SUNSETS AND SYMPHONIES
Art Billadello of Setauket snapped this beautiful sunset overlooking Stony Brook Harbor while attending a summer concert on the Village Green on Aug. 11.
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Photo of the Week
TBR Staff
TBR News Media covers everything happening on the North Shore of Suffolk County from Cold Spring Harbor to Wading River.
Northport Village meeting details conclusion of prostitution investigation
By Lauren Feldman
The Aug. 13 meeting of the Northport Board of Trustees revealed shocking details from a months-long investigation by the Northport Police Department. Chief of Police Christopher Hughes reported on the conclusion of an inquiry into a local spa suspected of prostitution.
Sunny Island Foot Spa, located at 377 Fort Salonga Road, first drew police attention in June when “alarming” advertisements appeared on Craigslist. The ads, Hughes said, described spa services as performed by “sweet and discreet pretty girls” and the “best service” by “young and beautiful girls from Asia.” The ad has since been removed, and a subsequent one posted in July refrained from mentioning spa employees.
“Our investigation began immediately following the June ad,” Hughes said. While the investigation did not yield evidence of prostitution, Hughes noted that the spa’s ads were listed on “several websites known to advertise adult services.” He added, “The mere messaging in the ads can easily attract individuals looking for those types of services.” Hughes also reported that police observed only male clientele entering and leaving the premises during the investigation.
On Aug. 8 and 9, Jing Fang Zhou, 50, and Lisi Ou, 38, both of Flushing, were arrested for the “unauthorized practice of a profession.” Hughes thanked lead investigator Detective Stephen Kerekes, the county district attorney [Ray Tierney] and his team. “We were able to work together to identify an illegitimate business and effectively end their illicit operation,” Hughes said.
Since last week’s arrests, the spa is reportedly vacant, and Hughes noted that no further traffic has been observed in or around the establishment.
At the same meeting, the board approved Hughes’ resolution, which adds another detective position to the Northport Police Department. Officer Sean Sagistano was recommended for the position and, per the resolution, “will not receive the additional pay and benefits he is entitled to under the collective bargaining agreement until the day after Stephen Kerekes vacates his current position of detective.” The board also clarified that this measure will not increase the size of the police department, and Sagistano will continue to be assigned to patrol duties.
Resolution 2024-139 also drew attention from the board. The resolution authorizes Mayor Donna Koch to execute a contract to purchase a new ambulance. Residents may be aware that an ongoing ambulance purchase has been progressing slowly for some time.
In February 2022, the village passed a resolution to purchase another ambulance from a company that has yet to deliver. As a result, the fire commissioner met with Koch last week to discuss purchasing an alternative unit: a 2024 Ford F-550 Wheeled Coach through LI Proliner Inc., estimated to cost $470,343.
The initial unit, the village is being told, will not be ready until the end of the first quarter of 2025, which may lead to its cancellation. Koch emphasized that the new unit is a stock model with everything the department needs. Additionally, the unit includes a Stryker, a part worth $100,000 that is already included with the vehicle. The board approved the measure to move forward with this purchase, but the decision to cancel the initial ambulance order was not voted on at this time.
Board meetings are held once a month at the Northport Village Hall, 224 Main St., Northport. The next meeting of the Board of Trustees will be Tuesday, Sept. 3, at 6 p.m. For more information, visit northportny.gov.
Singing to stop cancer: Choral society performs at Huntington church
By Lauren Feldman
The halls of St. John’s Episcopal Church on Prospect Street in Huntington were filled with the sound of music, with voices of hope and light Friday, Aug. 9. Belle Voci Intergenerational Choral Society, celebrating its 20th year, performed a Candlelight Remembrance for those whose lives have been afflicted with cancer, survivors and their loved ones.
“Belle Voci has been [in Huntington] for 20 years, so we are really pleased to welcome them for the first time to our church,” said Alex Pryrodny, music director at St. John’s since 2015. “It’s a wonderful cause, a wonderful event to be a part of.” Pryrodny participated in the concert as an accompanying pianist.
When asked why the partnership between St. John’s and Belle Voci has been so seamless, the music director said, “Singing is kind of a spiritual thing. There’s a natural connection to your feelings and emotions. Choir is a good way to express the feelings people have that they may not be able to express otherwise. It can be a really healing process.” Pryrodny said that both church and music may offer the same sense of catharsis.
And this seems to be what Belle Voci aims to achieve. As prominently stated on its website, “Concert repertoire is carefully programmed for its capacity to elicit a wide range of emotions associated with the cancer journey; we aim to provide a forum for performers and concertgoers to experience hope, contemplation, prayer, healing, peace and celebration through music and ritual.”
The society is a Long Island-based group of professional and amateur singers, collegiate singers, school-aged singers and music teachers. They have been brought together by the common mission of supporting cancer prevention, cure and catharsis through elevated and inspired choral performance and ceremony.
Songs performed at the concert included “Sing, Wearing the Sky” by Jake Runestad; “O Saltaris Hostia” by Eriks Esenvalds; “Vier Gesänge” by Johannes Brahms (poetry by Friedrich Ruperti); “The Last Rose of Summer” by Thomas Moore and Sir John Stevenson; the traditional Irish blessing “You Do Not Walk Alone”; “Flight” by Craig Carnelia; “Children, Go Where I Send Thee” arr. Kevin Philip Johnson; and “Con Te Partiro” arr. Mac Huff.
Two halves of the performance framed the Candlelight Remembrance ceremony. The Rev. Duncan Burns and Courtney Sack led the reading of the names.
Belle Voci was founded by Jennifer Scott Miceli after the loss of her mother, Bonnie Scott, to lung cancer. “Like many of you who have lost loved ones to cancer, the physical loss of my mother left a huge void in my life,” Micheli said on a dedication page to her mother.
“It’s been 19 years since Mom died, which also means that Belle Voci has reached its 20th season of sisters in song in support of cancer prevention and cure,” she continued. “Over the course of those seasons, and with your support, we are fortunate to have made charitable donations to the American Cancer Society, Optimum Health Institute, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Northwell Hospice Care Network and Cancer Hope Network.”
Letters to the Editor: August 15, 2024
Why ‘divisive’ hits the mark
Art Billadello objects to the word “divisive” headlining a TBR news article [Aug. 1] about the gigantic “In Trump We Trust” sign put up on a building at the main intersection of Port Jefferson, right across from the ferry terminal. He ignores the obvious: Of course a sign like that is divisive.
This was not a campaign sign. It was put up in January 2020, immediately before President Joe Biden’s [D] inauguration and shortly after the attack on the U.S Capitol sparked by the lie that former President Donald Trump [R] hadn’t lost the election. Some 20 feet long and some 3 feet high, it was displayed on the building’s second story balcony. It took our national motto, “In God We Trust,” and swapped out “God” for “Trump.” How is that not divisive?
When I moved to this area over 35 years ago there were no political signs outside of election season, let alone a gigantic sign erected in the middle of town three months after the election, implicitly claiming God-like status for the losing candidate. All that changed after 2016. After that election was over and Trump won, his flags and banners didn’t come down. They remained prominently displayed throughout his entire term. Then, when Trump lost in 2020, the Trump flags and banners still didn’t come down after the election. Why is that? What is the purpose of this other than to provoke and inflame division within our community? It’s not exactly the kind of thing expected of a good neighbor. It expresses the opposite of what unites us.
As for the letter writer’s attempt to draw a false equivalence between Trump and Biden as equally divisive, it’s just more gaslighting. The Biden administration passed the first major infrastructure bill in decades with bipartisan support, in spite of opposition from the extreme left and the extreme right. Trump, on the other hand has trafficked in race-baiting and ethnic stereotypes, hurled childish and vitriolic insults at his political opponents, and refused to disavow the most extreme and violent of his supporters, even to the extent of refusing to condemn their threats to hang his own vice president for performing his constitutional duty.
David Friedman
St. James
Local Dems put politics first
During interviews with TBR, several local Democrats could barely hide their excitement over the change at the tippy-top of their party’s ticket [“Local Democrats see new political energy and interest after Biden withdraws,” TBR News Media, July 25].
John Avlon said, “People are excited to be a part of something bigger than themselves.” Dems are becoming “fired up” about their political prospects.
Steve Englebright was especially upbeat: “Everybody who I’ve talked to is energized. … I see the ascension of a Democratic candidate … who is a woman of color, a woman of substance, in terms of her accomplishments, as validating the idea that women are equally ready” to serve in any political office.
Hitchhiking on that idea, Rebecca Kassay added, “I’m energized and inspired to be running with our first potential female president.”
Suffolk County Democratic Committee campaign manager Keith Davies saw all this as a “great opportunity for local candidates to not have to worry about exciting Democrats.” Davies also added those running won’t have to spend much time fielding questions about President Joe Biden’s “cognitive abilities.”
All that uncontested “happy talk” was weeks ago. Missing then and, as of this writing, missing now, is any substantive talk of policy from the two candidates atop their ticket.
Both the vice president, Kamala Harris, and her running mate, Tim Walz, currently remain basically mute regarding specifics on how they’d manage inflation, illegal immigration, two wars started on their party’s watch, growing antisemitism especially on college campuses, fracking, police funding or restarting ICE “from scratch.”
The aforementioned, a partial list of important issues, does not include Harris’ 2019 call for ending private health insurance.
Campaign staffers trying to “walk back,” some would say flip flop, on her more extreme and unpopular positions are a poor substitute for answering probing questions in her own voice.
But, perhaps the most troubling part of the interview was Davies’ apparent relief that Biden’s “cognitive abilities” may no longer be a pesky political liability. The implication, in this time of multiple global existential crises, is that the fitness of POTUS is off the table. This, despite the fact that Biden’s significant cognitive disabilities remained purposely hidden, until after his awful debate. How then, without careful, unbiased scrutiny, could we know if the current president is fit to run our nation for the next six months?
It’s that kind of deliberate media incuriosity that has cost them credibility and gotten us to the point where unchallenged partisans can put their politics first, and celebrate muted candidates, with little fear of blowback.
Jim Soviero
East Setauket
The community we love
Every Saturday, my husband Bill and I head for the Rolling Pin Bakery at the Three Village Plaza in East Setauket to load up with goodies. This Saturday, when we entered the store, the manager called us over and surprisingly gave us an envelope with a $20 bill in it.
It was found on the floor last week. They looked at the security video and lo and behold … it was us!
The point of all this is that it is really satisfying to know that we live in a community with such honest and caring people.
Thank you to the staff at the Rolling Pin Bakery. You made our day as uplifting as those raisin scones.
Patricia Martin
Stony Brook
Errors in Joseph ‘JOJO’ LaRosa Foundation article
I want to bring your attention to two errors in the recent article that was published about the Joseph “JOJO” LaRosa Foundation golf outing on Monday, July 29 [“Celebrating the life of JoJo LaRosa,” The Village Times Herald, Aug. 1].
The first being at the beginning of the article where you refer to our foundation in parentheses as “Forever JoJo Strong.” This is not accurate. JoJo’s father — and our dad — has a separate foundation with that name. JoJo and I’s parents are divorced and therefore made two separate foundations.
The second error that needs to be corrected is when you refer to “JoJo’s dad” based on a comment by my mom Gina. In the interview she said, “my husband” when referring to the person JoJo used to play with at St. George’s Golf and Country Club and that is because her husband is JoJo’s stepdad, not his father. As I mentioned above, JoJo’s father is not married to my mom and has a separate foundation from JJLF.
I do apologize for the confusion, however, these are very important errors that need to be retracted or revised.
Emily LaRosa, Vice President
Joseph “JOJO” LaRosa Foundation
Editor’s note: We regret these errors and thank Emily LaRosa for bringing them to our attention.
Photo of the Week
A RARE DISPLAY
Jay Gao of Stony Brook snapped this incredible photo of Perseids and Northern lights taken at 2 a.m. on Aug. 12 at Stony Brook Beach with a Nikon D5500 camera.
Send your Photo of the Week to [email protected].
Town of Brookhaven to receive $1M for landfill settlement
By Peter Sloniewsky
In June, waste-incinerator Covanta agreed to pay the Town of Brookhaven $1 million to settle a lawsuit alleging the company trucked hazardous ash to the town’s Yaphank landfill. While the settlement is pending in the Nassau County Supreme Court, town Supervisor Dan Panico (R) said he has “no reason to believe that it wouldn’t be approved.”
The lawsuit was filed in 2013 by whistleblower Patrick Fahey, a former Covanta Hempstead employee, on behalf of local governments that sent municipal waste to the Covanta plant in Westbury. Brookhaven accepted the resulting ash at its Yaphank landfill.
Covanta, which announced in April a name rebranding to Reworld Waste, has denied any wrongdoing.
Fahey’s attorney, David Kovel, has said that his client “doesn’t think the town is acting in the best interests of its citizens” in agreeing to settle for $1 million, and opposed the settlement with a court filing. Kovel added that only the state Attorney General’s Office has standing to settle, and that “it is astonishing that the Town of Brookhaven would sell out its citizens” by accepting such a “sweetheart” settlement.
Members of the Brookhaven Landfill Action and Remediation Group shared similar sentiments in a June 6 statement at a Brookhaven Town Board meeting. Group co-founder Monique Fitzgerald said, “It is despicable that this settlement would give Covanta a pass, while continuing to force community members to carry the burden,” adding, “This agreement comes without any input from the community.” She noted that Covanta would be absolved of any future financial responsibility for pollution cleanups in the area.
BLAR group has also called for the immediate closure of the landfill, which was previously slated to be closed in 2027 or 2028, and for there to be an immediate cleanup of the North Bellport community’s air, land and water. Town officials have yet to provide a firm timeline for closing the Yaphank facility.
Panico, when asked whether the town will earmark the settlement money for the benefit of the North Bellport community or for remediation at the landfill, said, “We’re doing work far in excess of that $1 million figure. Our commitment to the people of North Bellport is long-standing and strong.”
Editorial: With drunk and drugged driving plaguing Suffolk County, what can we do to keep ourselves and our roads safe?
It is, unfortunately, not a new phenomenon.
According to Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney (R), motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for people between the ages of 15 and 24, with the leading causes being reckless driving and distracted driving while, often, under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Since Memorial Day weekend, drunk/drugged driving in Suffolk has claimed approximately three lives a week, and since 2018, the trend of drugged driving deaths has grown exponentially — 35% — statewide.
Suffolk County is a prime contributor to that number.
Maureen McCormick, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office Vehicular Crimes prosecutor, recently said that the innocence of most of these vehicular crime victims is what is truly alarming about these cases.
And, with the state’s push to treat individuals intoxicated with drugs as firmly as those found drunk at the scene of a crash — as of now, a drugged driver in the state can only be charged with a DUI if the officer can name the drug the person has taken, and if said drug is included in a catalog of substances commonly tested for — why has a coalition of advocates been getting turned down in Albany for many years? And, why is America one of a quarter of countries that has a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08, while the rest of the world only allows a limit of 0.05?
So, what can we do about the dangers of drunk/drugged driving? Here are some tips to stay safe on the roads.
• When going out, be sure to secure a nondrinking driver, ahead of time, to ensure a plan, and avoid in-the-moment confusion.
• Alternate drinking alcoholic beverages with soda, juice or water.
• Do not mix alcohol with other drugs, including over-the-counter and prescription medications.
• Do not get into the car with an impaired driver. Use other means of transportation such as a taxi, public transportation or driver who is sober.
• It is wise to have no substances in your system when operating a vehicle, even if you are within legal limits.
• Keep in mind: Even if you take prescription medication, avoid driving if it makes you drowsy, or lowers your energy levels. A substance does not have to be illicit to cause danger to yourself and others on the roads. Have someone drive you, when possible.
• Buckle up! If hit, a seatbelt reduces the risk of serious injury by 50% in the front seats, and up to 75%, in the rear seats.
• If you suspect an impaired driver is near you while on the road, slow down and consider turning away. When it is safe to do so, pull over and dial 911.
In this way, we will keep ourselves and our roads safe in Suffolk County and elsewhere.
New head coach Billy Cosh looks to bring change to SBU football
By Kenny Spurrell
After the removal of former head coach Chuck Priore in Nov. 2023, the Stony Brook football team has found his replacement in hopes that brighter days are ahead.
Finishing the 2023 season with an 0-10 record — the worst in program history — was not the way the Seawolves hoped to bounce back from 2022 that ended with a 2-9 finish. Just under a month after removing Priore, Stony Brook hired former Western Michigan University offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Billy Cosh to fill the role.
Cosh, 32, a resident of Smithtown, started his coaching career at Concord University in 2015, soon getting the position as a graduate assistant and quarterbacks coach for Indiana from 2016 to 2017. Cosh made the move to the Virginia Military Institute in 2018, serving as the wide receivers coach in 2018 and 2019, then getting promoted to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
Cosh jumped to Richmond in 2022 where he led a top 20 offensive SP+ rating, advancing to the second round of the FCS playoffs in his lone season. After serving as offensive coordinator at Western Michigan for the 2023 season, Cosh was named the third head football coach in Stony Brook history. At 31 years old, he became the second-youngest current head coach in NCAA Division I football.
Coaching at Richmond in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) — the same conference as the Seawolves — Cosh said he has “always admired Stony Brook from afar.” In his first head coaching position, Cosh will look to pull the Seawolves out of the cellar.
“I knew this place has a chance,” Cosh said. “I knew they had the capability, so that’s kind of what attracted me to the job.”
Football is in Cosh’s blood. Bouncing around from place to place during his upbringing, he is the son of Chris Cosh who played linebacker for Virginia Tech from 1977 to 1981. Chris coached for 40 years at multiple FCS schools such as UNLV, Maryland, Michigan State, South Carolina and many more. He currently serves as an analyst at Western Michigan.
“I thought my dad had the coolest job in the world,” Cosh said. “I was like a sponge; I was around the game all the time. I got to see different players that played in the NFL and watched how they work and watched how coaches coached, it was really unique.”
Cosh was raised with his brother, James, who went on to play football at the United States Naval Academy from 2007 to 2011. James is currently a scout for the Chicago Bears in the NFL.
Being brought up around football, Cosh was destined to be a star on the field. Attending Arundel High School in Gambrills, Md. from 2006 to 2009, Cosh won the job of starting quarterback his junior year. He went on to break seven state records that season including most passing yards (3,909) and touchdowns (56), but it paled in comparison to his senior season.
Cosh’s senior year was special, throwing for 3,913 yards and 56 touchdowns. He set Maryland state records for career completions (594), passing yards (7,433) and touchdowns (112), finishing his high school career with a 22-3 record and leaving college coaches clamoring to have him on their team.
Though Cosh’s achievements on the field spoke for themselves, he credits playing with future NFL wide receivers RJ Harris and Alec Lemon for much of his success at Arundel.
“That kind of made a big difference,” Cosh said. “I wasn’t a great player, but I was very appreciative of the guys around me.”
When the college recruitment process came around, the choice was rather simple for Cosh. At the time, his father was the defensive coordinator at Kansas State University. A chance to play at a Big 12 school and have his father guide the way was too good for Cosh to pass on, deciding to play college football as a Wildcat.
Unfortunately, when things seem too good to be true, they often are. Cosh’s coaches opted to give him a freshman redshirt his first season at Kansas State, meaning he would be sidelined and not see action the entire season.
Looking ahead to his sophomore season, Cosh realized there may not be an opportunity for him to play anytime soon. With three quarterbacks on the roster that were returning the following season, all of them were ahead of him on the depth chart. He was paid a visit by James Madison University’s head coach Mickey Matthews who told Cosh he would have a better opportunity playing for him, so Cosh made the move.
Transferring to James Madison for his sophomore year hoping that he would have the chance to play, Cosh’s wishes were not answered. Again, Cosh was at the bottom of the depth chart and did not see action the entire season, later claiming that the move from Kansas State was one that he regretted.
“I really made a rash decision to leave, Coach [Bill] Snyder told me I would regret it, and he was right in some ways,” Cosh said. “I went [to James Madison] and was kind of told I wasn’t good enough, which was probably true, I wasn’t the greatest player, but I was never really given a shot.”
Cosh realized that he would have to step down a level if he wanted to get any real playing time, opting to transfer again, this time to Butler Community College in the NJCAA. Making the move in hopes to impress scouts and get back to the Division I level, Cosh did just that.
Stepping down a level gave Cosh the opportunity to see the field, but the talent pool in the NJCAA was very deep. He played with “12 to 15” future NFL players and against current All-Pro players such as Tyreek Hill, Alvin Kamara and Cordarrelle Patterson.
Cosh’s lone junior college season was described as a “rebirth” for him by Butler head coach Troy Morrell. He turned heads by throwing for 2,856 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2012, but he would soon face another obstacle. Cosh tore his ACL in the NJCAA junior college championship game and lost to Iowa Western, 27-7.
Despite the sour ending, Cosh reflects on his time at Butler fondly.
“I loved that time,” Cosh said. “I loved my teammates. I loved the coaching staff … so that was awesome.”
Despite the injury, Cosh had impressed college scouts enough to receive some offers. He committed to the University of Houston before the conclusion of the 2012 season, successfully making his way back to the NCAA Division I level.
However, Cosh soon faced another roadblock. His commitment to Houston came before the injury to his knee, something that he thought would lead the team to pulling his scholarship. To Cosh’s surprise, the Cougars chose to keep him around.
Still rehabbing his ACL tear, Cosh missed the entire 2013 season due to injury. He made his debut in 2014, and though he only saw the field three times at Houston, he was able to end his college career on his terms, not others’.
Though Cosh’s time at Houston was underwhelming on the field, it was where he met his wife, Kelsey.
Being around the game of football his entire life, Cosh has faced plenty of adversity throughout his career. Due to these challenges, it makes sense that Stony Brook Athletic Director Shawn Heilbron believes that Cosh is the man for the job to bring the Seawolves back to relevance.
Kenny Spurrell is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.
Obituary: Joseph Mark Shroyer
Prepared by the Shroyer Family
On Aug. 4th, 1932, Dr. Joseph Mark Shroyer (Joe) passed away at 91 on July 9th at Stony Brook University Hospital.
Born to Dr. Reed M. and L. Pearl Shroyer in Vincennes, Indiana, he grew up as the youngest of four. In Indiana, he learned the importance of hard work, education and family.
He, subsequently, completed his bachelor’s degree at the Indiana University, where he served as the president of the Acacia House and was a co-founder of the world-renowned Little 500 bicycle race.
Joe married Nancy Jane Morris, and his first child, Ken, was born, while attending medical school at Yale. Following graduation, Dr. Shroyer pursued training in experimental pathology, at the University of Rochester, in Upstate N.Y., where his daughter, Beth, was born.
Following this, Joe completed residency and clinical fellowships, in adult and pediatric orthopedics, at the Mayo Clinic, Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the New Mexico State Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Shroyer enlisted as an officer in the U.S. Army in 1962, serving as a trauma and orthopedic surgeon, for almost nine years. He was the commanding surgeon of a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) unit in Vietnam, as well. Additionally, he was the chief of orthopedics at military bases, throughout the southwest.
Dr. Shroyer entered private practice in Pueblo, Colorado, in 1969, where he lived with Ken, Beth and his first wife, Nancy, until she passed away. In 1982, Dr. Shroyer married Joann Arnold, with whom he raised their daughter, Katie, and his stepson, Brian. Later in life, he married his high school sweetheart, Nancy Knowles, with whom he lived for many years before she passed away, last year.
Joe was an adventurer, avid horseman, skier, sailor and motorcyclist. He and the family traveled frequently to Kino Bay, on the coast of one of the most remote areas of Northwest Mexico, and to the high peaks of the Rocky Mountains.
He devoted his life to serving others, and was a role model to his children, grandchildren and those whose life he touched.
Dr. Shroyer is survived by his son, Ken, his wife, Laurie, his daughters, Beth and Katie, and his three grandchildren: Robert, Jessica and Brad.
A memorial service was held at the Three Village Church in Setauket.
Obituary: Henry Hull
Prepared By Christine Cognetti
Henry Hull (Hank) of Port Jefferson passed away on July 26 at the age of 91. Born in 1933 in Orange County, Hank was the son of Henry Hull and Helen Frances Smith of Highland Mills.
Having lost both his parents by age 14, building a strong family was everything to this man. His greatest joy was spending 64 years married to the love of his life, Eileen Katherine Hull. Together they had four children: Jacqueline Hull, Suzanne Frances Wolff, the late Lawrence Henry Hull and Christine Cognetti. The role he treasured most was being grandfather to his all-star team of seven who lovingly called him Pop: Thomas Henry Hull, Sarah Hull, Alexa Jane Wolff, Connor Wolff, Ella Cognetti, Olivia Cognetti, and Katherine Cognetti.
Raised by his loving sister-in-law Carrie, college seemed out of reach until he was inspired by a high school teacher to apply to Albany State. There he discovered his lifelong love for education. Hank earned his bachelor degree from the University at Albany, a master’s degree from Hofstra University and did extensive graduate work in mathematics at Boston College.
Hank was a believer in the power of education, so teaching was not only his career but also his true calling. He spent 35 years teaching mathematics at a variety of levels, ranging from middle school classes in Northport to courses at Suffolk Community College and Dowling College. In addition, he was a founding member of the Continental Mathematics League (CML), an organization that enables students and schools to compete in a variety of subjects on a global level.
Giving back to the community was always a priority for Hank. He was a member of the Eaton’s Neck Fire Department and an ex-Captain and lifetime member of the Port Jefferson Fire Department. A veteran of the US Air Force, he was a mathematics instructor at Sampson Air Force base in Geneva.
Using stories and jokes he touched so many lives; Hank was always ready with a (not so) quick story to engage those around him. He loved the challenge of puzzles and met the crossword each day with a hopeful spirit. Hank found a passion for poetry, often gaining inspiration at night and writing throughout the day. We are now fortunate to have hundreds of poems to comfort us.
Hank enjoyed the simple things in life with his grandchildren like ice cream, oreos, a cold beer and deep discussions. He loved seeing his children and grandchildren play the sports he once played himself and could often be found cheering on the sidelines of soccer, lacrosse, golf, basketball, and baseball. Up until the end, he kept track of where everyone was in their travels so he could pray for their safe returns.
Wherever Hank went he touched the lives of so many with his deep sense of caring and utmost respect for others.
Memorial visitation was on Thursday, August 1 from 2–4 p.m. and 7–9 p.m. at Bryant Funeral Home. Firematic services are on Friday at 8:00 p.m. A mass followed by celebration of life was held on Friday, August 2 at 11:30 a.m. at Caroline Episcopal Church in Setauket. The burial was at the Cemetery of the Highlands on Saturday, August 3 at 1p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Caroline Episcopal Church of East Setauket.
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