Anthony Napoli to lead Columbus Day Parade

September 25, 2024 at 11:25 p.m.

Grand Marshal Anthony Napoli

The Columbus Day Observance Committee has been planning the annual Columbus Day Parade for months, and they have named a grand marshal to lead it—Anthony Napoli, a well-known and beloved community figure who was involved in the education of students for 57 years.

Besides having been principal of Port Chester High School for eight years and superintendent of the Port Chester School District for four years, Napoli served as a Port Chester trustee for six years, a member of the Port Chester Ethics Committee for two years and a member of the Port Chester committee to study city status for a year.

While his career in education took him out of the community for many years, he maintained his residence in Port Chester.

Graduating from Fordham University where he majored in history and philosophy and later received his master’s degree in social studies for the teaching profession, Napoli started his career as a history teacher before becoming principal at PCHS. He then went on to become assistant superintendent for strategic planning and staff development at Manhasset School District for six years before returning to Port Chester as superintendent of schools.

Along the way, he received additional history education at Queens College and through several fellowship awards.

Later he was Director of Education at the Institute of American History where he worked with historians at colleges through the U.S. as well as Cambridge University and served as an adjunct professor at Queens College, the College of New Rochelle, St. Johns University and presently at Lehman College. At St. Johns, he was the administrator for teacher certification. At Lehman College, he oversees and provides guidance to first year teachers.

Throughout the years, Napoli has received numerous awards from local, county, state and national organizations.

In addition to his long career in education, Napoli has been an active community member.

He became a Third Degree Knight of Columbus when he was 18 years old and remains associated with the Knights in Port Chester.

Napoli was a mentor in the Don Bosco Scholarship Program for five years, a member of the Community Action Program for three years and has been a lector at the Parish of St. John Bosco for more than 20 years. He has also been co-president of the League of Women Voters of Rye, Rye Brook and Port Chester for two years.

Napoli has been married to Carole Reilly for, as he put it, “64 outstanding years.” They have three children—Lisa Massi, Peter Napoli and Melissa DeVincenzo—six grandchildren and one great grandchild.

He will be recognized at the Grand Marshal Dinner on Friday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Harrison Meadows Country Club.

Napoli will lead the parade which will take place Sunday, Oct. 13 down Westchester Avenue, with marchers gathering at Hawthorne and Westchester avenues in Rye Brook at 1 p.m. and the procession kicking off at 2 p.m. It will meander down the Avenue and end on Broad Street in Port Chester.

Before the parade, there will be a wreath laying at 9 a.m. at the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Park on Ryan Avenue followed by a flag raising at 9:15 a.m. at Liberty Square, corner of Main Street and Westchester Avenue.