Charles David Alessi

Charles David (Pop Pop) Alessi, age 87, from Rockville Centre, NY, died Monday, March 30, 2020. Born in Buffalo, NY on October 20, 1932 to Charles and Ida Alessi, he earned an undergraduate degree in education from SUNY Buffalo and masters degrees in school counseling and educational administration from CUNY Queens College and Hofstra University, respectively. He began his teaching career in 1951 in the Rockville Centre public schools, where he held roles as a teacher and later as a guidance counselor. In 1958, he married Susan J. Adams and in 1964 they settled in Rockville Centre. During the 1970s, he designed and developed Greenhouse, the district’s first alternative high school, and served as the school’s administrator for more than a decade. In mid-life he took up running, and over the course of 20 years completed the New York City, Marine Corps and Long Island marathons numerous times and regularly participated in many local runs. After his retirement from the public schools in the 1990s, he worked in counseling and academic support roles at the Helen Keller National Center, Lavelle School for the Blind, Long Island University, and Five Towns College. In later years, he held volunteer roles at a local suicide hotline and at the Nassau County Museum of Art and enjoyed the beach, movies, dining out and tackling the daily NYT crossword puzzle. A widower, he is survived by daughters Elysabeth, Mari, Anne and Jane, six grandchildren, and one great grandson. A virtual family wake is planned, followed by a private burial this summer. A separate celebration of life will be scheduled for a later date. In lieu of condolences and cards, the family is requesting in memoriam donations to the Coronavirus Response Fund for Nurses. (See link below.)