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Steven Della Rocca of Southport died Monday, May 27 surrounded by his family and friends. He was 64.
Rocca was born in Brooklyn on March 17, 1955, to Joan and Dominick Della Rocca. He grew up in Upper Brookville and attended Locust Valley High School.
He was a Benjamin Franklin Scholar at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, earning his B.S. in 1977 and his J.D. from the New York University School of Law in 1980.
He joined law firm Latham & Watkins LLP's Los Angeles office in 1980 and spent 25 years at the firm in the New York City office until 2010.
Rocca was a member of the firm's Associates Committee, Chairman of the Corporate Department in the firm's New York office from 1991-2001, and served on the firm's executive committee from 2002-2005.
He joined Vestar Capital Partners as General Counsel, Managing Director, and Partner in July of 2010.
Rocca was a lawyer's lawyer. Well known for his dry sense of humor, Steve was a master of the one-liner. In 1984, Steve married Courtenay Hardy in San Francisco. They recently celebrated 35 years of marriage. Their son, Christopher Blaise, was born in 1988.
He had many interests outside the law and was especially passionate about skiing and sailing. He loved to play golf and loved to travel the world with his family and friends. Naturally gregarious, Steve was a charter member of the Penn Club in New York City, Pequot Yacht Club in Southport as well as a charter member of Great Harbor Yacht Club on Nantucket.
Rocca was a member at the Country Club of Fairfield and recently joined the Club at Kukui'ula on Kauai, HI. He loved sailing on his S2 9.2, Kolga, and had especially fond memories of racing in Sweden in the Gotland Runt in the Baltic, which, according to Steve, was mostly about cigars and spirits.
Breckenridge, Colo., was Rocca's favorite place to ski, but he enjoyed playing golf anywhere in the world he could find the time and a course.
Rocca and his family were summer residents of Sconset for over 20 and were longtime members of Southport Congregational Church.
Loving and beloved husband, devoted father and loyal friend to many, Rocca is survived by his wife Courtenay, his son Christopher, his sisters Leslie Groher and April Locks, and many nieces and nephews as well as their children.
Rocca was a true gentleman and touched all those who were fortunate to have met him. He will be forever missed by all who knew and loved him.
There will be a service to celebrate his life on Saturday, June 8 at two o'clock in the afternoon at the Southport Congregational Church on Pequot Avenue in Southport.
Memorial contributions may be made in Steve's honor to:
Cape Eleuthera Foundation to support The Island School: 1430 Walnut Street, Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA 19130, 1-866-730-6624 or maryassini@capeeleutherafoundation.org
Rome Chamber Music Festival: romechamberfestival.org or 1-917-821-1231, Therese Heyn (Executive Director).
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