LI hair salon owner William Emanuel Romeo dies

William Emanuel Romeo loved his role as patriarch of a family of eight children, taking great pride in helping his sons and daughters find homes and careers as they grew up.

He handed his own business, a string of Long Island hair salons, down to his sons more than three decades ago, and then turned his attention to mentoring children other than his own, starting the first cosmetology program at Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School, his wife said.

"He enjoyed helping kids," said Anne Marie (Amatulli) Romeo, his wife of nearly 60 years. "He helped them get on with their life so they could go out and get employment."

Romeo died Wednesday in his winter residence of Deerfield Beach, Fla., following a long illness, his wife said. He was 84.

Anne Marie met her future husband when she was just 15 and lived across the street from him in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn.

At that time, William Romeo, one of three children of Vincent and Vincenza Romeo, was an aspiring trumpet player, attending The Juilliard School in Manhattan, his wife said.

After Romeo served stateside in World War II, the two married and moved to Massapequa. Romeo pursued his music career, but as the couple began having children - the eight were born within their first 12 years of marriage - he wanted to stay closer to home and looked for a more stable career, his wife said.

Taking college classes at night over about eight years, Romeo began by working in a salon and eventually bought his own. Before beginning his teaching career, he owned five salons across Long Island, his wife said.

"He was without question the glue that held our family together," said his daughter Janet Romeo-Lambe of Massapequa, adding that her father sat in the front row of his church every Sunday for decades, listening to his wife sing in the choir. "He was totally devoted to his family."

In addition to his wife, and daughter Janet, Romeo is survived by daughter Jeannie Romeo of Massapequa; sons Vincent Romeo and Richard Romeo, both of Lindenhurst, and William Romeo, Robert Romeo, Jimmy Romeo and Paul Romeo, all of Massapequa; sisters Frances Brereton and Ida Trabona, both of Brooklyn; and 24 grandchildren.

A wake will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday and 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday at Massapequa Funeral Home's South Chapel, 4980 Merrick Rd., Massapequa Park. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 9:45 a.m. Monday at Maria Regina Roman Catholic Church, 3945 Jerusalem Ave., Seaford.