Hello to Our Farmingdale Family. This is Paul Defendini, Superintendent of Schools, and today is Sunday, April 27, 2025.
This Saturday, I had the honor of attending the Celebration of Life for Angelo. Hundreds of family members and friends were in attendance, including many administrators and teachers. His warmth and humanity were on full display as people took the microphone to share stories about the impact he had on their lives. The most commonly shared sentiment was that Angelo gave the best hugs—the kind where you could actually feel the love.
As I thought about how to appropriately honor this beautiful child, one idea kept coming to mind. I’m still asking our community to wear green tomorrow in honor of what would have been Angelo’s 16th birthday. I'm also asking that we do one more thing for Angelo and his family: tonight, give someone you love—a spouse, a child, a friend—a real hug. An “Angelo hug.” The kind of hug that leaves the person wondering why they’re being shown so much love, and smiling because of it.
If we all take part in this simple gesture, tens of thousands of hugs could stretch across our beautiful town. I can’t think of a better way to honor Angelo’s memory and show his family how much he meant to our community.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Farmingdale—and please remember to wear green, and even more importantly, give that big, heartfelt hug.