Coming together to celebrate Huntington’s first and only woman town supervisor, Antonia “Toni” Rettaliata-Tepe (R) — popularly known as Toni Tepe — the Town of Huntington officially renamed Dix Hills Park after the supervisor together with her beloved veteran husband, Philip Tepe, who served as a Dix Hills Fire Department commissioner and ex-chief.
In April of 2020, Rettaliata-Tepe lost her battle to cancer, just 19 days after her husband unexpectedly passed away in March 2020. However, the couple’s legacy lives on through the town’s park renaming ceremony.
Town Supervisor Chad Lupinacci (R) recalled his time with Rettaliata-Tepe and credited her for his involvement in public service.
“Toni was someone who was very near and dear to my heart, and she was an integral part of my life for more than two decades,” Lupinacci said. “She generously shared with me her knowledge and insight on the inner workings of the government. However, it was her love for the Huntington community that inspired me to continue to do good works through public service.”
After serving two years from 1988-89 as the elected Town of Huntington supervisor, Rettaliata-Tepe accomplished a substantial amount of work for the community, such as forming the Town of Huntington Veterans Advisory Board.
Before becoming supervisor, Rettaliata-Tepe served as Huntington’s state assemblywoman. She became the third and last woman to date from the town to hold this office, from 1979-87.
As assemblywoman, Rettaliata-Tepe was able to secure $31,000 in funding that enabled former Town Clerk Jo-Ann Raia (R) to establish the award-winning and historical town clerk archives and records center.
“My whole life I’ve known Toni, and when I was young stuffing envelopes, she showed me how to seal them and everything else as a little kid,” said Andrew Raia (R), current town clerk and Jo-Ann’s son. “When I ran for the Assembly 19 years ago, she took me under her wing and really taught me everything I needed to know to survive. You could always count on Toni.”
When Rettaliata-Tepe remarried in 2000 to Philip Tepe, they became an unstoppable team that would help the Huntington community prosper. In 2006, she became chairwoman of the Huntington Republican Committee and served as its leader until her death.
Her husband was a Vietnam veteran, a member of the town’s Veterans Advisory Board and commander of Nathan Hale VFW Post 1469. Besides an active role in the Dix Hills Fire District, he served also as a Suffolk County deputy fire coordinator and a Town of Huntington fire marshal.
Both Rettaliata-Tepe and her husband were respected members of the community who were each eager to lend a helping hand to whoever needed it.
“My Aunt Toni and Uncle Phil have left an everlasting impression on me to be the best version of myself, and I know that many of you can say the same about them,” said Rettaliata-Tepe’s niece Jessica Van Bladel. “So, from the bottom of my heart, I’d like to thank the Town of Huntington for this honor, and everyone here today for the love and support to our family. We are very grateful for everyone.”
