Michael Di Berardino

Michele (Michael) Di Berardino, devoted husband, loving and beloved father and retired casualty actuary of Suffern, New York, died at the age of 95 on the morning of April 14, 2018, after having recently completed his sixty-sixth wedding anniversary on February 3, 2018 with his devoted wife, Lilla, age 87, who died soon after, late in the evening of February 14, 2018.

Aside from having been a casualty actuary for AON Corp. for twenty years, Michael was also a retired professor of foreign languages, a published poet in both Italy and the United States and held both college degrees from Italy and the United States, along with a law degree from La Salle University. He spoke five (5) languages including: 1) English; 2) French; 3) Greek; 4: Italian and 5) Latin. In fact, Michael was so fluent in the classical languages that he was often heard uttering some Latin or Greek adage at either the dinner table or other extended family gathering.

During his life, Michael lost his father when he was only two and was raised by both his mother and sister, Mechina, both of whom used to dote on him day and night. He and his family survived the ravages of World War II, when his native town of Colledimacine was bombed so that the allies could not seek refuge, food or shelter in the Apennine mountain range protecting Colledimacine called La Maiella. While studying to become a teacher in Italy, he succeeded in securing one of the few available teaching positions in Italy after the War.

Michael also persisted and succeeded as a teacher in Italy after the War, despite having lost his only true love, Lilla, who had immigrated to the United States after the War. A few years later, upon hearing the news of the passing of Michael's Mother, Lilla wrote him a letter of condolence and the couple rekindled their youthful romance that culminated in their marriage in 1952.

Michael then immigrated to the United States as well and initially resided with his wife, Lilla, who bore their two (2) children Rita and Elio, while residing in Bronx, New York until 1968, when the couple purchased their one and only home in Suffern, New York, where both resided until their respective deaths. While all through his life in the United States he worked as an actuary, his true passion was languages and especially poetry. In fact, at many family gathering, weddings and parties he would commit pen to paper and craft a poem for the special occasion just to share his passion for the written word and the feelings of undying love burning within his heart.

He was always eager to lend a hand or to listen to a problem that anyone had and he always offered sound judgment, prudence and wisdom in any decision he rendered. Moreover, although he was a true man of letters and not very handy around the house, the few times he used his hands to perform manual labor to perform some task, he always performed the task to perfection. He mowed the lawn in a shirt and tie and painted a window, door or wall until the object he was painting was done to perfection, without any streaks, runs or the accumulation of too much paint.

Michael leaves alive his loving and doting sister, Mechina, who is still living at the age of 97, along with her two sons, Tino and Bruno Rossi, and their children and extended families who all reside in France and Michael’s two children, Rita Yacubovich, her husband, Michael, and their two children, Marisa and Michael of Monmouth Junction, New Jersey and Michael’s son, Elio, Mark Di Berardino, an attorney practicing in New York City and his lovely wife Sheryl.

His children and family will surely miss him and he is and shall remain beloved by all who knew him or who had become acquainted with him during his life here on Earth. Nevertheless, Michael’s life will always stand for the principle that one should never lose faith in God and that one should always be true to his or her principles. One must stand tall for the ideals one believes in or surely one shall fall prey to any evil whim or lie that masquerades as the truth.

In the last days before his death, Michael knew his time was drawing near. However, rather than being frustrated or frightened, he maintained his composure and his unwavering faith in God. Such unwavering faith armed him with the strength to withstand his last hours of suffering in peace. In fact, just hours before his death, he held my hand and shook it as if to say: “Please do not weep for my near departure for upon leaving this Earth I will be free to be home again with your mother and my loving wife. Together, we will wait for both your sister and you when your appointed rounds come and smile to greet both of you and welcome you both home.”

February 15, 2018

By: Elio Mark Di Berardino