Michael John Passarella

Michael John Passarella died peacefully in his sleep on September 22, 2023, after complications from a stroke. He was 82. Mike was devoted to his family and his work, and his love of good (Italian) food and good stories knew no bounds.

Mike was born and raised in Manhattan, in Greenwich Village and Inwood, the son of Dominick and Dorothy (Rossiter) Passarella and brother to Robert. He was a product of Catholic education from his early days and attended Manhattan College, a place that remained dear to him throughout his life. After graduating from Manhattan in 1963, Mike took a job as a certified public accountant at Price Waterhouse, becoming an audit partner in 1975, managing PW’s U.S. securities practice from 1983 to 1998, and becoming its global capital markets audit leader in 1998 until his retirement in 2002. Upon retirement, he served on Manhattan College’s Board of Trustees from 2002-2017 and was honored as Trustee Emeritus in 2017. He also served as a board member of three publicly-traded companies. Throughout his adult life, Mike supported Catholic Big Brothers and Big Sisters and was on the board of TheaterWorks, where he saw countless plays with his children and grandchildren.

One of the greatest joys of Mike's life was college basketball. He rarely missed a Jaspers game and was a fixture on the bleachers at Draddy Gymnasium. For decades, he traveled to the NCAA Final Four with friends, a tradition that yielded some of his best stories.

Mike is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Ann (the best basketball player in the family), and his children: Lynn Passarella (Scott Rogers), Susan Donovan (John), and Michael Passarella (Elizabeth). He had eight grandchildren, ranging in age from 5 to 29, whom he adored: Will and Luke Ehrenfreund; Molly, Helen, and Beatrice Donovan; and Julia, James, and Sam Passarella. Mike was lucky to have all of them grow up in Manhattan, and he made the most of it. He and Ann went to hundreds of soccer games, theater performances, ballet recitals, grandparents' days, and publishing parties. Mike took his grandkids on trips and to Broadway shows and, of course, to dinner every chance he could. He will be missed by them all.

The family will hold a memorial mass at Manhattan College at 3 pm on November 16. All are welcome.

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