Natalie Pacileo mourned. She owned ultra-popular Erie County Farms for more than 50 years

Her many friends and former customers are mourning the death of Natalie Pacileo, longtime owner of Erie County Farms and one of the region’s finest female athletes.

Natalie, who died June 9 at age 88, was a tough but good-hearted person who was always willing to help anyone in need. For more than 50 years, Erie County Farms, under her direction, was one of the area’s most popular grocery stores.

Tough but generous: Natalie Pacileo, owner of Erie County Farms for 50 years, dies at 88

Customers would stand in line on a Saturday morning for 30 minutes or more before Natalie would open the doors at her store in the Perry Plaza. Her employees were always on their toes, and whenever a nasty customer got out of line, Natalie would be there to throw him out the door.

She did more to support athletics on a grassroots level than almost anyone in Erie. Her store sponsored scores of sports teams in various leagues, and Natalie herself was singly responsible for saving the local women’s softball program. She was also an excellent golfer.

Erie County female sports pioneers: Women who have made a difference in area athletics

There was the time when a college football player who had grown up in Erie called to ask if I knew of any way he could raise $300 to go to Atlanta to compete in an all-star game. He said he needed that much for a bus ticket, a motel room and food.

I figured I’d call three generous local businesspeople to see if they’d be willing to contribute $100 each. Natalie was my first call, and when she asked how much was needed, I told her. Thirty minutes later, she walked into the Erie Times-News sports department and handed me $300 in cash.

When Team Erie was trying to raise money for a new downtown baseball park, Natalie contributed $35,000 from her annual golf tournament. She would be there to assist every group that needed her help. When the Barber National Institute was trying to get its Beast on the Bay competition off the ground, Natalie donated 1,000 bananas. The list could go on and on.

Recent years at her store proved challenging as business waned and she was forced to declare bankruptcy. But for those of us who shopped there regularly, and who benefitted many times from her uncommon generosity, Natalie Pacileo was the best.

2016: Last checkout for Erie County Farms

● In his recent appearance at the 15th anniversary celebration of the Jefferson Educational Society, New York Times columnist David Brooks told an interesting story about New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Vladimir Putin.

Kraft, Brooks said, was attending a dinner at the Kremlin when Putin noticed his flashy Super Bowl ring. Putin asked Kraft if he could see the ring, and then he put it on. At the end of the dinner, Kraft was shocked when Putin slipped the ring into his pocket.

“Kraft said it was the ring from the Patriots' first Super Bowl championship, so it was special,” Brooks said. Kraft told the American consulate that he would have an exact duplicate of the ring made and send it to Putin, but when that message was relayed to the Russian president, he sent back word that he greatly appreciated the gift of Kraft’s ring.”

“That’s the way leaders like Putin are,” Brooks said. “They take everything they want.”

● Friends and family are still celebrating Al Klugiewicz’s 107th birthday, which he marked on June 14. Al joined the U.S. military in 1936 and is one of the last living horse cavalry soldiers. He rode a horse in the parade at Franklin Roosevelt’s second inauguration.

Klugiewicz later served in the 83rd thunderbolt division during five battle campaigns in World War II. A master sergeant, he was awarded the French Medal of Honor.

2021: From horseback to Normandy, Erie County veteran, 105, recalls his Army service

● The National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York, is on a roll. Melissa Rivers recently donated her mother’s collection of 65,000 typewritten jokes. The Smithsonian wanted Joan Rivers’ archives but would not display it permanently. The comedy center, which in 2022 received the late Carl Reiner’s archives, met all of the Rivers family’s requests.

● Glad to hear that the Scallywags pirate adventure ship has been repaired and will be back in action of Presque Isle Bay soon, if it’s not already there.

Braving the bay: What it's like being part of the Scallywags Pirate Adventures crew

● Erie Catholic Bishop Lawrence Persico recently appointed the Rev. Nick Rauch as Vicar General for the diocese. He succeeds Monsignor Ed Lohse, who was recently appointed bishop-elect of the diocese in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Rev. Chris Singer will remain as chancellor of the Erie diocese, but will also become director of the Office for the Protection of Children and Youth, as well as take on other duties. The Rev. Matthew Kujawinski will become director of the Office for Divine Worship while remaining as pastor of Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Harborcreek.

● I goofed in a recent column note about Erie native Dr. Joseph Cacchione. I wrote that he was chief operating officer of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. The former St. Vincent Hospital and Cleveland Clinic executive is CEO at Jefferson.

● A bar and bottle shop in Wilmington, North Carolina, owned by Erie natives Steven and Kristen Gibbs was recently profiled in the national Garden and Gun magazine. The bar, called Fermental, was rated “the best beer bar in North Carolina.”

Steve’s dad, Erie’s Ron Gibbs, is pleased about that.

Kevin Cuneo can be reached at kevin.cuneo1844@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie County Farms' longtime owner Natalie Pacileo had big heart