Dr. Gary Piccione, a doctor with a huge heart, passes away at 98

Dr. Gary Anthony Piccione, a Rockville Centre native, died in his home in Greenport on Dec. 22. he was 98 years old.

Piccione was a well-loved physician, son, father, grandfather, husband, brother, uncle and philanthropist. He understood his purpose was to relieve the suffering of others through his service and giving. He did that with great expertise, commitment and joy. He always put his own needs second, but somehow also found time to become excellent at golf, bridge, growing roses and appreciating opera.

Piccione grew up in Rockville Center. He was plenty smart and graduated from Princeton University at age 20 and from Columbia P&S Medical School at 23. He served in the US Army during WW II, and there he met his bride, Marilyn Radichel. They married in 1947 and were together for 60 years until her death.

In 1954, Piccione was a founding doctor of North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset and served there for 46 years. They were leaders in civic and church matters. He was physician of the year at North Shore in 1992. He was also in private practice as a general practitioner/family practice specialist in Great Neck for 51 years, during which time he served thousands of grateful patients including “courtesy [free] care” for doctors, nurses and teachers (along with those who could not pay cash). He did not hesitate to exchange his services for payments such as duck eggs, tomatoes, spinach or a handshake.

Piccione is survived by three sons: Gary P Barth, MD, Paul M. Piccione, PhD., and Richard P Barth, PhD, and their spouses (Kevin, Nancy and Nancy, respectively); five grandchildren (Dylan Barth, Ann Piccione, Christopher Piccione, James Barth, and Catrina Barth); and one great grandchild (Inaya Barth); as well as his beloved little sister, Gloria LaBarbera, and her children and grandchildren.

He will be remembered by all who met him as curious, kind, twinkling, handsome and humble. He made the world a much better place and leaves a legacy of goodness that could never be adequately described but which revolved around service to others.

Gifts in memory of Gary Piccione should please be made to causes which he described, in declining the honor of an annual lecture series in his name in 1999, as “humanitarian causes—starving people, floods, fires, earthquakes, Kosovo, Honduras and Columbia and not to well-funded institutions.”

Photo courtesy Piccione family