Mr. Cesare was born in Queens, New York to his late parents, Joseph and Agnes (nee Ciccio), and was raised in Jamaica. He was a proud veteran of the United States Army.
He met his future bride, the former Elizabeth Amoroso, through friends. They married in 1953 and made their home in Richmond Hill. In 1959, they bought their home in Copiague, and here is where they raised their own family. In his years of work, Mike was in the Banking industry, and retired from Morgan Guaranty Trust in Manhattan.
Mike was a devout sports fan - a loyal fan of the Jets, Mets, Knicks and Islanders. But he was most at home in the press box at Walter G. O'Connell High School, where he was the beloved Announcer for all the basketball, football and other sports on the field. With his own sons embracing his love of sports, Mike was asked to take this position of Public Address Announcer after serving as Master of Ceremonies for one of the Copiague Little League parades. In 2013, Mike was specially honored at the school with the press box being renamed "Mike Cesare's Eagles Nest". This honor was given to Mike for his love of the Copiague schools and his community; and was proposed by the then Announcer Walter O'Connell. The idea was unanimously approved by both the Schools Superintendent Charles Luenig and the Board of Education. Mike simply enjoyed being with the kids. His son, Peter, who was Copiague's Director of Physical Education and Athletics, remarked "He loves these kids. No matter how good or bad they do, he always finds something positive to point out". At halftime at one game, the Copiague Eagles were down significantly, but Mike proved his son right by finding the bright side. "The underclassmen are getting playing experience, and that experience is going to benefit them next year", Mike said, adding that his favorite part is when the students come visit him after they graduate. "I feel like I have 10,000 kids". Mike also was proud of a television commercial he appeared in for Winthrop University Hospital's TAVR valve replacement.
Mike is predeceased by his beloved wife, Elizabeth. Surviving are his sons - Joseph, and Peter and his daughter-in-law, Melody; his grandsons - Nicholas and Alexander; and his sister, Anna Merkel. He also leaves many cherished nieces, nephews, grandnieces and nephews.
Family and friends will gather at the funeral home on Wednesday from 2:00 - 4:30 and 7:00 - 9:30 p.m. (There is no visitation on Thursday morning).
The Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, at 11:00 a.m. at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Copiague. Interment will follow at St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale.
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