Page 114: THEY GROW OLD AND DIE
After being on the farm at Armonk for so long, our family moved in 1937 for tax reasons to Greenwich in nearby Connecticut. Two years later I built the “Round Hill” home for Mother and Dad. Mother was showing her aging, being ten years older than Dad. There was a return to Armonk in 1941.
Her physical condition worsened, requiring around-the-clock nursing. She died in April of 1943 during the war. At the time I was at the Officer’s Training School in Miami and was unable to be present at the funeral. Consequently, Dad kept Mother in a casket until I could get home to be at the burial in Ferncliff Cemetery.
Years before Dad had acquired a room at Ferncliff. He used to take me there to look it over and share his admiration of its marble. Now the room is filled with deceased family members. I had the stained glass window designed to picture Jesus Christ herding sheep in depiction of the 23rd Psalm that was Mother’s favorite.
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The retina of Dad’s left eye plagued him. He urged me to get out of the Air Force and come home as the great war was ending. My filing of a hardship claim brought relief from military duty in late 1945.
Page 115: Now a lonely widower, Dad’s desire was to marry again. The wedding to Anna Blome was in October. Their friendship had blossomed since their Christian Science activities of previous years.
Upon their return the next April from honeymooning in Florida Dad had a medical checkup in New York Hospital. Apparently he was good for another twenty years, his doctor informed him. Nevertheless, on Memorial Day of 1946 he was playing golf with brother-in-law Anthony Campagna at the Westchester Country Club at Rye. A sudden heart attack brought death on the golf course. His age was 67.
By remarkable coincidence, or even premonition, on that day I was mentally depressed. Helen and I had been looking over that old cottage at Bantam Lake in Connecticut which Dad had built when I was an infant. It was on land owned by a one-time housekeeper, Mrs. Emely. The Paterno had spent summers there prior to the farm at Armonk.
Helen and I surveyed the ruins of the burned-down cottage. As we drove home the State Police spotted us to say that we should hurry to United Hospital in Port Chester, New York.
Father Charles Vincent Paterno was dead on arrival there.
Following Dad’s death it seemed to me, as son and manager of the estate, that I should try and sell our fine Armonk property. After a few years of no-success it was deemed prudent to consult the prominent real estate brokerage firm of Pease & Elliman in New York City. The grand old property was inspected for three weeks and then the firm summoned me. Submitted was a prospectus for consideration. The result was that is was me – Carlo M. Paterno – who should and could do what would be…
Page 116: …best in developing the tract as a commercial income producing property.
I built sixty homes. Six miles of roads were provided. A water company was installed. In that advanced state the property was sold in 1955 to another developer for completion.
I transferred my office to nearby Mount Kisco. Before the move, I served as a trustee of Northern Westchester Hospital, Dad having been interested in it and having provided for care of its flower room. After 11 years I became hospital president and headed the finance committee for raising $23 million for expanding. This was daily involvement of time and conferring with administrator Jerry Peck on operation routine.
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From inception in 1943 dauring the great war the rent controls on real estate properties prevailed and lingered. Their effets caused me to liquidate all of my New York real estate holdings in 1969.
NEXT: CHAPTER XV • FASCINATION OF EAST AFRICA
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