Neil Joseph Pappalardo Sr.

Beloved husband, grandfather, father, brother, uncle, and friend, Neil Joseph Pappalardo, Sr., 79, passed away on Saturday, September 12, 2020 at Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax, VA. He was born on March 16, 1941 in New York City to the late Louis and Eleanor (Thayer) Pappalardo. His wife of 34 years, Carol (Thornblum) Pappalardo, and his siblings Karol (Cannizzo), Andrew, Louis, and Lois, precede him in death. His wife of 16 years, Sharon Woodward, his sister Linda (Palminteri), and three children Neil Jr. (Anne), Lisa (Erick), Denise (Chris) and Sharon’s children Sheryl (Wayne), Susan, and Tom (Cassandra), survives Neil Sr. He is survived by his grandchildren Cory, Kristen (Garrett), Vincent, Austin, Emily, David, Caroline, Ryan, and Charlotte and Sharon’s grandchildren Morgan, William, Seth, Christopher, and Nicole. Neil Sr. is also survived by his many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, and a number of other relatives. Neil Sr. grew up in Springfield Gardens, NY. He attended Saint Catherine Sienna School until 8th grade and graduated from Andrew Jackson High School. After high school, he entered military service with the U.S. Army. He was stationed in France serving four years in the Army. He always spoke fondly about his time in France. After leaving the Army, Neil married the late Carol Thornblum in 1965 and together they raised their children in Lindenhurst, NY. If you knew Neil Sr., you knew he was a people person and his choice of profession mirrored that. He worked as a bartender in several establishments including 20 years of service at the Helmsley Palace in Manhattan owned by the infamous Leona Helmsley. When asked how he liked working for her he said, “She was always good to me.” Neil Sr. spent his retirement years volunteering at Fair Oaks Hospital, where he met his wife Sharon, earning the Volunteer of the Year award in 2015. He also volunteered with Hospice in Northern VA primarily donating his time in the nursing home in Reston where his first wife, Carol, passed away. He enjoyed spending time with his family and watching his beloved Yankees on television. On September 24, 2020, we will celebrate the life of Neil Pappalardo Sr. at Demaine Funeral Home, Fairfax, VA 22030. We are holding visitation from 10:00 a.m. to noon when a funeral service will take place. We are holding a graveside service at 1:30 p.m. at Quantico National Cemetery, 18424 Joplin Road, Triangle, VA. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial contribution to Stop Soldier Suicide (https://stopsoldiersuicide.org/) or the Wounded Warrior Project (https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/).