J. Harry Florentine

Harry Florentine, age 75 , of Rye Brook passed away on November 6, 2017 at his home.
He was born in Port Chester on June 4, l942 the son of Harry G. and Angelita Hagan Florentine.  He graduated from Our Lady of Mercy School, Port Chester, Archbishop Stepinac High School , White Plains and Iona College, New Rochelle.  Graduate studies were at Lehman College and Fordham University, Bronx.
On June 12th, l964  he joined the American Branch of Cambridge University Press in New Rochelle.  During his twenty eight year publishing career he served in various management positions in the Journals Division of the Press working in New Rochelle, New York City, Port Chester and London and Cambridge England.  Mr. Florentine served several terms as chairperson of the Journals Committee of the American Association of University Presses.  In l976 he chaired the first Scholarly Journals Symposium and Exhibition, sponsored by AAUP, at Yale University in conjunction with the United States Bicentennial.  He also served on the journals, postal and copy right committees of the American Publishers Association.
Other professional memberships include the Fulfillment Management Association, the Association for Scientific Journals, and the Society for Scholarly Publishing. 
After retiring from publishing Harry began a second career as s substitute teacher at the Port Chester High School where he remained for eighteen years.
For over fifty year he has been associated with the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers and has served as a volunteer at the Center in Maryknoll,  N.Y.  He has also traveled to various mission countries where Maryknoll missioners work and written articles on his experiences and mission as a vocation for everyone.
An active parishioner of Our Lady of Mercy Church in Port Chester his entire life, he wrote two substantive histories of the parish.  These books are entered in the archives of the Archdiocese of New York.  He served as Director of Religious Eduction for the Junior and Senior High School Program and taught in the program for many years.  He also taught religion at Sacred Heart Church in Byram and was Director of Religious Education at St. Roch’s Church in Greenwich.  Also at Our Lady of Mercy he was active in various ministries including lector, Eucharistic Minister and Liturgist. He was also a Eucharistic Minister at the former United Hospital.
Harry was also active in Irish organizations.  He was a founding member of the Port Chester Irish American Association and established the annual St. Patrick’s Day flag raising in Liberty Square, Port Chester.  He chaired that event from it’s inception.  He was also a member of the Greenwich Hibernian Association, The Thomas Davis Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians of Greenwich and the Ancient Order of Hibernians Division No. 9 of Port Chester.  He was a member of the Father John M. Grady Council No. 503, Knights of Columbus and researched and authored the 100 year history comparative book of the K. of C. in Port Chester.
 Harry is survived by his first cousin, Edward Hagan of Williamsburg, Virginia and many cousins both here and in his ancestral home of Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland. He is also survived by many friends, who will miss his kind and caring ways, and finally by his beloved cat, Mr. Sox, who brought him much joy.  
Visitation will be 4-8PM on Sunday November 12, 2017 at Craft Memorial Home, Inc. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10AM on Monday November 13, 2017 at Our Lady of Mercy Church 260 Westchester Ave Port Chester, NY. Interment to follow at Saint Mary's Cemetery Rye Brook, NY. Memorial donations in memory of Harry may be made to Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers P.O. Box 302 Maryknoll NY 10545 www.maryknollsociety.org