Nicholas D. Loddo, the last surviving World War II veteran in Rye, N.Y., died on April 18, 2023. He was 98.

Born in White Plains, on August 22, 1924, he was the son of Dominick and Antoinette Loddo.

During World War II, he was stationed at Fort Zachary Taylor in Key West, Fla., where he served as a gunnery corporal in the U.S. Army.  

After the war, he met his future wife, Carmel Vaccaro, at a fair at Holy Rosary Church in Port Chester. They were married at the church on February 8, 1948.

Possessing a green thumb and the ability to do every kind of landscape project, he owned and operated Loddo Landscaping in Rye for over forty years and was active with the New York Turf and Landscaping Association until quite recently. 

The garden he created at his home on Grapal Street was lush, dotted with citrus and fig trees, and greatly admired. On nights when his cactus bloomed, neighbors were invited over to witness the dazzling display.

In his seventy years in Rye, Mr. Loddo was always eager to pitch in. He volunteered at Rye Town Park, planting bulbs and trees, and building benches. He served on the leadership committee of the Resurrection Boy Scout Troop. For over twenty years, he was a member of the Rye Police Reserves. He remained an active member of Rye American Legion Post 128.

After he retired, he and his wife traveled the country in a Chevy Suburban, visiting over forty states.

In addition to his wife of 75 years, Carmel Vaccaro Loddo, he is survived by his children, Nicholas D. Loddo Jr. (Johanna) of Carmel, N.Y., and Lorraine Loddo Seicol (David) of White Plains; his sisters, Margaret Turnbull and Lucille DeStrange; his grandchildren, Nicholas D. Loddo III, Steven and Jeffrey Loddo, Marc and Andrew Seicol; and his eight great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his siblings, Julia Rendina, Mary Suarez, Anthony Loddo, and Rita Burns.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at Church of the Resurrection April 24 at 10 a.m. Interment will follow at Greenwood Union Cemetery.

Donations in Nick Loddo’s memory may be made to the Make a Wish Foundation.