Services for Stephanie Malone, 28, killed in car wreck in Islip

Friends and family of a young Ronkonkoma woman killed in a single-car accident last week on the Southern State Parkway in Islip will gather this week in Deer Park to mourn her death.

Funeral services for Stephanie Malone, 28, are scheduled for Wednesday, March 13, at Mangano Family Funeral Home, located at 1701 Deer Park Ave. Visitation is from 4-8:30 p.m., with a prayer service taking place at 7:30 p.m.

Malone, who according to her Facebook account had worked at St. Tereiza Physical Therapy & Rehab, died on Monday, March 4, in an afternoon wreck on the eastbound Southern State Parkway, close to Exit 40S, authorities said. She was driving a Nissan Altima.

Community support has since flowed in for Malone’s family. A GoFundMe page has raised nearly $14,000, from 154 donations, to help offset the cost of funeral arrangements.

“Stephanie was a loving friend, sister, daughter, aunt, niece, partner, and dog mom, who touched the lives of so many,” wrote Malone’s friend Brianna Hoffman, who established the GoFundMe page.

Hoffman details how Malone and her brother Ronald III and sister Michelle lost their parents, Ronald Malone Jr. and Alicia Atteniese, at a young age, and noted that the family is “devastated and unprepared for this sudden loss and high cost of services.”

“Although going through immense struggles and hardships, Stephanie always had a smile on her face and a contagious and unforgettable laugh,” Hoffman said. “The world was not always the kindest to her, but she never lost her sweet and loving heart. She deserved so much more in this life.”

In her obituary, Malone is remembered for her kind spirit.

“Stephanie’s warm presence and kind-hearted nature touched the lives of all who knew her,” the obituary reads. “Her joyful spirit and contagious laughter will be deeply missed by her family and friends.”

Malone is also survived by her aunt, Patricia Porretto. Malone’s mother died in 2017 and her father died in 2011.