Donald Francis Filippelli

Obituary

Donald Francis Filippelli died peacefully at his home in Amagansett on August 3, 2024 at the age of 89.

He had been suffering from Parkinson’s for almost 20 years .

A beloved member of the local sailboat community, Don was a long time member of Breakwater and
Devon Yacht clubs. After finding his way to boat ownership later in life he enjoyed many years of racing
on Gardiner’s Bay and beyond.

Don was born in 1935 in Jackson Heights, Queens, and grew up in a brownstone surrounded by his
extended Italian family. In his teens his family moved to East Meadow on Long Island, where he spent
his summers as a life guard at Jones Beach and developed a lifelong love for the ocean.

After graduating from Hempstead High in 1953, he enrolled at Georgia Tech where he became
enamored by acting at DramaTech, led by the legendary Atlanta actress Mary Nell Ivey Santacroce,
mother of Dana Ivey. Inadvertently, this led to a lengthy hiatus from his college studies as he pursued a
career in acting , participating in summer stock in Massachusetts and producing plays at Pinehurst
Playhouse in North Carolina.

Don enlisted in the Army in 1959 and served for two years, until eventually finding his way back to
Georgia Tech to finish his college degree. It was there he met his future wife, Birgitta, a tall blonde
Swedish exchange student at nearby Agnes Scott College. Introduced at a Rambling Wreck football
party, their courtship was mostly spent at a friend’s backyard where he rebuilt and restored a 1952 MG
TD Midget Roadster , purchased for the hefty sum of $250 from a fellow student. After graduating in
1965, the couple travelled to New York City in the ( mostly ) rebuilt sports car, sitting on wood crates,
not having found the appropriate car seats.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, his son Nick of Lower Gwynned, PA , and his daughters Tina of
Devon, PA , and Ali of Cape Elizabeth, ME. Don also had four beloved grandchildren; Jack, Owen, Erik
and Roman, who adored their “ DonDon”.

Although Mr. Filippelli would have preferred to buy a sailboat and sail around the world (he dreamt of a
Cheoy Lee from Hong Kong) he was persuaded to join the decades-old family business in Manhattan,
Modern Artificial Flowers and Displays, which produced exterior sets and props for Broadway shows,
films, TV shows and commercials. The couple married in Sweden in 1966 and settled in Manhattan, and
travelled extensively before eventually raising a family, dividing their time between Carnegie Hill, a
summer house in Amagansett, and a ski cabin in the Adirondacks.

The family spent many happy summer days at the Amagansett Beach Association, where they were long
time members .

It was not until after retirement in 2004 and moving to Amagansett full time that Don realized his
lifelong dream of buying the sailboat that was to be his pride and joy for the rest of his long life. He
called the J109 Caminos, and he was never happier than when he was at the helm at racing events on
Gardiner’s Bay or at Regattas with his family and crew – many of whom came to feel like extended
family.

For over ten years Caminos competed in regattas from Newport, to Block Island, to Annapolis, and even
Key West . The program reached a high point when Caminos sailed to victory at Block Island Race Week
in 2015 , winning not only the J109 North American Championship but also the overall trophy for Boat
of the Week.

Don Filippelli was a bighearted man who lived his long life to the fullest. He was known for his inability
to say “no” to anyone wanting to try their hand at sailing . As a result, he made scores of friends of all
ages, with whom he spent many post-race evenings staying up too late , swapping stories, and drinking
rum in the cockpit of his beloved Caminos .

He was incredibly generous to his family and friends, fiercely loyal, and had a gift for bringing people
together and making newcomers feel welcome. Don was always the life of the party and his laughter
was legendary. He was loved by many and will be missed so much.

Don loved Frank Sinatra’s songs, and his favorite one was “My Way“. Indeed.

Memorial contributions may be made to ARF or St Jude’s Childrens’s Hospital.

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Memory wall