Nicholas F. Moscariello

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he moved to Willowbrook in 1967 and settled in Westerleigh in 1980.

Mr. Moscariello served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was awarded the Purple Heart.

He was a member of the Cespino-Russo Post, American Legion.

Mr. Moscariello had a 30-year career with the New York City Housing Authority, working in all five boroughs. He retired in 1977 as a superintendent. He then worked as a handyman at St. Francis College in Brooklyn for four years.

Spry well into his later years, Mr. Moscariello scaled Diamond Head volcano in Hawaii when he was in his 80s, and went out dancing whenever he could.

When his kidneys failed and he needed a kidney transplant in 2009, at the age of 89, his zest for life and physical vitality convinced doctors he was a good candidate for transplant surgery, despite his age.

His son, Michael, donated a kidney, and in a feature story after the procedure, Mr. Moscariello told the Advance he felt “great.”

At the time, the president of the American Association of Kidney Patients said she believed Mr. Moscariello to be the oldest recipient on record.

A member of the Great Kills Friendship Club, he was there nearly every day, volunteering and helping to distribute breakfast and lunch.

Mr. Moscariello was handy around the house and was known for his expertise in plumbing and carpentry. He also enjoyed gardening.

Mr. Moscariello was a parishioner of St. Teresa’s R.C. Church, Castleton Corners.

His wife of 50 years, the former Mary Lorusso, died in 2001.

Along with his son, Michael, surviving are his sons, Emilio and Savino; his daughters, Maria Linden and Margaret; 10 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

The funeral will be Monday from the Casey Funeral Home, Castleton Corners, with a mass at 9:30 a.m. in St. Teresa’s Church. Burial will follow in St. John’s Cemetery, Queens.Arrangements under the direction of Casey Funeral Home, Staten Island, NY.