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Edith Howard Petersen

Edith Petersen

Edith Petersen of Stony Brook died quietly in her home March 30. Her son Raymond, granddaughter Emily and friend Denise were with her. Edith was 94 years young.

Edith was predeceased by her loving husband Howard M. and is survived by her beloved children Lynn Kauffman (Nicholas), Raymond Petersen, Nancy Petersen (Brian Baker) and Ronald Petersen (Victoria). She is a cherished grandmother to Bonnie, Paul, Meridena, Keara, Kimberly, Emily and the late Christopher. She also leaves behind four great-grandchildren.

Edith grew up in a Scandinavian neighborhood in Brooklyn where she met her husband at a roller skating rink. Living through the Great Depression and World War II had a lasting impression on her, but she never lost her zest for life and enjoyed cooking and baking. She was game for the many family activities initiated by her children and grandchildren, including skiing for the first time at age 50.

When they moved to Stony Brook, she and Howard operated the Petersen Marine Towing and Tugboat Corporation and the Mattituck Marina and Fishing Station, which was later acquired by New York State for a public access marine park.

Edith was a constant reader and always ready for political discussion, especially in support of women’s rights. She was interred next to her husband, a World War II veteran, at the Calverton Cemetery.

In celebration of her life, donations can be made to Visiting Nurse Service, Hospice of Suffolk County and Emily’s List.

 

Constance Kohlmeyer

Constance Kohlmeyer

Constance “Connie” Kohlmeyer, of Port Jefferson, died April 22. She was  82.

Kohlmeyer was born May 26, 1936, and in life her hobbies included birdwatching, gardening and bowling.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Henry.

Left to cherish her memory are her daughters Carolyn and Kristie; son Kenneth; five grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; along with many other family and friends.

People may call at the Bryant Funeral Home, located at 411 Old Town Road in East Setauket for more information: 631-473-0082.

Visiting hours will be hosted April 27 from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Prayer service will be held that day at 8 p.m. at Bryant Funeral Home. A private cremation will follow.

Arrangements were entrusted to the Bryant Funeral Home of Setauket. People can visit www.bryantfh.com to sign the online guest book.

 

John Lopez

John D. Lopez

John D. Lopez of Smithtown died on April 6 at the age of 87. He was the beloved husband of the late Marjorie, loving father of John Jr. (Kathryn) and cherished grandfather of Natasha and Kayla. John was a proud member of the FDNY, where he last served as captain at Engine 62 in the Bronx. John also was a proud Army veteran and served during the Korean War. Services were held April 10.

 

William Michael Amatucci

William Michael Amatucci of East Northport died on April 9 at the age of 64. He was the beloved son of Catherine and the late Silvio, and loving brother of Rick and John. Bill was a longtime maintenance worker at Sunken Meadow State Park. Services were held April 13 with burial at Commack Cemetery.

 

Richard Tartaglia

Richard Tartaglia

Richard Tartaglia of Centerport died on April 14 at the age of 80. He was the beloved husband of Joan; loving father of Thomas (Suzanne), Debra Caporusso (Philip), Joanne Brieva (Art) and the late Elizabeth; cherished grandfather of Olivia and Jack Tartaglia, Philip and Richard Caporusso and Nicole and Frank Brieva; dear brother of Robert (Barbara) and brother-in-law of Jane Berman (Andy); and his beloved niece and nephews. Services were held April 24 with burial at St. John of God Cemetery in Central Islip.

 

Rose Mary Prestia

Rose Mary Prestia

Rose Mary Prestia of Kew Gardens died on March 31 at the age of 93. She was loved by her many nieces and nephews. Services were held April 3 at Nolan Funeral Home in Northport with a funeral Mass at St. Joseph’s Church in Kings Park. Burial followed at St. John’s Cemetery in Middle Village.

 

Deborah Pecchia

Deborah Pecchia

Deborah Pecchia of East Northport died on March 28. She was 63 years old. Loving wife of Anthony. Caring mother of Lauren Pesce (Alphonse), Stephen (Amy)and Dan. Fond grandma “Bubba” of Stefano, Giuliana, Gabriella, Mikaela, Thomas and Brandon. Beloved daughter of Harriet and the late Henry Yost. Caring sister of Kenneth Yost and Cathy Goldfarb. Cremation was private.

 

Mark Schneider

Mark Schneider

Mark Schneider of Northport died on April 1. Born in 1958, he was the loving and devoted son of Mary Anne and the late Deacon Andrew and dear brother of the late Kenneth. Services were held April 6 at St. Philip Neri Church in Northport. Interment followed at the parish cemetery. Donations to the Ecumenical Lay Council Food Pantry, 330 Main Street, Northport, NY 11768, in Mark’s memory, would be appreciated.

 

Stephen Scola

Stephen Scola

Stephen Scola of Fort Salonga died peacefully at age 84 on March 30. He was the devoted husband of Amanda; loving father of John (Stephanie)and Loren Kobus (Theodore); proud and caring grandfather of Owen, Greta, Luca, Audra, Ethan and Theo; and fond brother of Peter.

Stephen loved his chosen professional path as an accomplished orthodontist. After 39 years in practice, he continued working as an attending professor at St. Barnabas University in the Bronx. He truly loved working with the students and sharing his experience and love for orthodontics, which he did until his passing.

Stephen loved vacationing with family, biking, kayaking, swimming and experiencing all that New York City has to offer with his wife, Amanda. He was a true gentleman and loved talking about the economy/financial markets and family.

Services were held April 4 with interment of ashes at Locust Valley Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations to MDS Foundation or Huntington YMCA in his memory would be appreciated.

 

Joseph Krupowicz

Joseph J. Krupowicz

Joseph J. Krupowicz of Centerport died on April 2 at 81 years of age. Retired from the FDNY, he was the loving father of son Joseph Jr. and daugher, the late JoAnn Schafer (Ken); beloved grandfather of Gina Krupowicz and Andrew Schafer; dear brother of Barry (Theresa), Fred (Joann), Vivian, and the late Loretta Janus. Joseph was also loved by his many nieces and nephews. A memorial Mass at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church was held on April 16. Interment of ashes followed at Pinelawn Memorial Park.

 

Gayle Tugendaft

Gayle Tugendhaft

Gayle Tugendhaft of Huntington Station died on April 5 at 82 years of age. She was the beloved mother of Ann (Vincent) Gagliano, Michael (Mary) Margulies, Lynn (Michael) Meyer, Joan (Bill) Muller and Margie (Michael) Bachner; loving grandmother of Eli, Gabriella, Julianna, Michael, Naomi, Olivia, Travis, Lowell, Ashley, Jillian, Stefan, Jenny, Ali and Brianna. Cherished great-grandmother of nine. Memorial services were held at Nolan Funeral Home in Northport on April 11.

 

Ellen Duffy

Ellen Regina Duffy

Ellen R. Duffy of Centerport died on Easter Sunday, April 21 at 81 years of age. She was the beloved wife of Gene; loving mother of Stacy Dougal (Cliff), Thomas, Jennifer Blue (Craig) and Eileen Pitfick; cherished grandmother of Jake and Sean Dougal, Connor and Waylon Blue and John, Thomas and Kate Pitfick; and dear sister of Jean Schneider. A funeral Mass will be held April 25 at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport with burial to follow at Northport Rural Cemetery. Donations to Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Ellen’s memory would be appreciated.

 

Joseph Riccobono

Joseph Riccobono

Joseph Robert Riccobano, known as “Joe R.,” of East Northport died on March 31 at 68 years of age. He was the loving husband of Joan M. Convery and the late Donna Marie Riccobono; beloved father of Loretta (Dan) Hickman and Jodie (Bryan) Boccard; cherished grandfather of Aidan Daniel Hickman, Austin Joseph Hickman, Isla Donna Boccard and Leo Andrew Boccard; dear brother of the late Angela Wills; fond brother-in-law of Katie Gelormino, John Convery, Timothy Convery, Patrick Convery, Joni Michelis, Linda Liebl; and son-in-law of Joan B. Farrell. A funeral Mass was held on April 5 at St. Philip Neri Church with burial at Northport Rural Cemetery.

Times Beacon Record News Media publishes free obituaries as a service to our readers. Announcements may be emailed to [email protected]. For further information, please call 631-751-7744, ext. 138.

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Richard Dormer served the people of Suffolk County for for 38 years. Photo from Suffolk County Police Department

By Donna Deedy

Former Suffolk County Police Commissioner Richard Dormer died at age 79 Sunday, April 21 after a three-year battle with cancer. 

Dormer, an Irish immigrant, became a police officer in 1963 and was among the first 800 officers in the department’s history. He climbed the department’s ranks and retired after 30 years of service as chief. Dormer was then appointed in 2004 Suffolk County Police Commissioner and served in that post until he retired in 2011. 

“Commissioner Dormer dedicated his life to public service, and he should be remembered for his commitment to public safety,” said current Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart. “I extend my thoughts and prayers during this difficult time to his family, including his children, two of whom are continuing his legacy as members of the Suffolk County Police Department, and to the men and women in the department who are mourning his loss.”

While serving as commissioner, Dormer oversaw the department’s anti-gang policies and was involved in investigating a string of unsolved homicides, after the dismembered bodies of 10 people were found in bushes near Gilgo Beach. In 2006, Dormer implemented a novel approach to disposing of its confiscated gun arsenal: the department shredded the firearms it collected.  

“They’re going to go in a shredder and never harm another person in Suffolk County again,” he said after highlighting the new policy as a cost saving measure at a press conference. The department’s old system required transporting twice a year its seized weapons to a foundry in Pennsylvania, where the firearms were melted down. 

“During the tenure of former Commissioner Dormer, our department made great advances, including the creation of our Homeland Security Bureau, attaining New York State accreditation and incorporating modern concepts to respond to active shooter incidents,” said Suffolk County Police Chief Stuart Cameron.   

Dormer is survived by his wife, Barbara; daughters Kathleen Brady and Bridget Dormer; sons Michael, John and Richard Dormer; eight grandchildren; and siblings Frankie, Bridget and Maura. 

Visitations will be held at Nolan Funeral Home, at 5 Laurel Ave., Northport, Thursday and Friday, April 25 and 26 from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Mass is Saturday, April 27 at 9:15 a.m., at St. Philip Neri Church, 344 Main St., Northport.  In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to www.giving.mountsinai.org.  

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Pat Vecchio, right, with local historian Noel Gish during one of Smithtown's 350th Anniversary events. File photo by Chris Mellides
Former Smithtown Town Supervisor Pat Vecchio in his office in 2013. File photo by Rachel Shapiro
Pat Vecchio at a Smithtown Veterans ceremony in 2011. File photo
A plaque honoring former Supervisor Pat Vecchio's 40 years of service hangs in Smithtown Town Hall. Photo from the Town of Smithown
Pat Vecchio, right, talking with former New York State Gov. Mario Cuomo in 2004. File photo
Former Smithtown Town Supervisor Pat Vecchio during a town board meeting. File photo by Phil Corso
Former U.S. Congressman Tim Bishop presenting Pat Vecchio with a check in 2008. File photo
Pat Vecchio stands by an electric car in 2005. File photo
Former Smithtown Town Supervisor Pat Vechhio with members of the 350th Anniversary Whisper Committee in 2014. File photo

By Donna Deedy

It was a life well-lived. A first-generation American, the child of Italian immigrants, born during the Great Depression and dedicated to public service.

“At the end of the day, I’ve done something for people. And that’s the guiding principle of my life,” said former Smithtown Supervisor Patrick Vecchio in a 2015 interview with The Times of Smithtown. 

“At the end of the day, I’ve done something for people. And that’s the guiding principle of my life.”

— Patrick Vecchio

Patrick Vecchio died Sunday, April 7, at age 88. For a record 40 years — nearly half of his lifetime — he held the Town of Smithtown’s highest office. During his tenure, seven different U.S. presidents held office, while the residents of Smithtown re-elected the same man to represent them again and again for 13 terms.

Roughly half of his years in office, he served as a Democrat, the other half a Republican. Today, people in both parties recognize his distinct leadership qualities. In fact, his portrait hangs in the Town of Smithtown Town Hall, and the building itself bears his name. The gesture, announced while Vecchio was still in office during a March 3, 2015 board meeting, surprised Vecchio and left him humbled and teary-eyed.

During the 2015 town hall dedication ceremony, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone (D) made a point to say that Vecchio had served Smithtown the right way. At the same event, New York State Sen. John Flanagan (R-East Northport) was equally complimentary.

“He’s cheap, and he wears it like a badge of honor,” he said. “He never forgot, never forgets and never will forget where the money is coming from.”

Vecchio was legendary for his fiscal restraint. Town Historian Brad Harris said with a laugh that it’s more apt to call him “tight.” But Vecchio’s 40-year Smithtown legacy is rich and storied on a range of topics from open government policies to environmental conservation.

Under his leadership, Smithtown earned national recognition for many environmental and clean energy projects. The town pioneered a development rights program that enabled — at no cost to taxpayers — the preservation of important land such as the historic Harned Saw Mill site in Commack and the Saam wetlands at the headwaters of the Nissequoque River. Thanks to Vecchio, Smithtown was the first community in the nation to voluntarily convert its diesel-powered fleet of refuse trucks to run on compressed natural gas, which saved money and reduced noise and
air pollution.

“I’ve been here for 35 years; the Town of Smithtown never had a better friend than Pat Vecchio.”

— Russell Barnett

Smithtown was also an early adopter of wind generators and solar panels. Under Vecchio, the state awarded Smithtown in 2016 a $250,000 clean energy grant. Thanks to that award, solar electric projects are still underway at Smithtown Landing Country Club and town hall.

“I’ve been here for 35 years; the Town of Smithtown never had a better friend than Pat Vecchio,” said Russell Barnett, the Smithtown environmental protection director.

The community regarded Vecchio as a man with conviction. And people, whether they agreed with his position or not, said that they respected his opinion.

“He’s a feisty guy … ready to take on an issue or political opponent,” said Harris, after the town hall dedication ceremony. “He does battle for the people of Smithtown.”

People consistently note the leader’s commitment to the local community.

Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R) said that he recognized Vecchio as a true public servant. “In his historic time in office, he always did what he thought was best for residents … that was always at the forefront of his every decision,” he said.

December 12, 2017 was Vecchio’s last board meeting as Smithtown supervisor. The occasion drew a crowd that filled the board room and trailed through the hallways and down staircases. People bid farewell and thanked the supervisor for implementing his vision on their behalf. Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) noted during the tribute that Vecchio was leaving Smithtown with a budgetary surplus rather than debt.

“This town is in such good financial shape, it is all because of you,” Trotta said. “You should be a model for every other town in the nation, the state and certainly the county.”

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Photo by Phil Corso
Patrick Vecchio, the longest-running supervisor for the Town of Smithtown, died on April 6 at the age of 88. The former supervisor served from 1977 until 2017. Funeral services will be held this week.

By Donna Deedy

This photo of Patrick Vecchio hangs in the Smithtown Town Hall’s boardroom

It was a life well lived. A first-generation American, the child of Italian immigrants, born during the Great Depression and dedicated to public service.

“At the end of the day, I’ve done something for people. And that’s the guiding principle of my life,” said former Smithtown Supervisor Patrick Vecchio in a 2015 interview with The Times of Smithtown. 

Patrick Vecchio died Sunday, April 7, at age 88. For a record 40 years — nearly half of his lifetime — he held the Town of Smithtown’s highest office. During his tenure, seven different presidents held office, while the residents of Smithtown reelected the same man to represent them again and again for 13 terms.

………………

December 12, 2017, was Vecchio’s last board meeting as Smithtown supervisor. The occasion drew a crowd that filled the board room and trailed through the hallways and down staircases. People bid farewell and thanked the supervisor for implementing his vision on their behalf. Suffolk County Legislator Robert Trotta (R-Fort Salonga) noted during the tribute that Vecchio was leaving Smithtown with a budgetary surplus rather than debt.

“This town is in such good financial shape, it is all because of you,” Trotta said. “You should be a model for every other town in the country, the nation, the state and certainly the county.”

Read the full article and view photos that commemorate some of the former Supervisor’s local accomplishments in this week’s paper and on our website on April 11.

 

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A photo of Jacob Donaldson from his baseball days. Photo from Victoria Espinoza

By Victoria Espinoza

Jacob Donaldson died this past weekend, leaving an incredibly rich legacy filled with public service and family memories. 

A Huntington Station resident, Donaldson, 90, served as a staff sergeant in the Army during the Korean War, and later as a fireman for the New York City Fire Department. He left his mark in other significant areas as well, including on the baseball diamond, getting signed by the Boston Red Sox organization straight out of high school at age 16 and raising nine children in Huntington with his wife Grace.

Known by most as Jake, Donaldson was born Monday, October 1, 1928 on a crisp, fall Brooklyn day. His parents, George and Helen, raised him and his younger brother George in the borough until Donaldson turned 16 and left Newtown High School in his hometown and was signed as an outfielder to the Milford Red Sox, a Boston Red Sox minor league affiliate which played in Delaware. 

In Donaldson’s first season in 1946 he hit .316 with 14 home runs in 116 games. For the next seven years he played for six other minor league teams, including several seasons with the Albany Senators. During his time on the ball field Donaldson rubbed shoulders with many prolific baseball players, including one hall of famer. 

Left fielder and Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame inductee Ted Williams had to borrow Donaldson’s glove once, after someone broke into the locker room and stole Williams’. Donaldson faced off against pitcher Don Newcombe when he was still in the minor leagues. 

After Newcombe struck Donaldson with one of his pitches, Donaldson told him to meet in the tunnel after the game. When they did, Newcombe said the only reason he hit him was because he was unable to get him out and asked to take the outfielder out for a beer, according to Donaldson.

While Donaldson was excelling on the baseball diamond, he could have fielded his own team at home. He and Grace first welcomed son Jim in 1954, followed by Bob, Kathy, Terry, Patty, Mary, Eileen, John and Joe completing the family of 11 in 1967. The family lived in Huntington Station where the children attended school in both the South Huntington district and Holy Family. 

Donaldson’s baseball career was interrupted after playing 113 games in 1950. He was drafted into the Army during the Korean War, departing in October 1950. He eventually rose to the rank of staff sergeant.

In 1955, the father of nine joined the FDNY as a firefighter. He worked as a motor pump operator and chief’s driver in his nearly 30-year career with the department, mostly working at Engine 3 in Chelsea. He was recognized for his bravery on multiple occasions by the fire department and once appeared on the cover of the New York Daily News on Nov. 23, 1961 following an incident in which a five-alarm blaze did damage to a building in Times Square. On the cover, he is pictured emerging from the building after battling a fire that claimed the lives of two fellow firefighters.

Even though his baseball career came to an end, Donaldson’s days on the field were not over. His daughter Terry said one of her favorite memories was attending an Albany Senators Old Timers Nostalgia reunion game at Hawkins Stadium in the summer of 1985. 

“It was so nice to see the old timers honored and it made my dad’s baseball days come to life for me!” she said. 

When his wife Grace suffered from a stroke in 1997, she was confined to a wheelchair and could no longer use one of her arms. Donaldson ensured his wife was taken care of and stayed right by her side until she died in 2017.

Donaldson was the proud grandfather to 11, and great grandfather to six. He loved spending time with his grandkids, whether it was sharing the sport he loved with them and teaching them how to throw a ball, or playing in the family’s beloved backyard and inground pool. Andrew Mayrick, one of Donaldson’s grandsons, said when he went to the local pub that his grandpa had frequented earlier this week, several people approached him to talk about how much they enjoyed getting to know his grandfather.

“There were a ton of people I had never met who were all upset, and the owner John said, ‘Jake was like a grandfather to everyone,’” Mayrick said. “He loved everyone he met and lived a life worth talking about, so much that strangers would just sit down and love listening to him.” 

Donaldson will be remembered by many as a larger than life personality, a friend to all who knew him, and someone who truly got the most out of life.

“Grandpa Jake had his own special language — a language of love reserved only for our family,” said granddaughter Mary Grace Donaldson. “He let us know ‘what a crew’ we were and had a number of other one-liners that will live on for years to come.”

Visitation will be held at M.A. Connell Funeral Home, 934 New York Ave., Huntington Station on Thursday, March 21 from 7 to 9 p.m. and Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m. A funeral service will be held Friday evening at the funeral home. Interment will be at St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale.

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John Edward Damianos died unexpectedly Feb. 25 in his home. Photo from Damianos Realty Group LLC

Attorney, real estate developer and longtime Three Village resident John Damianos was laid to rest March 4.

Damianos died unexpectedly in his Old Field home Feb. 25. The 67-year-old was the principal and legal counsel of Smithtown-based Damianos Realty Group LLC and a familiar face in the town.

State Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick (R-St. James), who has known Damianos and his family for several years, described him as a cheerful, upbeat and sharp man. The assemblyman said he would always pick Damianos’ brain about local real estate when he saw him at events.

“He was just an all-around good guy,” Fitzpatrick said.

Christine Mazelis, owner of Niche Boutique in St. James and Mazelis Landscape Contracting Corp., met Damianos due to both of their families’ work with the Smithtown Historical Society and said he seemed to have a passion for everything, especially his cars.

“I always saw him as someone who lived his life with purpose,” Mazelis said. “Always giving back to our community.”

Priya Kapoor, executive director of the Smithtown Historical Society, said the Damianos family members are big supporters of the society’s annual Heritage Ball and Heritage Country Fair. John Damianos recently met with Kapoor to help with the landscaping of the historical society’s property, a project that he was not able to see transpire due to his passing.

“He wanted to do good for the community and wanted to beautify the property,” Kapoor said.

Rev. Demetrios Calogredes (Father Jim), pastor of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption in Port Jefferson, said Damianos was a devout Greek Orthodox Christian who served on the church’s parish council for many years.

“He would read with great care the Holy Bible every day and derive inspiration from the Holy Scriptures,” Calogredes said. “John also was a great philanthropist, helping people in need and supporting the local soup kitchens with food and contributions.”

Calogredes said Damianos was an active member of Port Jefferson American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association. The organization was formed in 1922 to help Greek immigrants assimilate into the American way of life and be successful while fighting discrimination.

“John will truly be missed by all our parishioners and friends who loved and admired him,” Calogredes said. “May his soul rest in peace and may others follow his sterling example.”

In addition to his work with the church, Damianos was involved with Middle Country Coalition for Smart Growth, Building Owners’ and Managers’ Association Long Island and the Real Estate Institute. Damianos was a recipient of the Association for a Better Long Island Developer of the Year Award in 2019 along with the Long Island Business News Redevelopment of the Year Award.

According to his family, Damianos quietly supported worthy causes and delivered food parcels to those in need on behalf of City on a Hill Community Church in Middle Island. He also loved working in his yard and on his vintage Porsche.

Damianos was born Dec. 19, 1951, in Plattsburgh to Dr. Xenophon and Virginia Damianos and was raised in Stony Brook with his five brothers and sisters. A member of the Suffolk County Bar Association since 1982, he was a graduate of The Stony Brook School and Long Island University. He earned a juris doctor from the California Western School of Law.

Damianos is survived by his two children, Elexis Zoe Damianos, Esq. and John James Damianos; his former wife and good friend Evonne Damianos; beloved brothers X. Cristofer Damianos (Helayne), Pelops Damianos (Marilyn); and sisters Bonnie Lee Rampone (Chuck), Elektra Gaebelein (Thad) and Beth Ann Damianos.

Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Bryant Funeral Home of East Setauket. A funeral service was held March 4 at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption and interment followed at St. James Episcopal Church Churchyard in St. James.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Monastery of St. Dionysios at 481 N. Country Road, St. James, NY 11780; City on a Hill Community Church at 629 Middle Country Road, Middle Island, NY, 11953; or Bideawee Animal Rescue at 118 Old Country Road, Westhampton, NY 11977.

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Erwin Staller. Photo from Stony Brook University

The Staller Center for the Arts at Stony Brook University is preparing to celebrate the life of Long Island real estate developer and philanthropist, Erwin Staller. A memorial service has been set for April 27 at the venue to remember the SBU benefactor who died Feb. 11, at age 97, at his Lloyd Harbor home.

“Over the years, Erwin Staller’s commitment to the center and to the university was steadfast,” said Alan Inkles, director of the Staller Center. “He, along with his wife Pearl [affectionately called Freddie], his son Cary and the extended family, has been a true supporter of the arts and has been the foundation of the center’s success.”

After his father’s death in 1987, Staller and his family donated the first seven-figure gift to SBU of $1.8 million. The donation resulted in the establishment of The Staller Center for the Arts in memory of his parents, Max and Mary Staller. The developer received the Stony Brook Medal for Extraordinary Service in 1989 and an honorary doctorate of humane letters at SBU in 2001. He also served on the Stony Brook Foundation board of trustees for more than 30 years and was founding chair of Stony Brook Foundation Realty.

“It was always a pleasure to have him and Freddie in the audience knowing how much he enjoyed all kinds of performances,” Inkles said. “As a philanthropist, adviser and friend to the arts, the university and to the region, he will be greatly missed.”

In a letter sent to SBU faculty after Staller’s passing, SBU President Dr. Samuel L. Stanley Jr. said the initial donation of $1.8 million helped “create a foundation for the Staller’s legacy of philanthropy at Stony Brook University spanning 35 years.” Staller and his wife also funded Staller Scholars, which provides scholarships for graduate music students pursuing doctorates in the Department of Music.

The university credits Staller for championing a project to have a campus hotel for more than 23 years until its fruition in 2013. As a result, the roadway between Hilton Garden Inn and the Administration building will be dedicated as Erwin P. Staller Way.

Stanley said Staller, his wife, family and friends joined together in supporting the Staller Center’s mission, and to date they have contributed more than $16 million to fund various programs.

“As we reflect on Erwin’s myriad contributions in time and treasure to benefit our students, faculty, staff and our community, though I will miss him dearly, I am inspired by Erwin Staller’s vision and focus, and in the knowledge that his powerful legacy will live on at Stony Brook for generations to come,” Stanley said.

Staller was raised in Hempstead where he graduated from Hempstead High School. He attended Allegheny College in Pennsylvania before enlisting in the U.S. Army and served in the Signal Corps during World War II. In 1946, Staller married Pearl Friedman, whom he had dated in high school, and the couple had five children.

In the late 1950s, Staller and his father co-founded Hauppauge-based Staller Associates, and became among the first entrepreneurs to develop retail shopping centers on Long Island. A supermarket, drugstore and a U.S. Post Office anchored each of their early shopping centers. Together, the father-son duo developed numerous shopping centers, office and industrial buildings on Long Island and in Connecticut.

Staller is survived by his wife, four children and their spouses, and nine grandchildren.

The memorial service will be held April 27 at 1 p.m. The Staller Center is located at 100 Nicolls Road in Stony Brook.

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Evelyn Berezin. Photo by Barbara Nelson

Evelyn Berezin, formerly of Poquott, died Dec. 8 at the Mary Manning Walsh Home in New York City. She was 93 years old.

She was a computer pioneer who built and marketed the first computerized word processor and the founder and president of the tech start-up Redactron Corporation, which manufactured and sold word processors.

Evelyn Berezin. File photo

Among the honors she received in her lifetime were inductions into the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame in Los Angeles in 2011 and the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, in 2015.

In an interview with The Village Times Herald in 2015, Berezin said when she was younger she thought she would pursue a career in physics, not computer science.

“I got into it by accident,” Berezin said. “It was so early in the game, I didn’t know what it was.”

Berezin was born April 12, 1925, in the Bronx. She was 15 years old when she graduated from high school and went on to study at Hunter College where she developed an interest in physics. She said the day after Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941, her high school physics teacher offered her a research job. Since she was 16, she had to lie about her age in order to get the position.

“Every boy in the country was given a number to be drafted,” Berezin said. “I happened to be there at the right time.”

Berezin worked in a lab while attending college at night and went on to study math at Brooklyn Polytech, physics and chemistry at New York University and English at Hunter. In the April 10, 2015, Village Times Herald article, Berezin said while talking to a recruiter about a government job she discovered that there weren’t many positions in physics, so she asked about computers, something she admitted she never heard of at the time.

Berezin went on to work for a few companies designing computers before opening Redactron.

“In 1969 I decided I would never get to be vice president because I was a woman,” Berezin said. “I decided to start my own company.”

From 1969 to 1975, Redactron grew to employ 500 workers. In 1976, she decided to sell the company to the Burroughs Corporation and joined the company as president of its Redactron division, a position she held until about 1980. After leaving Burroughs, Berezin became involved in a number of start-up companies and moved to Long Island.

Berezin became a member of the Stony Brook Foundation in 1985, according to the Stony Brook University website. She served on the investment committee and was a member of Brookhaven Science Associates, served on the board of overseers of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences of New York University and held a board position with the Sion Power Corporation. She became a member of the John S. Toll Heritage Society at Stony Brook and established the Berezin-Wilenitz Endowment.

“I feel that Stony Brook has given and continues to give a great education to children from low income families and particularly to children of immigrants,” Berezin is quoted as saying on the SBU website. She and her husband of 51 years, Israel Wilenitz, a chemical engineer, also funded the Sam and Rose Berezin Endowed Scholarship, named after her parents.

“Evelyn Berezin spent a lifetime defying expectations and pushing the boundaries of what is possible, and her guidance and generosity have helped empower Stony Brook University and its students to do the same,” SBU President Dr. Samuel L. Stanley Jr. said in a statement. “Her friendship has made Stony Brook a stronger institution, and we will forever be grateful to her.”

Berezin’s husband predeceased her in 2003. Funeral services were held Dec. 11 at the Riverside Memorial Chapel in New York City.

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Dr. Edmunde Stewart had a passion for riding horses. Photo Courtesy of the Steart family

By Vicky Stewart

Dr. Edmunde Andrew Cameron Stewart, 80, died Dec. 6 in St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, surrounded by the love of his family. Stewart had been fighting pneumonia. For the past several years, after being diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, his lungs were compromised.

The Stewart family is most known for living on Old Field Road for many years, where he and his wife, Norma, raised their three children. Stewart was an orthopedic surgeon working at St. Charles Hospital and Mather Hospital, serving as the chief of orthopedics at Mather, for many years, and as a past president of the medical staff at both St. Charles and Mather. He had a private practice on Elm Street in Port Jefferson.

Stewart was also an exceptional equestrian and had a passion for foxhunting. He was the master of the Smithtown Hunt Club and a president of the Smithtown Hunt Horse Show. He is remembered affectionately by fellow foxhunters as “Doc” as he would often help injured riders, during a foxhunt. For many years, he moderated the hunt breakfast, to benefit the museums at Stony Brook. He also served three terms as a trustee for the Village of Old Field.

Although medicine and horses were his passions, his greatest love was his family. Right until the end, with family by his side, he was letting them know how much he loved them.

His legacy will live on through his loving family, who adored him. He leaves behind his wife of 56 years, Norma; his son Greg; daughters Victoria and Gillian; and son-in-law Juan. He was a loving grandpa to his four grandchildren, Olivia, Cameron, Benjamin and Emilia, all who affectionately called him “Deda.”

Stewart was a native of Dundee, Scotland. He was predeceased by his father Andrew Stewart, mother Winifred Byrd Lennox and sister Winifred Lennox Govan.

Stewart entered St. Andrew’s University Medical School in Scotland at the age of 17. Upon graduation in 1961, he did two specialty residences in Scotland: internal medicine and orthopedics. In 1962-63, he taught anatomy at St. Andrew’s University. He came to the United States in 1963 and served his residency in orthopedics at Nassau Hospital, Meadowbrook Hospital and here at St. Charles. He became a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in 1971, and the following year he received his fellow of American College of Surgeons. He also served in the Army Reserve, as a reserve commissioned officer  for the United States Army.

The doctor was a man of many talents. His children remember him playing the trumpet and the piano. Prior to entering medical school, he had spent many years on the stage, as a member of the Dundee Repertory Theatre, with starring roles in productions of “Oliver Twist” and “Great Expectations,” to name a few. At the same time, although busy on the stage and with his studies, Stewart managed to find some time to participate in one of his favorite sports. For two years, he was the junior champion of the West End Lawn Tennis Club, a prominent private tennis club in his native Dundee.

While at St. Andrews, Stewart was a member of the university’s fencing team, touring England, Ireland and Scotland and in the process obtaining his “full blue” for the university.

He was laid to rest Dec. 10 at the Caroline Church of Brookhaven in Setauket, on a beautiful sunny day, with a bagpiper playing “Amazing Grace,” in the distance.

“Every man dies, not every man lives” is a quote he was fond of, by William Wallace, a freedom fighter from Scotland near the end of the 13th century. This quote is a great testament to the fact that Stewart truly lived and lived with passion, until the very end. His fighting spirit and love for life will live on in all who knew him.

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Jack Schaedel with students through the years at Norwood Elementary School. Photo from Joanne Grzymala

Comsewogue School District is widely regarded as a haven for quality education and its community feel by those on the inside and outside. One of the people who played a role in fostering that reputation died Oct. 10, but his spirit won’t be vacating the schools’ walls, or broader community, any time soon.

Jack Schaedel, 78, was a teacher at Norwood Elementary School from 1969 to 1999, though his influence was not confined to his classroom. Schaedel ran the school’s store for years, conditioning the students to raise money to fund class trips or donate to worthy causes. Years of holiday gift sales and other fundraisers paid for trips to Washington, D.C., foreign countries and donations to UNICEF drives, thanks to Schaedel’s leadership.

Schaedel is honored during a chamber of commerce celebration. Photo from Joanne Grzymala

He also spent three decades as an active participant and board member on Port Jefferson Station’s chamber of commerce, on Theatre Three’s board of directors, served as the teachers union’s representative, and as a trustee on Comsewogue Public Library’s board from 1974 to 2000 — a time period that saw the public pillar grow exponentially in size.

Through all of his community involvement and duties as a teacher, the 1999 Port Times Record Man of the Year raised a family with his wife Anne of 58 years, and his family members speak as glowingly of him as his colleagues and students do.

“He was the most positive, happiest person you could meet,” said his daughter Joanne Grzymala, who went on to become a teacher herself. “Within minutes of meeting him he would already be cheering you on, inspiring something inside of you to feel good about yourself. His presence was felt the second he walked into a room. His enthusiasm for life was contagious.”

Comsewogue’s Joe Rella took over the role of Superintendent shortly after Schaedel retired, though the two maintained a relationship. The district’s head said Schaedel’s influence was felt long after he left.

Rella has led the way instituting a problem-based learning curriculum in the district, a method that closer resembles a college thesis format than the standardized teach-to-the-test model characterizing education in recent years. The curriculum is offered to all Comsewogue students this year following a small rollout last school year, which saw PBL students score higher in most cases on state tests than their peers learning in traditional classrooms.

“Long before problem-based learning was on the radar — I’m talking 25 years ago — Jack was doing [the same thing] with his fifth-grade class,” Rella said. “He was a master, he was like the Pied Piper. He got children excited about learning. While they were excited he snuck in the learning.”

In the 1999 Man of the Year feature written about him, then Norwood principal Andrew Cassidy praised Schaedel as a completely dedicated teacher, and board of education member Peter Cario called him singularly focused on the betterment of education.

During his years as a Comsewogue library trustee he worked closely with trustee Ed Wendol, who said as a pair their goal was to craft programs for residents of all age groups aimed at enjoyment and educating.

Jack Schaedel with students through the years at Norwood Elementary School. Photo from Joanne Grzymala

“I found him to be a true professional, really interested in educating, and making sure Comsewogue Public Library become the educational cultural and social center of our community. We felt that to be very important,” Wendol said.

Richard Lusak, the library’s first director who shepherded the facility through major expansion to the community hub it is today, called Schaedel a unifier on the board of trustees relentlessly dedicated to the Port Jeff Station area. “Jack worked very hard with us on all of our programs,” Lusak said. “He was a good man and a good trustee.”

Schaedel is survived by his wife Anne; sisters Cindy Davis and Dixie Schaedel; daughter Joanne Grzymala (Chris) and son Jack (Jackie); five grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter.

A December tribute is being planned in his honor, and those interested can email Joanne at [email protected] for more information.

The family is also asking to consider donating to help in Theatre Three’s recovery from a devastating September flood at P.O. Box 512 Port Jefferson, New York 11777, attention Vivian Koutrakos.

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