Alexandra Plasteras Diglio, 80, of West Long Branch, passed away peacefully Sept. 24, 2023, at Monmouth Medical Center. She was born April 5, 1943, in Long Branch. She was raised in Loch Arbour and lived nearly her entire life at the Jersey Shore.
Growing up she worked at her father’s restaurant, The Marine Grill, and her uncle Louis Karagias’ Criterion Restaurant and Candy Shop, both in Asbury Park. In 1961, she graduated from Asbury Park High School and two years later from Berkeley Secretarial School in East Orange.
Alexandra began her career as an executive assistant to legendary fashion designer Oleg Cassini in New York City. She also worked for Scholastic Books, EAI, Electronic Concepts, and her brother Basil’s Squires Pub restaurant in West Long Branch before owning and operating the Perkins Pancake House in Long Branch with her husband Larry. She finished her career at SFERRA Fine Linens.
Alex loved and was loved by her many nieces and nephews. One of her greatest pleasures was cooking soup and baking chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies for them. Among her many passions were watching professional golf, especially Jack Nicholas and Tiger Woods, her beloved New York Yankees and Derek Jeter, and the New York Giants’ Lawrence Taylor.
Alex was a voracious book reader who, when finished, shared them with friends and family.
Alexandra was predeceased by her parents, James G. and Marguerite Gatta Plasteras; her sister Virginia Plasteras Matouk; her brothers, George James Plasteras and Basil James Plasteras; and her sisters-in-law, Elaine Tyrrell Plasteras and Ann Scharber Plasteras.
She is survived by her loving husband of 43 years, Lawrence Joseph Diglio; stepchildren Larry Diglio and David Diglio, both of Maine; her sister Margo Plasteras Hooker and husband Paul; her brother Jimmy Plasteras; her sister-in-law Patricia Connelly and husband Joe; and numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.
Alex’s family is grateful to the entire staff at Monmouth Medical Center and Michael Arvanitis, M.D. for their care and compassion.
Relatives and friends may call from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1 at Fiore Funeral Home, 236 Monmouth Road, Oakhurst. A Mass of Christian Burial in celebration of Alex’s life will be held at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 2 at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (The Church of Mother of Mercy), 1201 Asbury Ave., Asbury Park. Interment will follow at St. George Greek Orthodox Cemetery in Neptune.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Alexandra’s memory to either St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1033 West Park Ave., Ocean, NJ 07712 or RallyCap Sports, P.O. Box 81 Sea Girt, NJ 08750 or rallycapsports.org.
Please visit fiorefuneralhome.com for more information or to send condolences.
This article originally appeared in the October 19 – 25, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
