Carmelia Cafaro of North Babylon: Devoted mom, schoolteacher
Carmelia Cafaro enjoyed the perks of working at Bloomingdale's in Fresh Meadows, Queens, before getting married. Credit: Cafaro Family
In the 1940s, Carmelia Cafaro, then known by her nickname “Mil” and her maiden name, Pesiri, worked in sales at Bloomingdale’s in Fresh Meadows, where there were some fashion perks that came with the job.
“She was so thin that she was model-like,” said her daughter, Lori, of Bay Shore. “They actually let her wear the clothes to model around the store. That’s how they did it back in the '40s. My mom would have a different outfit to wear to try to sell it to the people who were walking in the store. She loved it. And sometimes they would let her keep it and sometimes she would pay for it — with a discount.”
That part of Cafaro’s life was probably not known to the many elementary school students she taught in Valley Stream from 1955 to 1960 and from the early 1970s until she retired in 1996. In between the two stints, she took time away to raise her two children.
Cafaro, also known as Camille, died on April 5 at the age of 90 due to complications from COVID-19, according to her family.
She got divorced in 1979, living for more than 25 years at Loft Estates in Baldwin before moving in with her son Richard in North Babylon.
“She was a trailblazer without intending to be one,” said her son. “She was probably one of the first divorced women in the neighborhood back in the '70s. She was pretty tough in her own way. If I learned anything from my mother, it was how to survive.”
But to her granddaughter, Jamie, Cafaro was the maker of “the best salad.”
“It was so simple,” said Jamie, also of Bay Shore. “Just lettuce, tomatoes, and she would always have bread with Italian dressing. That was my favorite thing.”
Among the items Cafaro left her family is a Yucca house plant that her mother acquired when Cafaro was born, making the plant more than 90 years old, Jamie said.
Besides her two children and granddaughter, Cafaro is survived by three great-grandchildren. The family is hoping to hold a memorial service in the future.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
