Louis Aversano Jr.
Story Posted By: Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on December 16, 2001.
Relationship to the deceased:
Louis F. Aversano Jr. liked to take care of everybody and everything. Especially his fish. At his home in Manalapan, N.J., Mr. Aversano, 58, kept a suburban-sized aquarium with five fish that he doted on.
"Those were his babies," said Lisa Aversano, Mr. Aversano's youngest daughter. "He would sneak in to see them early in the morning, and he would talk to them as if they were people. He would say, 'Hi fishies, good morning. Your sister is here to visit. Be nice to her. You guys look so nice today.' "
He couldn't help it, she said. After all, he exuded the same sunny disposition when helping to raise his four children or organizing neighborhood block parties.
There is a lot of father in daughter, Ms. Aversano said proudly. People call her "Little Lou" because they were best friends; they were former colleagues at Aon, where he was director of operations support; and they looked remarkably alike (except for the receding hairline and the mustache). And these days, she and her boyfriend find themselves the new parents of five fish. They spend time talking to them, just as her father did.
Louis F. Aversano, Jr., of Manalapan, New Jersey, director of operations support and risk services for Aon Corp.
He will always be remembered as such an extraordinary human being. Words cannot express what a loving and caring man he was. He will be so deeply missed but will always be in our hearts. It is very difficult to go on with life without him but his family loves him so much and we are so honored to have such wonderful memories with him.