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Mostly Cloudy Frank Parise is Inwood Civic Association Citizen of the Year
Two years after being named the Inwood Civic Association’s 2020 Citizen of the Year, Frank Parise will finally be honored in person by the association at the Inwood Country Club on Saturday.
“It’s nice to see we’re getting back to some kind of normalcy,” Parise said of having the gathering after two-plus years of the coronavirus pandemic.
The lifelong Inwood resident is, by all accounts, as civic-minded as they come. He has served in a variety of positions for a number of community organizations. Parise, 74, was president of the civic association from 1991 to 1992.
He is a former president of the Order of Sons of Italy Leonardo da Vinci Lodge #238. He was a Lawrence School District Board of Education trustee from 2000 to 2006, and board president from 2004 to 2006.
“I think I got it from my uncle Andy,” he previously told the Herald, referring to his civic involvement, and to longtime Cedarhurst Mayor Andrew Parise, who led the village for nearly 20 years. He died in 2015. “I tend to just get wrapped up in being involved and wanting to lend a helping hand,” Frank said.
Now an Inwood Fire District commissioner, he joined the Fire Department when he was 43. He has been a lieutenant, captain and deputy chief, and was department chief from 2016 to 2017. He was previously a commissioner from 1990 to 2000.
“Joining the Fire Department is one of the highlights of my life,” he said. “The moment I was sworn in, it felt like 150 other individuals joined my extended family. There is such a camaraderie with the department.”
Inwood Civic Association President David Hance said he couldn’t think of anyone more dedicated to his community than Parise.
“Frank is an excellent choice for Citizen of the Year,” Hance said. “His dedication to Inwood is unquestioned, his service to the Fire Department and community is legendary. He is the local historian, telling the story of this and that and all things Inwood. He is a gentleman, and I’m so happy to be getting the opportunity to honor him, and I’m looking forward to this event after taking off the last two years.”
Born on Aug. 6, 1947, Parise grew up on Randall Avenue in Inwood, and graduated from Lawrence High School. He married his high school sweetheart, Patricia Benedetto and they raised three children, Frank III, Jennifer and Christine, in Inwood. “The thought of moving anywhere else never occurred to me,” Parise said. “I love living here.”
He worked in retail management for more than 40 years.
Dennis Varriello, who has known Parise for 30 years, describes him as “a very upstanding member of the Fire Department.”
“He is an extremely dedicated commissioner, and pays back to the community as much as he can,” said Varriello, the fire district manager, who was the director of facilities for the Lawrence School District from 1980 to 2000. “He is one of the most legitimate and most forthright people I know.”
Two years ago, Parise’s cousin Kathy Mennella, who noted his humility, had to persuade him to accept the Citizen of the Year Award. She told him that everyone involved agreed that he deserved the recognition.
“I can’t wait to spend time with the family and friends that I grew up with in Inwood,” he said. “This recognition is truly an honor for me.”
The Civic Association’s Citizen of the Year dinner is Saturday, at 6 p.m., at the Inwood Country Club, at 50 Peppe Drive. To purchase tickets, email inwoodcivic@gamail.com or call (516) 662-1418.
