Anthony Preziosi of Copiague Harbor: Massapequa Funeral Home director

When Glen Vogel picked up his now-wife Stephanie for the couple’s first date, he met her family for the first time at their Massapequa home, including her brother Anthony L. Preziosi.

Vogel recalled that the matriarch of the family introduced Preziosi as “her son, who buries people for a living.”

It was an intimidating first meeting, Vogel said, but in time, he learned that Preziosi, who directed and managed the Massapequa Funeral Home for 35 years, was a man who could empathize with others when they were at their most vulnerable.

“He had this special gift of being able to comfort people in their worst moments,” Vogel said about Preziosi. “And he did that for a lot of people in the community.”

Preziosi died on April 16 of complications from the coronavirus. The Copiague Harbor resident was 57.

A graveside service for immediate family was held April 20 at St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale. On that day, the funeral home received dozens of calls from family and friends who knew Preziosi and wished to join the procession of cars to the cemetery.

“There were so many, we actually had to ask people not to, because there were going to be over a hundred cars,” said Vogel.

Having grown up in Massapequa, Preziosi’s work allowed him a unique opportunity to care for members of his hometown when they were at their lowest. Gayle Kaufman was one of those whose lives were touched by Preziosi when her father passed away in 2004.

Preziosi arranged orange and blue flowers for her father, a devout Mets fan, she recalled, as well as bottles of Coca-Cola because he had owned a route delivering the soft drink. 

Several years later, Preziosi also handled the services for Kaufman’s mother, quickly making arrangements in less than two days so they could have the wake before Holy Week holidays.

“He knew us, he just knew us,” said Kaufman. “He moved heaven and earth so we were able to have a wake for her … He really was just great. He was just an all-around nice guy.”

Joseph McGuigan, the current director of the Massapequa Funeral Home, echoed Kaufman’s words.

“He always knew how to handle a situation,” said McGuigan, who knew Preziosi for more than 20 years. “There was never, ever, a situation that came up that he couldn’t work a family through.”

Outside of work, Preziosi was actively involved with the Knights of Columbus for New York State, notably the youngest person to ever serve in the role of state deputy.

Preziosi is survived by his mother, Emily Preziosi, 85; his sister, Stephanie Vogel and brother-in-law Glen Vogel; his daughter, Francesca Preziosi, 22; and sons Anthony Preziosi, 20, and Christian Preziosi, 14.

There are plans to honor Preziosi with a memorial in the future.