Patrick “Pat” Grasso, founder of Accessory Specialties Inc. (ASI) in Yonkers and a longtime community leader, died Oct. 4.
Grasso created ASI, a building-products manufacturing company, in 1959, in a modest garage space and transformed it to its current 180,000-square-foot plant. Under his guidance, ASI became recognized as a leader in the building-products industry.
A former resident of Waccabuc, Grasso was born in New York City and was a WW II veteran, serving with the U.S. Navy aboard destroyers in the North Atlantic from 1942 until the end of the war.
Grasso shared his enthusiasm for success with the community by serving as an active supporter or board member of various business and community organizations.
He was instrumental in the creation of the Hunts Point Industry and Commerce Association and was its first president. He served on the boards of the Bronx Frontier Development Corp., the New York City Mayor”™s Committee for “A Clean New York,” the New York City Department of Social Services Advisory Council, the Yonkers Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary in both the Bronx and the Yonkers, the Bronx Boys”™ Club, Yonkers PAL and the National Conference of Christians and Jews. He was also one of the founders of the Pawling Mountain Club.
His family said he was tireless in his quest for providing quality services for people with developmental disabilities. To this end, he was a founder and longtime board member of the Green Meadows School in Vermont and served as the past president of the board of directors for Opengate Inc. in Somers, The Clear View School in Scarborough and the Association for Mentally Ill Children of Westchester. Grasso had been the recipient of various civic and humanitarian awards for his years of service and philanthropy to his community and to people with developmental disabilities.
Grasso is survived by his wife, Lia, and was predeceased by his first wife, Mary. He is the father of Linda, Donald and Tommy and stepfather of Effie and John. He is also survived by seven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
Services were held Oct. 8 at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 10 Mill Road, New Rochelle. Interment was at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne.
Donations in memory of Pat Grasso and in honor of his commitment to provide services to people with developmental disabilities can be made to Opengate Inc., c/o In Memory of Pat Grasso, 357 Main Street, P.O. Box 419, Armonk, N.Y. 10504 or to www.opengateinc.org.
