Copyright Staten Island Advance
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Alice D’Ermilio’s life was built on compassion, perseverance and family — qualities that shaped not only her five children, but generations of Staten Islanders. For more than two decades, she taught at various schools across the borough, including PS 48 in Concord, PS 46 in South Beach, and PS 22 in Graniteville. A native Staten Islander and lifelong resident, Alice died peacefully at home in Grasmere on Oct. 8, surrounded by her loving family. She was 99. Family and early years Born to Cyrus and Marie LoGiudice, Alice grew up in South Beach and attended New Dorp High School. In 1947, she earned a bachelor of science degree from Notre Dame College, Grymes Hill, at her father’s encouragement. “Her father insisted that she go to college, which was unusual for somebody in the 1940s,” said Alice’s son, Nicholas D’Ermilio. In 1947, Alice met her husband, Louis G. D’Ermilio, after attending a dance at Holy Rosary R.C. Church, South Beach, the same church where they would later exchange vows in 1949. The couple eventually settled in Grasmere in 1955, where she lived the rest of her life. When her husband passed away suddenly from a heart attack in 1970, Alice was left to raise five children, ages 8 to 19, on her own. “I’m number four in the group out of five, and I never felt like I was in a single-parent home,” said Alice’s son, Lou D’Ermilio. “It’s obvious we were, but it never felt that way. If you’d asked my mother, she would say we raised ourselves.” Alice’s daughter, Michele Collins, added: “And she did not complain. I think that’s one reason why we weren’t feeling like we were missing anything.” A lifelong career in education While working full-time and raising five children on her own, Alice earned her master’s degree in elementary education from Richmond College, currently the College of Staten Island in Willowbrook, in 1972. Over a 26-year career, she primarily taught grades K through 2, retiring in 1990. Michele shared how she admired her mother for raising five children while being a teacher. Something she realized even more so when she became a teacher herself. “When I was an adult and a substitute teacher, I brought her flowers, and she said, ‘What is this for?’,” recalled Michele. “And I said I never understood how tough it was to work all day and come home to kids. And I don’t think we really got it until we were much older ... how much she sacrificed for us.” Community work Outside the classroom, Alice dedicated herself to her community. She volunteered for decades with the Cespino-Russo American Legion Post 1544 Ladies Auxiliary in Arrochar. She also served as president of the St. Elizabeth Ann Ladies Auxiliary at St. Vincent Catholic Medical Centers. Alice also gave her time and energy to Bayley Seton Hospital, where she worked with the Daughters of Divine Charity to help raise funds for patients through bake sales, craft fairs and holiday bazaars. Alice’s decades of service earned recognition from multiple organizations. In 2009, she was honored by the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program of the Community Service Society of New York for her commitment to “making a difference.” She also volunteered with the Staten Island Inter-Agency Council for the Aging. The following year, she received additional honors from the NYC Department for the Aging, the Staten Island Borough President’s Office, the New York City Council, and the New York State Assembly for her commitment to helping others. Even while balancing work, family, and community service, Alice made a lasting impact on the lives of countless Staten Islanders. Her family remembered her as a kind woman whose generosity extended far beyond her immediate circle. “After she died, we found out about all kinds of things that she had done to help other people who we knew nothing about,” said Michele. “She was that kind of a person.” A life beyond teaching Alice also cherished the simple joys of life. She loved reading romance novels and bestsellers, crocheting intricate pieces for family and friends, traveling internationally and playing games with her children and grandchildren. She had a special love for flowers — especially hydrangeas, which she tended carefully in her garden. Her family recalled how, even after her passing, one of her hydrangeas bloomed a bright blue flower long after the season had ended. “The flowers that she loved is, for all of us, an elite reminder of her,” said Nicholas. Even in her later years, she stayed engaged with current events, keeping up with the news and reading the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com daily. “She came from a strong family. A close family,” said Michele. “They were always a support in her life and very important to her.” Alice is survived by her devoted children — Diane, Michele, Nicholas, Louis and Richard — as well as her brother, Joseph LoGiudice, and his wife, Kathleen. She is also survived by her brother-in-law, Eugene Gorgia, along with six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband, Louis G. D’Ermilio; her parents, Cyrus and Mary LoGiudice; her granddaughter, Melissa K. Collins; and her sisters, Marie Gorgia and Dorothy Baldassano.
