Malverne loses a young mother to cancer

Malverne resident Kathy Sappupo, 47, a loving mother and wife, lost her battle with cancer Feb. 25.

Mayor Patricia McDonald described her as “a lovely woman [with] a great smile.” She said Sappupo was “very involved” in the community and “careful in decision making” throughout the course of the eight years Sappupo served on the zoning board. The memorial mass held for Sappupo at St. Agnes’ on March 3 was very well attended, according to McDonald. The church, she said, was almost at full capacity.

Sappupo was active in both the community and in Waldorf School, which both her sons, Alex, 17, and 13-year-old Max, attend and play sports. “She was very sick,” McDonald said, but added that her illness did not stop Sappupo from attending meetings as long as she was physically able to.

McDonald said that Sappupo really cared about the character of the village. In honor of that, and of Sappupo’s fondness of trees, the village board will be planting a tree in her memory at 10 a.m. on April 30 outside the Malverne Public Library.

Susan Braun, Waldorf school administrator, said that Sappupo was very active as a Parent Association member and field trip chaperon, and that she attended every event in which her sons took part. “[She was] just one of those people. If something needed to be done...she was there,” Braun said.

Braun also described the young mom as “very generous.” Sappupo, she said, attended every single sports game in which her sons were involved. “[We’re] really saddened,” Braun said. “Two of our students lost their biggest supporter. It’s a tragedy for our school.”

In addition to her community involvement, Sappupo owned two restaurants in Mineola with her husband, Carmello: Maxxel’s and pastaVino. The couple opened Maxxel’s Seafood Bar & Grill in 2000, and closed it in 2010, and pastaVino Italian Bistro opened in May 2008.