Louis J. Sapienza

After living with heart disease for several years, Lou’s heart stopped while at home in East Hampton during the early morning hours of Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023. He was 70.

Louis J. Sapienza was born Nov. 23, 1952, in Everett, Mass., to Louis J. and Margaret (Coogan) Sapienza. He graduated from Riverhead High School in 1971 and from University of Hartford in 1975.

Lou began his career in the masonry industry during the mid-1970s following college graduation. After a long tenure at Southampton Brick & Tile in Southampton and Wainscott, Lou decided to start his own business, East Hampton Masonry Supply in East Hampton, in 2013. His dogged determination and keen ability to connect with people, coupled with his dedicated, hard-working staff were instrumental in establishing a successful business and brought him tremendous joy. 

He loved working with customers in his masonry yard, driving around and moving things with his forklift and bucket loader, and especially loved making deliveries of gravel or sand in his well-used dump truck. Lou was always there to give someone a helping hand. If something needed fixing, he would get the job done, and probably found the part in his dump truck. 

Traveling with Lou was always an adventure. He was fearless, and if there was something you wanted to see, Lou was bound and determined to find it. On one occasion while in Rome, he was on a quest to find the Sapienza University to purchase sweatshirts as gifts for his siblings at Christmas. He was so proud to have found the university after a harrowing taxi ride, but they did not sell sweatshirts. 

Lou was passionate about food, cigars and wine, but most of all loved his dogs, Joey and George. 

Predeceased by his parents and his brother Joseph, he is survived by his partner, Dawn Trettner; his brothers and sisters, Susan Egan of Venice, Fla., Judy Thilberg of Mattituck, N.Y., Louisa Sapienza Kiendzior of Shelburne Falls, Mass., Carol Underwood of Laurel, N.Y., Margaret Bokinz of Jamesport, N.Y., Patricia Sapienza-Brown of Riverhead, N.Y., Lawrence Sapienza of Bridgewater, N.J., and David Sapienza of Riverhead; several nieces, nephews and great-nieces and -nephews; his beagles, Joey and George; and four kitties.

His calm, even-tempered personality will be missed by many.

This is a paid notice.