Life-Long Residents Named Grand Marshals
Two life-long Maspeth residents who have served their community in a variety of ways will have the honor of serving as grand marshals of this year’s Maspeth Memorial Day Parade, scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 26.
Joseph Papavero, president of the Maspeth Lions Club, and MaryAnna Zero, past president of the Maspeth Chamber of Commerce, will lead the parade sponsored by the United Veterans and Fraternal Organizations of Maspeth (UVFOM) along Grand Avenue and neighborhood streets.
In addition to serving as president of the local Lions club, Papavero- the fourth generation owner of Papavero Funeral Home-also serves as vice president of the Maspeth Chamber of Commerce. He is also an active member of a host of community and civic organizations including Queensboro UNICO, Maspeth Town Hall, the Our Lady of Hope Holy Name Society, Communities of Maspeth and Elmhurst Together (COMET) civic association and the Cardinal Spellman Knights of Columbus.
A graduate of SUNY Farmingdale with a mortuary science degree, Papavero is also involved in a number of trade organizations including the New York State Funeral Directors Association, National Funeral Directors Association and Metropolitan Funeral Directors Association. He also serves as a member of the Catholic Cemetery Guild board.
A father of three, Papavero has been married to his wife Maria for more than 30 years.
Zero, a daughter of second-generation Polish immigrants, operates Home Hunters Real Estate in Maspeth. In addition to serving as past president and corresponding secretary of the Maspeth Chamber of Commerce, Zero is also secretary of theMaspeth Lions Club, president of the Queens Real Estate Board, president of the Western Queens chapter of the Long Island Board of Realtors and director and past president of the Kiwanis Club of Maspeth.
She also serves as a board member with the Greater Ridgewood Historical Society, Maspeth Town Hall and Community Board 5. Zero has also served on the board of directors for several projects on behalf of Assemblywoman Margaret Markey, and was previously named a “woman of distinction” by the legislator.
Zero has also earned a number of awards from her peers in the real estate community and charitable organizations, including the Kiwanis Hixson Award and the Distinguished Community Service Award from the Long Island Board of Realtors.
Papavero and Zero will lead the Memorial Day March which will begin at 1 p.m. on May 26 at Garlinge Memorial Triangle, located at the corner of Grand and 57th avenues. As in past years, the parade will wind its way through Grand Avenue and local streets before concluding with a memorial ceremony at Maspeth Memorial Park, located at the corner of GrandAvenue and 69th Street, adjacent to Maspeth Federal Savings bank.
For additional information, visit www.maspethfederal.com.
