Living Legends: FREDERICK NAPOLITANO SR.

New York native Napolitano moved to Virginia Beach in 1955, going on to make a major regional impact in commercial real estate and development. In 1966, he co-founded and developed Pembroke Mall, which is currently undergoing a $200 million redevelopment by his company.

He is a past president of the National Association of Home Builders, which inducted him into its national hall of fame. He also received a lifetime achievement award from the Tidewater Builders Association.

Napolitano co-founded the Neptune Festival, was a founding member of the Virginia Beach Central Business District, led the Virginia Beach Chamber of Commerce and helped start the First Tee program in Hampton Roads. He’s director emeritus of the St. Mary’s Home for Disabled Children, for which he served as a board member for more than four decades.

FIRST JOB: Apprentice bricklayer

WHAT MAKES ME PASSIONATE ABOUT MY WORK: The type of industry — we build houses. When occupied, they become homes. We build shopping centers — we provide a place for people to work and shop.

FAVORITE SONG: “It Had to Be You,” dedicated to my wife of 71 years, the late Jacqueline P. “Jackie” Napolitano