Catherine (“Kitty”) Meras of Riverhead, died June 27, 2016 at Peconic Bay Medical Center. She was 84 years old.
Kitty, with her husband Anthony, was the proprietor of Star Confectionary Luncheonette on East Main Street. The iconic luncheonette, affectionately known to locals as “Papa Nick’s”, has been a Main Street stalwart for generations.
Born in New York City on Dec. 15, 1931, she was the daughter of Anthony and Helen (Pappas) Nikoloan.
“She was a great lady,” said Riverhead attorney William Andes. “I first met her when I was 9 years old, when my dad took us there for ice cream cones the first day we moved to Riverhead.” He later worked there as a dishwasher during his teen years and, when he came back to Riverhead to practice law, was a frequent lunchtime customer.
“She worked hard, she laughed hard,” Andes said. “She had a good sense of humor, but she was tough — she had high standards. She cared deeply about her family and her customers.”
Kitty was predeceased by her son Nicholas in 1996. Andes said that was a blow from which she never fully recovered.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by her son Anthony and her grandchildren: Zoe, Sophia, Alex and Ava.
The family will receive visitors on Wednesday, June 29, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Tuthill-Mangano Funeral Home, 406 E. Main St., Riverhead. A funeral service will be held on Thursday, June 30 at 11 a.m. at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Hamptons, Father Alexander Karloutsos and Father Constantine Lazarakis officiating. Interment will follow at Riverhead Cemetery.