Donald Christopher Cacciapaglia, 66, a longtime resident of Rye, passed away peacefully on December 20, 2017 surrounded by his loving family.
Born on July 1, 1951 in Yonkers, he was the son of Tina and Ralph Cacciapaglia.
After graduating from Sacred Heart High School, he received an undergraduate degree from Manhattan College. He went on to receive an MBA at Iona College.
Don was married for 42 years to his beloved wife Ellen (Speth), whom he met in high school. He is also survived by his four children: David (Claire) Caccipaglia of Pacific Palisades, Calif., Lauren (Christopher) Sargent of New York, N.Y., Leslie (Colin) Neville of New York, N.Y., and Emily (Sam) Calder of London, England; his mother, Tina of Somers, N.Y.; his sister, Mariann Covello; his brother, Richard Cacciapaglia; and his six cherished grandchildren: Peter, Grace, and Maggie Cacciapaglia, Noelle and Greta Sargent, and Luke Neville.
His esteemed career began in 1973 at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. From 1977-1995 he held a number of senior positions at Merrill Lynch & Co., then was Chief Operating Officer at CS First Boston and Paine Webber. In 2002, he became Chairman and CEO of Channel Capital Group Inc. He joined Guggenheim Partners in 2010, where he held several senior management roles. Most recently, he was Vice Chairman of Guggenheim Investments. Throughout his career he took great pride in mentoring young professionals.
Active in his community, he coached his son’s basketball and daughters’ softball teams when they were young, and dedicated time to the Rye Historical Society. He was a member of American Yacht Club and Apawamis Club, where he served on the Board of Governors for six years. He led the reconstruction of the fitness center at Apawamis and was honored with the Governor’s Award in 2009 for his dedication to the club.
A skilled fly fisherman, wood turner, and gardener, Don especially enjoyed spending time at his home on Cape Cod with family and friends.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at Church of the Resurrection January 5.
Donations in his name may be made to the Don Cacciapaglia Scholarship Fund at Manhattan College, which sponsors first-generation college students. (Manhattan College Development Office, 4513 Manhattan College Parkway, Riverdale, NY 10471.)
