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A Few Clouds Lynbrook woman remembers late brother, the 'Origami Man'
In Lynbrook, one doesn’t have to go too far to find the works of the late “Origami Man.”
Carmelo Simeti spent several years sculpting dollar bills into the shape of various animals before giving them out to people in the village. His works can be found in several Lynbrook homes and local businesses. Though he died at 65 on Dec. 29 from complications of Covid-19, Simeti left a lasting legacy as an involved community man, and several of his origami crafts are proudly displayed around town.
“It’s sort of bittersweet,” his sister, Mary Simeti, said of still seeing her brother’s works. “I am happy, but on the other hand, it’s sort of sad because it’s a reminder that he’s not here, but it’s also sweet.”
Though it has been several months since her brother died, Mary said, she still has had a hard time dealing with it. Her ability to handle the emotional impact of her loss improved, however, when she recently discovered a bereavement group organized by Sister Barbara Faber at Our Lady of Peace Church in Lynbrook. She said the group meant a great deal to her and enabled her to be vulnerable while beginning the healing process and dealing with her loss.
Carmelo was born on Nov. 6, 1952, the middle child of the late Salvatore and Anna Simeti. In addition to Mary, he had two older brothers, Christopher and Joseph, and a younger brother, Vito, who predeceased him. Carmelo grew up in Brooklyn and graduated from Bushwick High School in 1971. His family moved to Lynbrook in 1982, where Carmelo remained for the rest of his life. He worked at the New York City Transit Authority and retired at 55 in 2007.
Part of a devout Catholic family, Carmelo quickly got involved in the community. His family joined St. Raymond’s Parish in East Rockaway, where he became an usher and bonded with the Rev. Vincent Bulus.
Mary recalled that her brother frequently tried to support others in need.
“He just helped everybody, that was his goal in life,” she said. “He was very selfless and just a guy that spoke to everybody, helped everybody and he always put them before himself. He literally gave things to people off of his body. He was a humanitarian and went above and beyond.”
Carmelo was especially giving during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, when he picked up goods daily and dropped them to many people who were afraid or unable to leave their homes.
While he didn’t have children of his own, Carmelo fostered a strong relationship with his niece, Jeannine Simeti. He took up origami at first to entertain her, and then discovered he had a knack for it and started leaving gifts for many of the people he encountered through the years.
“Every time I’d go somewhere, not everybody knew his name, but they’d know the ‘Origami Man,’” Mary said with a laugh.
In addition to origami, Carmelo also enjoyed attending concerts, walking on the boardwalk in Long Beach, helping others and supporting his community. Mary said his generosity was seemingly unlimited.
Mary noted that the OLP bereavement group helped her get through one of the most difficult times in her life.
“It helps because we’re basically, although we’ve lost different members of our family, it’s very comforting because we’re not afraid to show how we feel,” she said, “so we’re not uncomfortable to cry in front of each other or express how we feel because we basically know how the other people are feeling, and it’s sort of comforting knowing that we could trust each other.”
Though her brother lost his battle with Covid-19, Mary said, she was proud of all he accomplished and the community is still reeling from his death.
“It was just his nature to put people before himself,” she said. “It’s truly a big loss.”
