Obituary of Benny Traversa

Benny (Ben) Traversa passed away peacefully with Harriet, his loving wife of 55 years at his side on Sunday, February 5, 2023. Ben was born and raised in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn and lived for a short time in Glendale, Queens before settling in Valley Stream. He and Harriet raised their family there, building lifelong friendships and making treasured memories while living in the same house for 52 years. In 2019, Ben and his family moved to Oceanside. He embraced his new home and new community. After serving in the US Army in the early 1960s, Ben began his career at Citibank where he worked for 40 years. Ben loved baseball (the Mets), college football (Notre Dame), his country, his friends, his neighbors, his dogs and more than anything, he loved his family. Ben volunteered for decades with AHRC, working tirelessly to improve the lives of people with developmental disabilities. Ben was a student of American History, particularly WWII and he devoured books and movies about the era. He also enjoyed classic films, puzzles, card games, gardening, fishing, cooking, day trips to Manhattan and he never turned down a delicious meal. Depending on who he was with, Ben was affectionately known as” The Big Ragu,” “Captain Ben,” “Big Ben,” “Benny Wheels,” “Ben from Across the Street,” “Uncle Ben” and “Mr. Benny.” Without question, though, his very favorite name was “Daddy.” In addition to being a loving husband, Ben was the devoted, cherished father of Mollie and Salvatore. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in his memory to AHRC Nassau c/o Will Derr, CFO 189 Wheatley Road Brookville, NY 11545 Visitors are encouraged to wear Mets gear or Mets colors to the visitation.