JOYCE CARPENETO: Bullies
Beware
At
the age of 6, working on a first-grade art project in her
hometown, East Northport, N.Y., Joyce Carpeneto gave an
early glimpse of the kind of person she would become.
"We were sitting next to each other working, and she
had crayons and I didn't," said Mary Jane Tenerelli,
remembering their first encounter, in 1966. "She offered
to share her crayons with me and we'd been friends ever
since."
Ms. Carpeneto, who would have turned 42 on Oct. 1, was
well known as the "epitome of cool," but only one thing
surpassed her reputation as a great dancer and a fashion
trend-setter: "She was generous to the point that people
were devoted to her," Ms. Tenerelli said. "A couple of
years ago, she set me up with her ex-husband. That's got
to be the most generous thing ever."
Ms. Carpeneto, who worked in client services for
General Telecom, was also the kind of person who would
jump between a friend and a class bully, as she did in
junior high when Ms. Tenerelli got into trouble.
"Joyce got in the middle and said, 'Leave Mary Jane
alone,' " her friend said. "I never had a problem with
that bully again."
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