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Vera Ladick Napoli of East Hampton died at home on January 1 of cancer. She was 70 and had been diagnosed just three months ago.
Born May 5, 1943, in Flushing, she was the daughter of Walter and Anna Ladick, who were children of immigrants from what is now the Czech Republic. Ms. Napoli’s family left Flushing around 1945, spending the school year in the Miami area and returning every summer to Long Island, where the family had purchased a former dairy farm and orchard in Holbrook. During World War II her grandmother, nicknamed Granny Goose, raised about 700 chickens, turkeys and geese on the property.
Ms. Napoli graduated from Miami Edison Senior High School in 1961 and attended a two-year secretarial program at the Charron-Williams Commercial College in Miami, graduating in 1966.
She continued to split her time between Florida and Long Island with her family until she married, at which time she moved to the East End. She lived in Amagansett for a while until she and her then-husband built a house in East Hampton, where she lived for approximately 38 years.
She began working at Bridgehampton National Bank in 1967 and, except for a year she took off when she had her daughter, continued to work in the Bridgehampton branch until retiring in December 2001. She held various positions at the bank, including in the finance and accounting department, as a customer service rep, and as a receptionist.
She was a member of Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in East Hampton. At various times over the years she particularly enjoyed helping with the annual Silver Tea at Christmastime, and she had recently become re-involved with it before she became ill. She enjoyed arts and crafts, photography, traveling and baking.
A winter resident of Punta Gorda, Florida, since she retired, she also spent time visiting her daughter in Las Vegas and friends in North Carolina and Florida.
She is survived by a daughter, Michelle A. Napoli of Las Vegas and East Hampton; brother, Walter F. Ladick Jr. and wife RoseMarie of Patchogue; a nephew, Dean Ladick of Florida; sister-in-law, Bernadette Burton of Ontario, Canada; and godson and nephew Jeffrey Steinwachs of Florida.
She is also survived by her husband, John F.X. Napoli; their divorce was being finalized at the time of her death.
A funeral service was held on January 11 at Most Holy Trinity Church in East Hampton; the Reverend Monsignor Donald M. Hanson officiated. A reception followed at Nichol’s restaurant.
Memorial donations may be made to Fighting Chance, P.O. Box 1358, Sag Harbor, NY 11963 or East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978.
on Jan 10, 2014