We were all very shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden death of Teddy Matagrano’s 30-year old son, Ted Jr. We extend our deepest sympathy to him and his family.Teddy Sr. is the owner of Starship Valero located on Eliot Avenue and 74th Street in Middle Village.

At the funeral mass celebrated by Monsignor Sivillo at Our Lady of Hope Church, Teddy stated that “No parent should ever have to bury a child,” and his eulogy captured the essence of that remark. Although he is deeply devastated that Ted Jr. left us too soon, he stoically spoke of him, choosing to celebrate his life rather than his death. He spoke of the qualities that made his son a warm, kind, personable man, never wanting to hurt anyone’s feelings.

Teddy also said that despite his loss he is comforted by the memory of Ted Jr.’s caring and giving life and feels fortunate to have had him for thirty years.Ted Jr. is now with his mother who died seventeen years ago when he was a young boy. Teddy made a point to tell me several times how deeply touched he is by the people in this community. He loves our neighborhood and wants to thank everyone for their kind words and comfort that are helping him get through this very difficult time. We extend our deepest sympathy to Teddy, his wife, Laura, and their two little girls, Gabrielle and Brittany and hope that any comfort we can give them will somehow ease the pain of their tremendous loss. I'm sure Ted Jr. is looking down saying “Thanks, Dad, I'm glad I made you proud of me.”

Rest in peace, Ted.