Virginia Rose Sheridan. Photo from Bryant Funeral Home
Prepared By the Sheridan Family
Virginia Rose Sheridan died at her home in East Setauket on Sunday, Sept. 10, after a long illness.
She was born to Julia and Niel Johnson of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 29, 1943. She graduated from Wilkinsburg High School, where she won numerous awards playing viola in the school orchestra and clarinet in the marching band. She often reminisced about the challenges of marching up and down Pittsburgh’s steep hills and recalled once marching right out of her shoes on a muddy day.
Virginia attended West Virginia University on a full music scholarship and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music education in 1965. At WVU, she met and married the love of her life, Philip John Sheridan Jr., of Massapequa. Their daughter, Sharon Joyce, was born in 1964 at the university hospital.
After Philip completed his master’s degree and began his teaching career at Patchogue-Medford High School, the family moved to Long Island. They lived briefly in Massapequa, then in Farmingville. Their son, Philip Geoffrey, was born in 1967. In 1973, they moved to East Setauket.
Virginia was a loving wife and mother, and an active volunteer. She served as a class mother and parent chaperone in the schools, as a Cub Scout den mother and Girl Scout leader, and as a church school teacher. At Caroline Episcopal Church in Setauket, she was a longtime member of the altar guild and volunteered with her husband at the food booth at the annual church fair. She also volunteered at a local soup kitchen.
A lifelong learner, she studied everything from Spanish and Yiddish to financial planning and mahjong. She worked in a variety of jobs, including as proofreader for what was then The Village Times and as a staff member for former Suffolk County Legislator Steve Englebright (D-Setauket). She also was an enthusiastic kayaker.
A service celebrating her life will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23, at Caroline Church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105, or at www.stjude.org.
Joseph D. Eng Sr., of South Setauket, passed peacefully on May 4. He was 91.
Joseph emigrated from Toisan, China — near Macao and Hong Kong — on his own at 14, joining his father in British Columbia, Canada. After his father died, Joseph made his way to New York, where he worked briefly as a waiter, then went on to interior design school.
He made a small fortune on the stock market. Shortly thereafter he developed a concept for a new restaurant, which he founded with partners in 1970. For many years, the Dragon Island was an iconic restaurant in Centereach, serving Chinese cuisine and tropical drinks in a lush setting.
Joseph’s design, with waterfalls, koi ponds and footbridges, and featuring live Hawaiian culture entertainment on the weekends, offered catering as well. The venue was the scene of epic New Year’s Eve parties and hundreds of special events, including weddings, sweet sixteens, showers, prom dinners and company galas.
Joseph was predeceased by his devoted wife, Kit-Mei, who passed in 2019. He is survived by the children from his first marriage, Audrey, Suzie and George; and from his second marriage, Catherine, Joseph, Vivian and Carl. He was a loving grandfather to Ryley, Henry, Ryker, Lucas, Robert, Max, Matthew, Brian, Caden and Dylan Grace.
A service was held at O.B. Davis Funeral Homes in Centereach on Saturday, May 20. Interment followed at Pinelawn cemetery in Farmingdale.
Raymond “Ray” Joseph Janis Jr., of South Jamesport, was a consummate fighter all his life.
His fight began on the football field, where he and his brother helped secure a Suffolk County championship in 1953. He was willing to fight for his country and community, first serving in the U.S. Army Reserves and then volunteering in the Jamesport Fire Department. Later in life, he fought long and hard against heart disease.
Now his fight is over and, for once, he rests easy. Ray died peacefully surrounded by family at Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead on Sunday, Feb. 12. He was 88.
Boys from the North Fork
Ray was born on Jan. 23, 1935, with his identical twin, Jerry, at Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport. They were the first pair of twins delivered by cesarean in the hospital’s history, their lives etched into local history from the very outset.
Until Jerry’s death in 2012, the twins were inseparable. The farm boys of the North Fork walked to and from school together, tended farm animals together, played sports together and spent the bulk of their lives in each other’s company.
Ray and Jerry both attended Riverhead High School, where they won the famed 1953 county title against Amityville. Also a fierce badminton duo, the pair won the county championship in doubles.
After graduating high school, they both took up carpentry. Renowned artisans, Ray and Jerry opened and co-owned the Twin Builders company, constructing homes along the East End and throughout Suffolk County. The structures they built were meant to last, standing as living relics of their ingenuity and skill, their dynamic collaboration and the special love the two had shared.
Delivering eggs from his family’s farm, Ray met his other partner in life, Rowena Ambrose. Both shy, it took some convincing from Rowena’s matchmaker aunt, Julia, before the two went out on their first date.
Ray escorted Rowena to a Southampton beauty contest, where the two discovered magnetic chemistry on the dance floor. A floodlight beaming down upon them, they formed an unbroken bond that would span nearly seven decades. They married in 1958 and raised two sons, Raymond III “Randy” and Darrell.
“A fireman’s son”
As the twin builders went to work building up their community, Ray also went to work protecting it. He joined the Jamesport Fire Department in 1966 and was an active member for the rest of his life.
Ray held the rank of fire chief in the years 1983-85, serving alongside his brother-in-law Ray Diem, and celebrated 50 years with the department in 2016.
In reaching this milestone, the New York State Senate commemorated his local contribution with a legislative resolution.
“Throughout 50 years of devoted service, this volunteer heroically performed, above and beyond the call of duty, those responsibilities which define the task of fire protection,” the resolution said.
But his duties at the firehouse never disrupted Ray’s responsibilities to his family. He was completely devoted to his wife, supporting Rowena through his declining health. He was a kind, loving father and role model to Randy and Darrell.
On his office wall lies the poem, “A Fireman’s Son,” a visible reminder of the ideals he nourished in his two boys. It reads, “My dad’s a fireman, and proud am I, indeed. For he is someone special, whose wisdom I still need.”
Ray stayed present in his sons’ lives, coaching Little League and youth basketball teams, teaching them to shuck clams and constantly pointing them down a proper course. Randy and Darrell’s characters, generous and warm, are a testament to their upbringing under Ray’s instruction.
When Randy and Darrell started their own families, they carried Ray and Rowena’s values forward for the next generation. Their children revered their grandfather, affectionately known to them as “Grandpa” (even “G-pa”).
Some of their fondest memories are those spent with Grandpa — summer carnivals sponsored by the fire department, Christmas parties at the firehouse and backyard Sunday dinners.
A heart
To know Ray is to know his heart — not merely the physical complications that ailed him later in life but also the love, kindness and strength contained within it.
For decades, he battled through frequent strains on his heart. Keeping him alive were innumerable pills, myriad doctor visits and overnight hospital stays and nearly a half-dozen major cardiac procedures.
Yet, in the face of these hurdles, the fire burning within him to keep living could not be extinguished. In his final two years, his health was largely sustained by the contributions of his sister-in-law, Lucille, whose tireless dedication and tender care helped extend his life. The time tacked on through her efforts is immeasurable and priceless.
During his life, Ray gave much of himself to the people he loved, the causes he backed and the values he upheld. He was the ultimate gentleman, always putting the needs of others before his own, never speaking ill of someone else. The good feelings were mutual, earning him the love of his family and the respect of his community.
Ray reminds us to love unconditionally, to serve others and to never squander the precious moments we have here on Earth. He approached his days with abundant energy, vigor and optimism. He savored every second he had.
For Ray, being alive was a thrill in itself. He embraced life in all its multiplicity, accepting the trials and triumphs as they came in turn. Through it all, his heart was the last of his organs to finally give out — a full heart that kept beating to the very end.
Ray is survived by his wife, Rowena; his sons Randy (Theresa) and Darrell (Bernadette); his grandchildren, Ally, Megan, Alec, Raymond IV and Claire; and his large extended family.
The wake will take place Friday, Feb. 17, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck. His fireman’s funeral procession will leave DeFriest-Grattan Saturday, Feb. 18, at 10 a.m., followed by an 11 a.m. funeral Mass at St. John the Evangelist R.C. Church in Riverhead.
Donations in Ray’s honor can be sent to the Jamesport Fire Department.
Howard Otto Wunderlich Jr.
Photo courtesy Harry Katz
Prepared by Dawn Jerry & Harry Katz
Howard Otto Wunderlich Jr., of Port Jefferson Station, passed away on Jan. 6 from cardiac arrest at the age of 74.
Howard was the beloved and eldest son of Adeline and Dr. Howard Wunderlich, a noted radiologist affiliated with Mather and St. Charles hospitals for many years.
Howard was a cherished brother of Dawn Rose, Karen Adeline, Alan Martin and Karl Andrew. He joins his parents and younger brother, Paul Peter, in eternal rest.
He was an adored uncle known as “Uncle Howie” to 10 nieces and nephews. Howard was also a beloved resident of the Echo Arms Adult Home in Port Jefferson Station where he served as president of the resident community council for over a decade.
Howard graduated from Earl L. Vandermeulen High School in Port Jefferson and Wagner College in Staten Island, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Following college, he moved to Italy, studied medicine and gained perfect fluency in the Italian language.
He pursued various vocations and hobbies, and was a phenomenal chef and a lifelong intellectual with endless curiosity. Above all, he was kind and generous, and his mother always said that “he has a heart of gold.”
In his retirement, he resided at Echo Arms and, while there, organized many events and worked toward the betterment of the residents for whom he continually advocated. Among his many contributions was organizing special events, such as ice cream socials, dinners and catered events. With the former administrator, Harry Katz, he brought in Mister Softee, which the residents looked forward to and enjoyed on hot summer days.
He was a major contributing force to special fried chicken dinners and catered meals from various delis in the community. Also, he accompanied the administrator on trips to Uncle Giuseppe’s, where they picked specific items for dinner that Howard knew would delight the residents.
Howard lobbied successfully for many upgrades at Echo Arms. Through the community council, he helped implement new air conditioning and heating units. During his tenure, universal free cable television became a reality for the residents. With input from residents, he successfully advocated for better outdoor lighting and security upgrades around the property.
Howard was always available to the residents of Echo Arms, offering measured and sage advice when necessary. He had a knack for steering others on the right path when they needed redirecting and counsel. He was a true gentleman, respected by all, with a presence and manner that was universally loved.
He was a fabulous oral historian who drew on his wealth of memories of Port Jefferson from the 1950s up to the present time.
His presence is already sorely missed at Echo Arms. His family intends to hold a memorial for him this summer, complete with a catered event for the residents and staff of Echo Arms, which was Howard’s wish.
His life, his kindness and his love will be remembered always.
Nora Theresa Laffey, a Port Jefferson resident, joined the company of angels and her husband Mike Dec. 26, passing away at home. She was 84.
Nora is survived by her five children: Michael, John, Kevin, Eileen and James. She is also survived by her 12 grandchildren: Brendan, Collin, Brianna, Sean, Kelly, Katie, Michael, Maureen, James, Ciaran, Megan and CJ.
Born in Ballieborough, County Cavan Ireland, Nov. 27, 1936, Nora was the oldest of eight siblings, including Sean, James, Patrick, Brendan, Austin, Bridie, Margaret Rose, and Helen Jean. Nora emigrated to the U.S. by boat in 1952 to work as a housekeeper. She completed her schooling at Hempstead High School and met her husband Michael at a dance held at the Irish American Hall in Mineola. They were both naturalized citizens with Mike serving the U.S. forces during the Korean war.
Nora’s positively and generosity touched the lives of so many people. Her Thanksgiving day dinners for over 35 years are legendary. Always tied to her family in Ireland, Nora’s annual trips to see her family and educate her children about Ireland were always a great source of pride and joy for her. Her warm smile and welcoming spirit will be missed by many who were always welcomed with a cup of tea at her home in either Lettergesh, Ireland or Port Jefferson.
We rejoice that Nora is now happy with Mike in heaven, her love and steadfast Christian faith was as committed as the Pope, and her life is an example of humility and kindness. She will be deeply missed by all.
Viewing will be held at 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 31 at Moloney’s Funeral Home Port Jefferson Station. Church Services are to follow at 11 a.m. at Infant Jesus Church in Port Jefferson, Followed by a burial at Cedar Hill Cemetery.
Back to Basics in Rocky Point has been around for over four decades before its owner, Drew Henry Tyler, died earlier this year. Photo by Kyle Barr
Though he may have passed on, a local shop owner, one who helped pioneer the health foods market on Long Island, is still appearing to thank people passing by his small corner store.
Drew Henry Tyler, a resident of Shoreham Village and owner of Back to Basics in Rocky Point, passed away in June. Photo by Robert Gutowski
Back to Basics, a natural food store in Rocky Point, has been vacant for months. In its window a sign is posted: “Thanks for 43 Years.” The longtime owner of the shop, Drew Henry Tyler, 67, passed away June 8 after a battle with adrenal cancer.
His wife of little under 28 years, Lee Frei, is a longtime resident of Shoreham village. She and her future husband originally met at the store.
She got to know him as an honest and quiet man, but the kind of quiet that hides a unique intelligence. She said if he hadn’t passed, he would have likely still been there, manning the counter and talking to customers about anything from politics to music to yoga.
“There was so much to Drew,” she said. “He was calm and wise. I often thanked him for that.”
Tyler grew up with his brother Rick on a chicken farm in Lake Ronkonkoma, back when the area was still mostly rural, and some of the main roads still remained dirt paths. Rick Tyler called that just your average life of “barefoot boys growing up in the woods.”
The two were introduced to Provisions, a health food shop in Port Jefferson back in the1970s, the brother said. Working there, the two formed a side business called Journey Foods, where the two would go into New York City, bringing back “tubs” of tofu, sprouts and other such items to sell to the still-small market of health food stores on the eastern side of Long Island, back when many wholesale distributors didn’t come out past Route 110. The brothers even got into the business of growing sprouts, which Rick said were “temperamental.”
The two made connections with many of the health food retailers on the Island, but the brothers had a unique opportunity when the original owners of Back to Basics in Rocky Point were looking to sell.
Jane Alcorn, who now helps lead the effort to transform the Shoreham Tesla property into a museum and science incubator, started the store in 1976 with her husband and two friends. When a few years after opening, her business partners moved away, she and her husband decided to sell to the Tyler brothers, who had expressed interest in the place for a while. She thought of Drew as a “kind man — he was quiet and hardworking.”
“It was always a pleasure to go there and see how they had made some changes, but still kept the essence of the store — natural foods, and healthy and specialty products for the people of the surrounding area,” Alcorn said. “He obviously did a good job to have been in business so long. Back to Basics was one of the oldest stores in Rocky Point and, even now, I’m sure many people, like me, miss running in to pick up some special items that aren’t available anywhere nearby.”
The store was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Frei said and, after Drew passed, family came to help sell the remaining merchandise at cost.
Rick Tyler, who now lives in Pennsylvania, worked at the store for a little over a decade before moving on. As the health food market boomed, he said it got harder to compete, and they were “always fighting against the mass market and Trader Joe’s.”
Still, despite any difficulty. Rick said his brother was the kind of man who would leave the counter to help a woman bring her purchases to the car. He was the kind of man who engendered trust, and when Rick came back to Long Island to help with closing down the shop, he and those manning the shop were greeted with a bevy of longtime customers who fondly remembered the store owner, some young enough to say they had been coming there for practically their entire lives.
“He was a very gentle, kind, smart, funny guy — he was very well liked,” Rick Tyler said of his brother.
Jan Tyler, the brothers’ mother, said the people who came to the store in those final days were coming in with both sympathy and expressions of sorrow.
“I think you couldn’t help but love Drew,” the mother said. “He tried to help everybody he could, he would drop everything and help a woman with bundles in the rain. On the whole everybody cared a great deal for him.”
Linda Stever, who worked for Drew at Back to Basics for several years, said the owner was inherently trusting of his customers and community. She wrote in a post to Tyler’s obituary that from the first day she worked for him, the man simply trusted people.
“I lived in Rocky Point for years, but I never felt such a sense of community until I worked with Drew at Back to Basics,” Stever wrote. “He was my boss, but I considered him and his wife Lee to be my friends as well. I’m thankful for knowing him.”
Tyler was well known in Shoreham village, especially as a man who was competitive on the tennis courts. Frei said he loved the “mechanics of moving,” of having motions done with expert grace. Family friend Laura Baisch wrote in a tribute to Drew that he was known for his “quiet laugh and look of complete satisfaction when he hit the perfect shot.”
Frei said he was in the village doubles finals one year, and residents would come to watch because he was so much fun on the courts.
“His perspiration would make a heart-like mark on his shirt, and the crowd would chant, ‘I heart Drew,’” she said.
Celerina Maureen Miguel Cristy, age 53, died April 15 this year of respiratory heart failure resulting from infection by COVID-19. She died at Richmond University Medical Center, Staten Island. Friends called her Rina.
Rina, who grew up in Port Jefferson Station, had a career that intersected with national events in politics and developing the economy, particularly by enhancing global financial security after the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.
Rina Cristy. Go to the bottom of the article to see the date and time for an online memorial.
Rina and her husband of 23 years, Sam Cristy, were parenting two teenage children at the time of her death. The Cristys have lived in Staten Island since 2004. Rina had lived or worked in Port Jefferson Station, Boston, metro Washington, D.C., Manhattan and Jersey City.
Born in November 1966 in Chicago, Rina was the first of her family born in the U.S. Her parents, Art and Gloria Miguel, immigrated from the Philippines, then met and married in America. Art was an engineer in aviation, and Gloria was a nurse. The Miguels moved to Port Jefferson Station, where they still live. The gregarious household grew to include Rina’s two younger brothers and two grandparents. Later, the Miguel home expanded again to incorporate Rina and Sam, and soon thereafter a grandson. Four generations gathered daily for breakfast.
Rina is a Comsewogue High School alumna. She attended Emerson College in Boston, graduating in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science in speech communications, advertising, and public relations. In 2000, she received her Master of Business Administration degree in computer information systems from Hofstra University, where she earned the prestigious Hofstra University MBA Fellowship.
Community service is an innate Miguel family hallmark. Rina’s grandfather was an educator and a decorated officer of U.S. and Philippine armies. Rina described her mother as the springboard to political engagement and developing a New Yorker ethos. Rina recalled co-piloting a plane with her father, Art. Such moments inspired her to imagine boundless agency, Rina said. Thus prepared, she moved from Boston to Washington, D.C., to start her career in 1988.
Rina served the Honorable U.S. Rep. George Hochbrueckner (1-NY), Eastern Long Island, administering finance and fundraising in his congressional campaigns. She joined the congressional staff and quickly advanced to senior legislative aide. Reflecting on Rina’s accomplishments, Hochbrueckner commented, “Rina’s diligent activities aided in the funding of the initial as well as the ongoing dredging of Shinnecock Inlet, thus preventing the loss of lives of the local commercial fishermen. She also assisted in the designation of Peconic Bay as a new member of the National Estuary Program, providing special environmental funding to this day.” Her collaboration also secured federal funds for Lyme disease mitigation and education.
Following her congressional work, Rina proceeded to the Defenders of Wildlife conservation society. As aide to the director, she served the executive board and contributed to the conservation of wild lands and restoration of wolf habitats.
The 1990s on Capitol Hill invigorated Rina’s optimism that she could make an enduring contribution in the nexus of public policy and business. The Calverton Enterprise Park is an example. Rina facilitated the legislative steps that converted the federal aviation site to ownership by the Town of Riverhead. This pivot from Cold War defense projects opened the way for emerging environmental health sciences. Calverton now stands primed to open temporary hospital services during the COVID pandemic.
Rina’s pivot to finance came via her Hofstra MBA. She was subsequently hired by the Federal Reserve Bank in Manhattan. There, she supported the U.S. Federal Reserve System’s function in regulating and examining regional and global banks. Her work protected deposits, assessed bank solvency, and engaged protections against money laundering and terrorist financing.
Starting in 2004, Rina developed her specialty as an executive in retail and wholesale banks developing data, personnel, and operations systems for transaction security and compliance with regulations and best practices.
She worked in the Staten Island offices of Independence Community Bank. She proceeded to Rabobank International and ultimately to Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation in Manhattan, where she rose to Director & Group Manager of Compliance Operations before being assigned as Director of Compliance Department, Americas Division.
In the era following the 2001 terrorist attacks, bankers wrestled with costly and demanding federal laws for enhanced fiduciary obligations. Evaluating competition, profits, and best practices called for a newly specialized banker. Banks were tasked to ask clients prickly questions, slow deals, and (perhaps) defer legitimate loans until novel risk assessments were satisfied. The urgent world of finance strained to adopt these subjective analyses. As banks with problems incurred fines, compliance experts like Rina proved essential to keeping banks in good control.
Rina’s policy and bank experience fit this role. Her teams set out to divine regulatory expectations and move banks to comply. Foremost, she assured profit drivers that the evolving security measures were intrinsic to bank success. Rina was gratified to see her early interpretations as an auditor at the Fed gain adoption as trade standards years later.
One of Rina’s work colleagues, Risë Zaiser, bonded with Rina as mentor and friend. They shared triumphs in motherhood and careers. Zaiser tracked Rina’s moves in various banks and trade panels.
“When we first met her, she came in guns a-blazing, and we were talking about how we were going to get her a bat. But she didn’t need a bat. She was just able to convince, and they followed her direction,” Zaiser said.
Industry colleagues noted that Rina was an effective department director because of her genuine humanity, humor, and collaboration. Life in banking cubicles can be fraught, staid, and tedious. One boss recalled surprise, then gratitude in receiving an office hug.
“Smiles can tear down the tallest, thickest walls. The power of Rina’s smile was the selflessness behind it,” he said. “Rina was always positive and upbeat, addressing adversity with that smile. I challenge all of us to take what Rina has given us and pass it along.”
Rina was passionate about cultivating professional opportunities for women and developing diversity in business and civic leadership. Hofstra invited her to speak quarterly to business students, and she regularly trained interns. SMBC designated a scholarship in Rina’s name to enhance the Women’s Inclusion Network professional development project. SMBC noted her continuous mentoring of students and professionals.
“That enthusiasm and willingness to take on things widened her scope,” Zaiser noted. In the Women’s Inclusion Network, Rina was a “tireless devotee,” and she answered a call to be a co-president. “We all voted for her. It was great to work with her. I’m really going to miss her joyfulness.”
Rina was a devoted member of Brighton Heights Reformed Church in St. George. She joined the denomination as a long-time member of the Reformed Church of America at Stony Brook, previously known as Christ Community Church.
Staten Islanders knew Rina as a passionate supporter of families at Dance Dance Dance, Ltd., where her daughter thrived as a student. Many knew Rina through her masterful knitting, which she shared lovingly with cancer patients, premature babies and many friends.
She loved ballroom dancing with Sam. She engaged her kids’ every pursuit with verve, including raising a rescue pitbull. From Rina, her children learned faith in God, the enduring affection of family, and how to cook from scratch.
When Rina contracted COVID, the disease was daily killing 2,000 in the U.S., 8,000 people worldwide. To her family, she endures in death as a true a love and steadfast guide. Quarantined, short of breath, and resolute, she typed her gratitude to the world: “Be kind to each other.”
Rina is survived by her husband, Sam; their children, Alex and Amelia, of Staten Island; parents, Art and Gloria Miguel; brother Arturo Miguel, his wife Kim, and nephew Gabriel; and brother Fernando Miguel, his wife Kim, and nephews Colin, Elias, and Reece.
A family memorial service will be recorded and broadcast on YouTube at 3p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21. Matthew Funeral Home, Staten Island, arranged the cremation. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to ameliorate effects of the pandemic.
The funeral home and Rina’s Facebook page will post updates about observances, including congregational observances in future months at Brighton Heights Reformed Church, Staten Island. To view the memorial, use these links:
Frederick Conrad Hoffmann III, of Port Jefferson Station, passed away Nov. 6 peacefully surrounded by his loving family. He was 84.
Fred was born in Jamaica, NY on Feb. 1, 1936 to Frederick Conrad Jr. and Clara (Borden) Hoffmann. He graduated from Andrew Jackson High School in 1953, from Adelphi University in 1962, and earned a Master’s in Administration at Stony Brook University In 1977. Fred was the captain of his high school and college track teams.
Fred was a veteran of the Army National Guard from 1959 to 1964. He married the former Diane Kuhn in 1960 and was married for 60 wonderful years. Fred had a rewarding 26-year career as a physical education teacher and coach at Comsewogue High School, where he retired in 1991. Fred thoroughly enjoyed teaching and coaching many sports over the years, including track, winter track, cross country, soccer, golf and bowling.
Throughout his life, Fred enjoyed traveling the country with his wife. His hobbies included fishing, golfing, bowling, cooking, watching sports, Jeopardy, politics, singing, giving nicknames and spending time with his children and grandchildren. Fred was known for his vast knowledge of many subjects, especially sports and sports statistics, much like a sports encyclopedia. Fred touched many lives with his wise advice, was known for his quick wit and sense of humor, and brought joy to all who met him.
Fred is survived by his loving wife, Diane, of 60 years. They were a wonderful example of what love is, often saying the secret to their long marriage was making each other laugh. Fred is survived by his siblings, Maland Hoffmann and his wife Barbara Ellen Weinkauf and her husband Steven and Garry Hoffmann and his wife Lynn; and numerous nieces and nephews. Fred and Diane had four children which he is survived by, including Frederick Conrad Hoffmann IV and his wife Lynda, and their children, Frederick Conrad V and his wife Kristie, Douglas and his wife Samantha, Logan, Trystan, and Brandon, of Port Jefferson, Matthew Hoffmann, of Royalton, VT and son Quinn, of Jacksonville, Fla; Peter Hoffmann, of Port Jefferson Station and Christine (Hoffmann) Joy and her husband David, and their children, Ellen, Amy, and Nicholas, of Buckeystown, MD. Fred adored his grandchildren, and all nine will miss their loving grandpa. Fred was recently blessed with a great grandson, Steele Thomas, and was able to meet him earlier this month.
Due to the increase in COVID-19 cases, the family has decided to hold a virtual memorial gathering. Please join the family on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020, at 7 p.m. for a virtual memorial gathering. For more information, and to RSVP to attend the service please go to:
Dr. Mark L. Cherches, of Port Jefferson, died Sept. 18. He was 85.
Dr. Mark Cherches
The well-known area dentist was born Sept. 22, 1934 in the Bronx. After graduating from New York University College of Dentistry in 1959, he served in the U.S. Army as a captain and was stationed in Fort Knox, Kentucky.
He moved to Rocky Point in 1962, and then moved to Port Jefferson in 1969.
Dr. Cherches practiced dentistry in both Rocky Point and Port Jefferson for 55 years. He was fiercely devoted to his patients and provided dental education programs to both the Rocky Point and Port Jefferson school districts.
Dr. Cherches was a past recipient of TBR News Media’s Person of the Year award for Health and Medicine and received the Theodore Roosevelt Award from St. Charles Hospital for his extraordinary commitment and volunteerism to the hospital.
For decades, he donated his time as director of the dental residency program at St. Charles Hospital and as a supervising dentist at the Cleft Palate Clinic at St. Charles. He was also on staff at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital, now called Mather Hospital.
He was an active member of the Port Jefferson Lions Club for over 55 years and was an active member of the North Shore Jewish Center since 1962. He was an avid skier, golfer, tennis player, bicyclist, photographer, boater and fisherman. He had a lifelong passion for learning.Later in life, he volunteered his time to the Long Island Veterans Home in Stony Brook.
Cherches was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley. He is survived by his son, Gary (Kate); his son, Eric (Barbara); and by his two beloved granddaughters, Joanna and Carly. He is also survived by his beloved sister, Helen Weissman; and by many loving nieces and nephews.
Arrangements were entrusted to Beth Shalom Memorial Chapels in Smithtown, and internment took place at Washington Memorial Park. Donations in Dr. Cherches’ memory can be made to North Shore Jewish Center or to the Dental Clinic at St. Charles Hospital.
The Mount Sinai Fire Department held a ceremony for Wilson two days after his death. Photo from Mount Sinai Fire Department Facebook
Walter Wilson, a chief at the Mount Sinai Fire Department and longtime firefighter, passed away April 27. He was 80 and had just recently celebrated his birthday before
his passing.
Walter Wilson. Photo by Kevin Redding
Wilson joined the Mount Sinai Fire Department eight years ago, and when he passed away, he was the captain of the fire police Company 4. The 1st Mount Sinai Assistant Chief Randy Nelson said after joining, Wilson quickly became a “staple of leadership within the department, whether it was senior members or new members who were only serving a couple months or years.”
On his birthday, despite his ailments, Wilson stood in his yard as both the fire department and a steady stream of cars from the community rolled by his house to celebrate him turning 80.
In a previous article from 2017 in the Village Beacon Record, Walter Wilson, then 77, was described as a former utilities manager at Stony Brook University and volunteer who came out of retirement to join the firehouse after serving the Yaphank Fire Department for 26 years. There he had served as an officer in the ranks and commissioner of the Yaphank Fire District. He told the reporter at the time of the article that once a fireman, always a fireman.
“I had taken about a 10-year break [between Yaphank and Mount Sinai] and retired, but every time a siren went off in the neighborhood, my wife would say to me, ‘you’re like a dog on a porch, getting ready to go chase cars,’” said Wilson. “But it’s great. I got back in, and I love it.”
The Mount Sinai Fire Department held a ceremony April 29 for the fallen captain, with fire trucks rolling out in front of the firehouse on Mount Sinai-Coram Rd underneath a giant American flag and onto North Country road.
“Your kind heart and dedication to the fire department and the community will never be forgotten,” the fire department wrote on Facebook. “May you Rest In Peace Wally we will take it from here.”
Nora is survived by her five children: Michael, John, Kevin, Eileen and James. She is also survived by her 12 grandchildren: Brendan, Collin, Brianna, Sean, Kelly, Katie, Michael, Maureen, James, Ciaran, Megan and CJ.
Fred was born in Jamaica, NY on Feb. 1, 1936 to Frederick Conrad Jr. and Clara (Borden) Hoffmann. He graduated from Andrew Jackson High School in 1953, from Adelphi University in 1962, and earned a Master’s in Administration at Stony Brook University In 1977. Fred was the captain of his high school and college track teams. 
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