1988. Camille and Dick were avid sailors, owning three sailboats through their marriage. Camille recently published a memoir “Sailing Thru Marriage” about their sailing adventures. Camille and Dick enjoyed dining at Windows on the World and other New York City restaurants. They raised and loved their black Labrador Retrievers, Mac and then Ajax, who accompanied Camille and Dick everywhere including on their sailboat.

Camille was a talented seamstress and quiltmaker. She made clothes for herself and her family. She created and donated patriotic lap quilts to veterans and dog beds to animal shelters. Her quilts are absolutely beautiful. Camille also enjoyed history, genealogy, traveling, writing, cooking and entertaining, and swimming. She taught synchronized swimming as well as aquacise for people who suffer from arthritis. Until a couple of years ago, she was swimming a quarter mile several times a week. Camille was a baseball fan; believe it or not, she was a Yankees AND a Mets fan.

Camille was a philanthropist, making generous donations to organizations that addressed issues that had impacted her and her family (diabetes, leukemia, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s) as well as guide dog organizations, the ASPCA, and a senior center in Old Saybrook.

Camille listed as her proudest accomplishments: being accepted as a synchronized swimmer for the Elliot Murphy Aqua Show in Flushing, New York in 1961; obtaining tenure at the Westbury School System; and circumnavigating Long Island and Block Island with Dick in their sailboat. Camille was a force to be reckoned with, fiercely independent and generous. We will miss her.

After her husband, Dick, passed away in 2011, Camille moved to Indian Harbour Beach, Florida to be near her family. She also was predeceased by her parents, her brother, Alexander Castaldi, and her beloved nephew, John Castaldi. Surviving Camille are her nieces Leslie Castaldi (Satellite Beach, FL) and Pam Castaldi (Albuquerque, NM), her nephews William Castaldi (Oviedo, FL), David Castaldi (Deltona, FL), and Clint Castaldi (Purmerend, the Netherlands), their partners/spouses, Dan Faherty (Rockledge, FL), Brenda (Oviedo, FL), and Jodi (Deltona, FL), her grandniece Emily Samide and her grandnephews Max Gangestad, Tyrese Castaldi, and DJ Castaldi.