COURTESY PHOTO Frank Carasiti, a long-time educator who had a Rocky Point elementary school named after him, died Saturday.

Frank Carasiti, of Wading River, a local educator for more than 40 years who had a Rocky Point elementary school named for him, died Saturday. He was 78.

Mr. Carasiti began his career in education in 1957 as a sixth grade teacher in the Rocky Point School District. He became superintendent in 1963, and held that position until he retired in 1990, when the Rocky Point Elementary School was renamed the Frank J. Carasiti Elementary School in his honor.

Rocky Point school officials said Mr. Carasiti was instrumental in expanding the district to include grades kindergarten through 12. He also spearheaded support efforts for the construction of the Rocky Point High School in the mid-1970s.

“The district’s history shows that Mr. Carasiti was an integral figure in the development of Rocky Point from a summer community with a small elementary school to the larger, well-respected K-12 school district that it is today,” Rocky Point superintendent Michael Ring said in a statement. “He spent more than 30 years working successfully with this community’s children and its leaders in a time of great change.”

After Mr. Carasiti’s retirement from Rocky Point, he became an interim superintendent at several school districts across Long Island and was an assistant superintendent at Longwood during the 1992-93 school year.

“He served as a mentor for an entire generation of superintendents,” said Longwood superintendent Allan Gerstenlauer, who said Mr. Carasiti advised and mentored him after his time at Longwood.

Dr. Gerstenlauer noted that Mr. Carasiti spent almost all of his years in education as a superintendent.

“There wasn’t too much that ever happened to any of us that he hadn’t already experienced,” he said. “He was always very willing to share that expertise with us.”

“He was a very, very warm person and a true gentleman,” Dr. Gerstenlauer added. “He’s going to be missed.”

Mr. Carasiti was most recently superintendent of Harborfields Central School District in Greenlawn.

He is survived by his wife, Vanessa, and seven children: Michelle Morin, David Carasiti, Peter Carasiti, Kevin Carasiti, Keith Carasiti, Timothy Carasiti and Catherine Carasiti. He is also survived by 17 grandchildren and one great grandchild.

Visiting hours are today from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at Alexander-Tuthill Funeral Home in Wading River. A funeral Mass will be held  at 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Louis de Montfort Catholic Church in Sound Beach, followed by interment at Calverton National Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Visiting Nurse Service and Hospice of Suffolk or the American Cancer Society.

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