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Denise Martorana
Denise Martorana died peacefully at her home in Southampton on September 9 after a long battle with ovarian cancer. A financial advisor and champion golfer, she was 70.
She was born in Brooklyn, the daughter of Rosario (“Russ”) Martorana and Martha Martorana (nee Perrone). Her father, who was director of engineering at Fairchild Republic, moved the family, which included her younger brother, Joseph, to Massapequa Park in 1958.
Her father first took her to play golf at Bethpage Black when she was 7 years old. She fell in love with the sport immediately — she became the first female in New York State to play on a boys’ golf team, which she did at Farmingdale High School. She played one year of golf at Texas Christian University before an injury sidelined her.
As a young adult, she managed a group of tennis clubs on Long Island. She began her career as a financial advisor at Prudential Bache, then moved to Paine Webber, and finally to Merrill Lynch in Southampton, where she worked for more 25 years.
It was golf that was her great passion. A member at Southampton Golf Club for more than 35 years, she won the Women’s Club Championship 20 times, the most of any member in club history. Her most recent win was in 2021.
In addition, she represented Long Island in the Golf Illustrated Matches and the WMGA in Griscom Cup Matches. She won the Sanford Cup in 2007, the Senior Championship in 2008, the Stroke Play Championship in 2011 and was WMGA Player of the Year in 2016. She qualified for the USGA Senior Women’s Am multiple times, won the LIGA Championships and the Palm Beach County Women’s Am in 2019.
She traveled the world with friends to play golf — Scotland, South Africa, and Pebble Beach were among her favorite spots. “If I hadn’t had golf, my life would never have been as full as it was,” she said.
In addition to golf, her passions were her family, good food, fast cars, politics, and the New York Yankees and Giants (the last two causing her occasional aggravation). She relished her Sicilian roots, friends, travel, and her winters at Frenchman’s Creek Beach & Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Her personality, like her golf game, was a blend of strength and finesse. She was famously opinionated and had the courage to live her life and beliefs with courage and honesty.
She will be remembered, loved and missed forever, her family said.
She is survived by her spouse, Maggie Moore; her brother, Joseph Martorana and sister-in-law Denise of Mount Sinai; six nieces and nephews, Alexandra Dayan (Sammy) of Wading River, Victoria Martorana of Setauket, Calli Fleet (Austin) of Phoenix, Joseph II (Breanna) of Stuart, Florida, Daria of Hoboken, and James of Queens; six great-nephews and great-nieces, Vincent, Eliana, and Leo Dayan and Grayson, Esme, and Rowan Fleet.
Staff Writer on Sep 16, 2024