Busy Life In Wellington Keeps Eda LoVerso Young-At-Heart Story by Ray Burow • Photos by Abner Pedraza
Wellington resident Eda LoVerso was born on New York’s Long Island, and though this is where her story begins, reminiscing fondly of her parents and siblings, it’s not until she recalls meeting her late husband that her voice takes on a sparkle. She lovingly brings up memories of a life well-lived. “I met him. We fell in love, and we had a beautiful life together,” she said of her 64-year marriage to Joseph LoVerso Sr., who passed away in 2005. LoVerso met her future husband at a wedding. He was a guitarist, and LoVerso came from a musical family. She credits her initial attraction to the fact that he was a musician. Eda was a keyboard musician, and was taken with the way Joseph played, particularly the song “My Prayer,” which the band played at the wedding where they met. It became the couple’s song. “He was a part of a group of musicians. I met him, and it was a very strong infatuation at first,” said LoVerso, who was 17 at the time. “I needed a lot of prodding to my parents for them to consent for me to marry at that age, but they liked Joe and saw potential.” In the 1940s, young couples often eloped, but the LoVersos had what Eda describes as a “beautiful church wedding,” which was important to her parents and to the bride, who remains a devout Catholic and speaks of her wedding as if it were just yesterday. “My mother was a designer who made one-of-a-kind dresses,” LoVerso 64
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recalled. “She made me an exquisite dress, and my crown was beautiful, made of artificial lilies. I carried a bouquet of a dozen real lilies.” The couple married just six months prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Music was an enjoyable side job for Joseph, a gyroscope technician who worked for Sperry Gyroscope. He had received a deferment from military service because of his job working on giant gyroscopes for battleships. Just over a year later, their first child came into the world. Pregnancy and motherhood took a bit of getting used to for LoVerso. “Well, it was scary at first, but it was a learning experience,” she said. “But you know, things come natural to you after a while. I eventually got the hang of it.” Two children followed their first son, Frank. Daughter Grace came along five years later, followed by their second son, Joseph Jr. LoVerso stayed home for 15 years before taking on a part-time job, but in the interim, she and Joseph Sr., enjoyed making beautiful music together. Through the years, they played and entertained folks at various events.
The apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Their sons, also musicians, entertain locally. New Yorkers might recognize their six-piece band, named for the famous Whitestone Bridge in New York. LoVerso follows the band Whitestone like a regular groupie. Whenever she has the chance to be in the audience, that’s where she is. Her sons are certain to play their parents’ song. Listening to music remains an enjoyable pastime for LoVerso, but the music stopped for her and her husband in 1997, when daughter Grace was suddenly taken from them. Following her passing, the couple stopped playing at events. “It’s something I am still living with,” LoVerso said. “We didn’t have that same feeling about playing. That’s the only fall in my life that I’ve experienced. Other than that, my life has been beautiful. I am blessed with grandchildren and great-grandchildren.” LoVerso credits her large family with helping her get through those dark days. “My family; they are there for everything,” she said. “Without their support, I don’t think that we could have survived.” Today, LoVerso lives with her son Joseph Jr. and his family in Wellington. At first, she didn’t like the idea of moving in with family. When Joseph Sr., passed away, her sons began encouraging her to move from her home and to live with one of them. However, LoVerso was still very active, walking three miles a day. She pushed the idea aside.