Teresa Marie ‘Pat’ Pugliese (Killeen): Singer and The Music Center owner

July 31, 2024 at 9:00 p.m.

Teresa Marie "Pat" Pugliese (Killeen), 94, a longtime Port Chester resident, died July 24, 2024.

She was born in Boston to a large loving family where at 16 she started her singing career as the voice of many commercial jingles at WHDH radio. She hosted a morning radio show and a children's talent show on WBZ TV.

At 18 she signed with Music Corporation of America and toured with the Charlie Barnett band playing Statler Hotels across the country.

In Detroit she met and married and then traveled with her husband, Paul Pugliese, a talented trumpet player, before leaving life on the road to settle down in his hometown of Port Chester.

The couple opened The Music Center in 1958 in Mamaroneck and later Larchmont.

Over the years they made many friends entertaining in the local communities, teaching countless children music, supplying instruments to school bands, selling sheet music, records and instruments of all kinds.

Sadly, children were not to be for them, so the children of the Westchester area and many nieces and nephews were their family.

Many former students would return to say hello over the 56 years the store was in business, some bringing their own children to sign up for lessons.

In 2001, she was beaming with pride when she threw Paul a surprise party to celebrate his going back to Manhattan School of Music to finish his degree and graduate at 79—all 100 guests kept the party a secret.

Paul passed away in 2005 and, despite macular degeneration, Pat kept the store going with help till 2014.

She then moved to Cape Cod to be near family and resided at Thirwood Place and more recently at Royal of Cotuit, and with her sparkling personality made many good friends at both.

Paul's family in Port Chester and her family in Boston were very important to them, and they would travel back and forth for holidays and vacations.

They doted on all their nieces and nephews, bringing them home to New York for a visit, taking them on trips, and always bringing music into their lives.

It was always said that Christmas didn’t start until they arrived, especially since Christmas was Paul’s birthday.

After Christmas dinner there was always a show, with lots of singing, and each of the children would play their various musical instruments.

The cherished memories they gave us all live on in the stories we tell our children and grandchildren.