Fernando Recine

With love and gratitude for a long life well lived, we share that Fernando Recine, 84, passed away on February 20, 2026, surrounded by family and loved ones. Fernando was born on September 20, 1941, in Ripi, Italy, to Palmira and Domenico Recine. From modest beginnings and limited formal schooling, he shaped a life defined by patience, instinct, and determination. He was largely self-taught, guided by a steady curiosity and a natural ability to understand how things worked. If something could be built, repaired, or improved, he would study it patiently until he understood it, and then master it. His journey took him from Italy to Canada and eventually to Long Island, New York, where he built his life and remained for decades. There he founded F&M General Contracting and established a respected career as a general contractor. The homes he built stand as quiet markers of his discipline, skill, and pride in craftsmanship. Freddie was generous, thoughtful, and steady. He was a builder in every sense—of houses, of gardens, and of family. He raised three children, Juliana, Victoria, and Marc. Through his marriage to his adored wife, Phyllis, he also helped to raise her three young children, Lauren, Dory, and Jackie. To all six, he was a constant, nurturing and present father, forming a strong and devoted blended family. He and Phyllis shared a love of travel and exploration, eventually creating a second home in Rincón, Puerto Rico. There, in the ease of island time, they found renewal and joy in the simple rhythms of sea and sky. A brilliant gardener, Freddie found meaning in tending the earth. He leaves behind not only the homes he constructed, but fruit trees that will continue to bear, gardens that will continue to bloom, and spaces made warmer by his careful hands. His legacy is rooted deeply in the foundations he poured strong, in branches stretching toward the sun, and in the family that he nurtured with unwavering care. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis; his six children and their spouses; and nine cherished grandchildren, each treasured by him and devoted in return to their Nonno; along with his three siblings. Freddie’s life was defined not by titles or accolades, but by quiet perseverance, devotion to family, and the enduring structures, both physical and human, that he lovingly built. Visitation will be held at Roslyn Heights Funeral Home on Thursday from 5:30-9:30PM, with a Tribute at 7:30PM. Family and Friends may gather at Pinelawn Memorial Park Cemetery office on Friday at 11AM, where we will assemble and proceed to the mausoleum to lay Fernando to rest. Donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in his memory.