Obituary of Bernice Accardi

Bernice Anna D’Ammassa Accardi was born on November 18, 1930 in College Point, NY. She was the second of 4 children (Marie, Bernice, Angelina, Alfred) born to Tanina and Alfredo D’Ammassa. The family moved back to Naples, Italy in the early 1930’s and she attended kindergarten there. They returned to New York when the war broke out in Europe in the mid 1930’s. She grew up in Deer Park, attending Babylon schools. Bernice married John Accardi, a World War II veteran, in 1950. They had 2 children, MaryAnne, born in 1959, and Andrew, born in 1960. Their road to having a family was difficult, and those 2 children meant everything to them both.

Bernice was devoted to her family and friends, and would drop everything on a dime to help any one of them. She was kind, loving, generous, and supportive whenever someone needed her. She remained very close to her 2 sisters, Marie (Palmeri) and Angie (Ciuffo) over the years. Her brother, Alfred, was the apple of her eye, and she was heartbroken when he died at the age of 29 of Hodgkins disease in 1967.

Bernice always wanted to be a nurse, and after years of study, she achieved this dream. She worked as a registered nurse from 1980 until retirement in 2011. The day she graduated from nursing school was probably the happiest day of her entire life.

Bernice enjoyed tennis and biking. She loved going to the beach. She was always wearing bright colored clothes she picked out from the teen department at the store. Bernice loved to dance, and sing, and she was present at every grandchild’s recital, show and milestone. She loved her nieces and nephews deeply, and they each meant the world to her.  She loved to take everyone who visited to NYC, specifically to Radio City Music Hall, where movies were shown in the 1960s and 1970s. She probably saw “The Sound of Music” there more times than you have fingers and toes!

Perhaps the greatest fun in her life was her vacations in Disney World. This is where she got to finally be a kid. She was kind enough to bring her family with her on each visit. Her smile in each picture is undeniably youthful and joyful, and she would leave the Grand Floridian, waving, hoping to return again soon. She just loved the place.

Bernice will be missed by all she touched throughout her life. She was a loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother and great-grandmother. She will be missed by us all.