Birth date: Jul 20, 1926 Death date: Jul 11, 2020
MAURICE (Moe) LEONARD VERALLI Was born July 20, 1926 in New York, NY, the only son of Leonard Veralli and Emma Fenz. His younger sister Edna Vlahakis currently resides in Holiday, FL. Moe grew up in New York City, playing handball Read Obituary
I am so sorry for your loss. I enjoyed seeing Moe when I went to visit Daddy at Buckner. Most of the time, he seemed to be happy. At lunch one day, I mentioned that his wife was from Scotland and he just laughed and was so happy about that.
Uncle “Reece,” as I called him, always fostered and encouraged my love of sports, especially baseball and softball, and it’s a good thing, because my dad, though he had many skills and talents, was just not into sports. But my Uncle, he knew lots about baseball, baseball teams, and baseball players. He was a ball player, and would gladly share his skill and knowledge. I became a Mets fan early on, and remain a Mets fan to this day, because of his influence!!!
My Uncle taught me how to play wiffle ball in our backyard, pitching to me until I could smack the ball well enough to compete with my brother, cousins, and the neighborhood boys, who always appeared whenever they heard that distinctive wiffle ball sound. My brother reminded me today, that Uncle “Reece” also outfitted both of us with our first baseball gloves, from his collection of ball gear.
Even when I was grown my Uncle would always ask about my rec and travel softball teams, what positions I was playing, and how I was hitting. He encouraged me to keep playing, and I did, on three continents, while assigned overseas!
The last few times I visited my Uncle in Texas, besides discussing Major League Baseball, we would study a map of Germany, and he would share stories of his time there while in the Army. I would show him where I had lived and visited, and he would show me all the places he had been in both Germany, and Switzerland where he had traveled to track down the Feutz relatives.
Rest in Peace, Uncle “Reece.” I’m pretty sure you’ve already found the ball fields, tennis courts, where they keep the good desserts, and more than few squirrels to feed in Heaven!
Moe was the best father-in-law a girl could ask for! He welcomed me into the family and our relationship was filled with jokes & laughter. He always genuinely seemed happy to see me but especially when I had baked him an apple pie! I truly appreciate the wonderful grandfather he was to our daughters. Their mutual love for one another was always quite evident. My life has been truly blessed by knowing & loving Moe. Love from your daughter-in- law, Annette
Moe was the best father I could have asked for. Of course it doesn’t hurt that I loved to play ball and have almost the identical personality (why waste food?). He was a dedicated father who had all the time in the world for me. He loved to laugh and we always had fun together. One of my favorite memories as a child was going on a Western Electric canoe trip on the Delaware River. Dad usually saw the funny side of life, so an outdoor adventure by a bunch of city-dwelling engineers was non-stop hilarity. I’ll never forget the Kentucky Fried Chicken pieces floating past us down the river. Another fond memory was playing outfield for his softball team. It was an honor to watch the old master on the mound using body english and his knuckleball to strike out the younger guys. And he got such a kick out of it when I ran down a couple of fly balls. “Young legs” he said laughing.
Glenn
