Vincent Anthony D’Aprile, 91, of Kingston
Vincent Anthony D’Aprile died peacefully at the Stratton VA Medical Center in Albany, N.Y., on June 15, 2017, with his family at his side. He was 91.
Born in Beacon, N.Y., on Jan. 17, 1926, he was the last of nine children of the late Cesidio and Marianinna Di Camillo D’Aprile, immigrants from Raiano, Italy.
He was a longtime resident of Kingston, N.Y., where he lived with his wife Marguerite Marie Heppell and raised their six children: Camille, Marguerite, Vincent Jr., Joseph, Gina, and Pier.
Mr. D’Aprile attended St. John the Evangelist School in Beacon and graduated from Beacon High School. He received his Bachelor’s of Science in aeronautical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, N.Y., in 1947, and did course work for his master’s at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He successfully obtained his license as a professional engineer and was an active member of the P.E Society as well the American Institute of Physics. Mr. D’Aprile also proudly served his country in the U.S. Naval Air Corps during World War II.
He began his career as a design engineer for M.W. Kellogg and at Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach, Calif., where he worked on the Globe 124 airplane. Although he loved California, Mr. D’Aprile returned east after his mother turned ill and continued his career at Electrol in Kingston, N.Y., and subsequently at Ozone Metal Products in Queens, N.Y., and IBM in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. He left IBM to work as an independent consultant focusing on acoustical engineering with clients that included W.R. Grace in Boston, Mass., and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in Albany, N.Y., where he coined the phrase “noise pollution.” He also served on the Board of Public Works for the city of Kingston and held the position of City Engineer, but resigned in 1970 in protest when the Urban Renewal project destroyed many of the city’s historic buildings, most importantly the U.S. Post Office on Broadway in Kingston, N.Y. In his semi-retirement years, he led a building inspection practice.
Vincent D’Aprile was a musician who was president of the music association at RPI and started the college’s first jazz band, the “RPI Campus Serenaders,” for which he played the clarinet and saxophone. His love of opera, classical and jazz music continued throughout his life, and he was always quick to clear the dance floor as a swing dancer to Glen Miller’s “In the Mood.”
Mr. D’Aprile was also an avid reader and was a self-taught art historian whose quest for learning and knowledge was never fully sated. His hobbies included golf and sailing, the latter of which he started at the age of 73, and oil painting, which he began at 83. He enjoyed his last sailing adventure on his prized boat, “Knot a Clew,” in September 2016 with his granddaughter, Allegra, at the helm. For a non-cat lover, he had a surprising affection for his two white Persian cats, Jolie and Pavarotti.
Beyond all else, Vincent A. D’Aprile had tremendous and unending love for his family, which was always paramount in his life. He is survived by Marguerite Marie Heppell and his children, Camille D’Aprile of Kingston; Marguerite D’Aprile Quigley and her husband Sam Quigley of Essex, Conn.; Vincent D’Aprile Jr. of Kingston, N.Y.; Joseph D’Aprile and his wife Debra D’Aprile of Woodstock, N.Y., Gina D’Aprile Riberi and her husband David Riberi of Los Angeles, Calif.; and Pier D’Aprile and his wife Stephanie D’Aprile of Millis, Mass.; and his adoring eight grandchildren: Matthew D’Aprile Smith of Willow Grove, Pa.; Allegra D’Aprile Smith of Manhattan, N.Y.; Gianna and Margaux D’Aprile of Millis, Mass.; Marcel, Adrien and Cambria D’Aprile of Woodstock, N.Y.; and Marielle Riberi of Los Angeles, Calif.
Mr. D’Aprile also leaves behind his sister, Mary D’Aprile of Beacon, N.Y., and his many nieces and nephews and their children and grandchildren.
He was predeceased by his sisters, Antonia (Anna) D’Aprile, Edna D’Aprile Crossetta, Edith D’Aprile Olympia, Lucia (Lucy) D’Aprile Pitts, and his brothers, Cornelius (Canay) D’Aprile and Raymond D’Aprile. He will be deeply missed but fondly remembered by his beloved family.
The family will receive their friends on Tuesday, June 20, 2017, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at Keyser Funeral Home, 326 Albany Ave., Kingston, N.Y. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, June 21, 2017, at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 242 Main St., Kingston, N.Y. Entombment will follow at the Cedar Hill Mausoleum, 5468 Route 9W, Newburgh, N.Y.
Donations may be sent to the Stratton VA Medical Center, Fisher House, 113 Holland Ave., Albany, N.Y. 12208, or to St. Joseph’s Church, 242 Wall St., Kingston, N.Y. 12401.