CLOSE
Tags Posts tagged with "Obituary"

Obituary

by -
0 756
Audrey Hirschmann

Audrey Eleanor Hirschmann passed away at home on Dec. 15, 2024. She lived in Strongs Neck for over 55 years. She is best known and remembered for having worked at the Emma S. Clark Memorial Library for over 40 years, where she was appreciated and loved by co-workers and patrons alike.

She grew up in Rockville Centre and attended Southside High School as well as The Southern Seminary Junior College for Women, where she majored in merchandising and was an award winning equestrian.

Upon graduating, she worked as a buyer in the bridal department for Lord & Taylor until marrying.  She is predeceased by her husband, William (Bill), to whom she was married in 1952 and passed in 2014, her son William Jr. (Billy) in 1982, and a long line of pampered dogs she and her husband cared for and loved throughout their marriage. She is survived by two daughters, Leslie Baffa of Stony Brook and Nancy Hirschmann of Philadelphia.

A celebration of Audrey’s life will be held April 4 at 5 p.m. in the community room of the Emma S. Clark Memorial Library, 120 Main St., Setauket. All are welcome to attend.

by -
0 544
Dick Rohman reading “The Night Before Christmas” to his granddaughter Eliza. Photo courtresy Rohman family.

Richard G. Rohman, “Dick Rohman” of Greenport passed away on December 27, 2024, at the age of 84.

Richard graduated from the Island Trees High School in Levittown in 1958 and served in the United States Air Force from 1960 to 1965.

In 1963, he married his wife, Jane Rohman. Together, they had two sons, Richard Rohman Jr. and Alexander Rohman. Richard is survived by his wife Jane, sons Richard and Alex and daughters-in-law Barbara and Rebecca. He was the cherished grandfather of Evan, Aidan, Lucas, Jacob and Eliza. He was also a fond uncle to George and Erica, and a loving brother-in-law to Connie.

Richard had a passion for sailing, fishing and skiing. He also built his own business that recently celebrated its 50th year anniversary. There are countless stories where he helps others over the years. His modest demeanor and positive attitude defined him as a great husband, father, grandfather, father-in-law, uncle, brother-in- law, mentor, boss and leader. He impacted so many lives in a positive way and will not be forgotten.

A celebration of life will be held on April 5, Richard’s birthday. 

Richard will be fondly missed by all who knew and loved him.

by -
0 345
Mary Beth Launders-Hydo

Mary Beth Launders-Hydo, of East Northport passed away on March 18 at 63 years of age. She was the beloved wife of William Hydo and loving mother of Stephanie Hydo; dear sister of William Launders; and devoted aunt of William Launders Jr.

Visiting hours will be held at Nolan Funeral Home, 5 Laurel Avenue, Northport on Saturday, March 30 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. with a prayer service beginning at 3:30 p.m. Cremation will be private.

by -
0 372
Thomas Anthony Stanco

Thomas Anthony Stanco, 80, a Centerport resident for 50-plus years, passed away peacefully on Friday, Feb. 28, surrounded by family. Affectionately known as Tom or Tommy, he was born Dec. 3, 1944, in Glen Cove and grew up in Oyster Bay and Locust Valley.

He married Linda M. Stanco in 1971, and had a successful career at Dun & Bradstreet, Grumman Aerospace Corporation and Suffolk County Board of Elections. 

Stanco always put loved ones first. He delighted in family gatherings, especially Sunday pasta nights, backyard barbeques, holiday celebrations and milestone events. Stanco was fun-loving and had a way of making people smile; he was always ready to tell stories, make a joke or grab a nearby object and pretend it was a hat.

An avid cook and fearless experimenter in the kitchen, he perfected recipes from eggrolls, vanilla custard and rum balls to fettuccini alfredo, baklava and buttermilk biscuits (which were the star of every holiday feast).

His other passions included gardening, cuddling his cat Latte, relaxing in Florida and Sag Harbor, playing solitaire, researching family genealogy, indulging in ice cream, discussing airplanes and vintage cars, scoring great deals at garage sales and being with family and friends.

Tom is survived by his loving wife Linda, daughter Jessica Rubano, son Matthew Stanco and grandsons Joseph Rubano and Michael Rubano.

Donations in his name can be directed to Last Hope Animal Rescue at lasthopeanimalrescue.org/donate-to-last-hope.

by -
0 777
uard Elijah Olaniyi in action against Yale on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019. Olaniyi passed away on Thursday, Feb. 27 after a battle with brain cancer. Photo by Emma Harris/Statesman file

By George Caratzas 

Elijah Olaniyi, a former star for the Stony Brook University men’s basketball team died on Thursday, Feb. 27 after an on-and-off battle with brain cancer. He was 26.

More than 15 months ago, Olaniyi was diagnosed with a tumor on the right frontal lobe of his brain. After undergoing three different surgeries to remove it, it was revealed that the tumor had been cancerous. Olaniyi went through radiation therapy and declared himself cancer-free on Feb. 27, 2024. Late in 2024, Olaniyi was once again hospitalized, as the cancer returned.

Olaniyi was recruited out of Newark East Side High School in Newark, N.J., and lost his mother, Ruth Olaniyi, just two days after arriving at Stony Brook in 2017. Across four years with the Seawolves, Olaniyi distinguished himself as one of the best players in program history, averaging 12.2 points per game.

Nonetheless, he excelled on the court, serving as the sixth man for the Seawolves as a freshman. Appearing in every one of Stony Brook’s 32 games, Olaniyi averaged 7.8 points per game, on the way to being named the America East Conference’s Rookie of the Year.

He then took the next step forward as a sophomore, becoming a full-time starter and continuing his dominance. His production jumped, as he averaged 12.3 points per game and was named to the All-America East Third Team in the 2018-2019 season. His junior year proved to be his most fruitful, as he averaged 18.0 points per game. After his stellar 2019-2020 campaign, he was awarded with a selection to the All-America East First Team. 

The next year, Olaniyi took his talents south, transferring to the University of Miami for his senior year. After moving to the Atlantic Coast Conference, Olaniyi still found some success as he was good for 10.5 points per game while shooting 42.1% from the field. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA gave Olaniyi an additional year of eligibility, which he used to return to the north shore of Long Island for a graduate season as he pursued a degree in Business Management. 

In his final year of college basketball, Olaniyi dealt with a knee injury which sidelined him in the third game of the Seawolves’ season. Even upon returning to the court, Olaniyi took time off throughout the year to deal with mental health issues, something doctors later attributed to the tumor which they believe began to form during the 2021-2022 season.

After leaving Stony Brook, Olaniyi moved overseas, where he tried launching a professional career with the Basket-Ball Club Sparta Bertrange in Luxembourg. He played well in Europe during the 2022-2023 season, but was forced to medically retire on Dec. 6, 2023. 

In a statement to Stony Brook’s Statesman, Stony Brook Athletics said “We are completely shattered by the news of Elijah’s passing. Not only was Elijah a beloved member of our Seawolves family, he was a son, brother and friend who gave so much of himself to so many. Throughout his battle with cancer, he displayed the competitiveness and courage that he displayed on the basketball court. Although Elijah’s brave fight has peacefully come to an end, his legacy and the memories he left behind will endure forever.”

During their game against Hofstra the night of his passing, current members of the Seawolves wore a heart-shaped patch with the letter “E” in the center in Olaniyi’s honor. In emotional fashion, Stony Brook won that game over its cross-island rival by a final score of 59-56. 

“It’s hard because those of us that know Elijah and were part of his career and life, it’s difficult because he’s a kid, he’s a young man,” head coach Geno Ford said in a postgame press conference. “We knew it was coming because he had been battling this illness. He hung in there way longer than what was advertised, which was no shock because of the competitor and a warrior he was as a player.”

Olaniyi is survived by his father Festus, and five siblings: Samson, Gabriel, David, Esther and Hannah. 

George Caratzas 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.

by -
0 450
Stock photo

Dr. Arthur Leonard Graff, FACS, of Scranton, N.C. passed away peacefully at his home on Saturday, March 1. He  was 80 years old.

Arthur Leonard Graff

Dr. Graff was born in Brooklyn on Sept. 21, 1944, to the late Joseph and Doris Andersen Graff. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 33 years, Marnette Travia Graff. He is survived by his sons and daughters-in-law: Robert Graff and his wife Jennifer of Bloomington, Minn.; Matthew Graff of Newcastle, Maine, and his first wife, Dorothy Dreasen Graff; and Sean Burk of Belhaven, N.C.; as well as grandchildren Rachel Graff, Ella Graff, Kevin Graff and Ryan Graff and his fiancée Katie Cronin. He was preceded in death by his brother Robert Graff.

Dr. Graff was a plastic and reconstructive surgeon for thirty years who started a four-man practice on Long Island where he also participated in cleft palate clinics and performed hand microsurgery. He was co-owner of a Port Jefferson restaurant where he learned to love cooking. After moving to North Carolina in 1996, Dr. Graff continued practicing medicine in Belhaven, where he gained coverage approval from the state of North Carolina for Medicaid patients with reconstructive needs. He also worked in the Emergency Department at Pungo District and Washington County hospitals.

Dr. Graff took pleasure in hunting in the Catskills and in his hunt club in North Carolina, deep-sea fishing around the world and attending the sporting events of his children and grandchildren. In retirement he enjoyed Nascar and F-1 racing, and would often be found walking his dogs along the Pungo River. In Hyde County, he was a member of the Scranton Volunteer Fire Department and served on various committees and boards throughout Eastern North Carolina. He traveled to many foreign countries with his wife but always looked forward to returning home to Scranton, a place he came to love. A devoted and supportive grandfather, he also cherished the friendships he made and kept in New York, North Carolina and England.

The family gratefully extends their thanks to the caring staff of Amedisys Hospice who allowed Arthur to spend his last days at his home, especially Kristen Battershell, RN, and Hattie Dixon.

A celebration of his life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to the Scranton Fire Department at 5224 Sladesville Credle Rd., Scranton, NC  27875.

Arrangements are by Bryan Funeral Service, Swan Quarter.

by -
0 782
Stock photo
Lilly Horner

Lilly Horner, of Centerport, passed away on Feb. 21, at 89 years of age. She was the beloved mother of Christian (Carolyn) Horner; loving grandmother of Michael (Carson Newton) Horner, Thomas (Dani) Brennan and Catherine Horner; and dear sister of Gunnhildur Sugurdardottir, Nannabjorg Sigurdardottir and the late Bergsveinn Sigurdsson.

Visiting hours were held at Nolan Funeral Home in Northport on Feb. 24. Cremation was private. Donations in Lilly’s name may be made to The Wounded Warrior Project ( www.woundedwarriorproject.org).

by -
0 383
Madeline C. Smith

Madeline C. Smith, of Kings Park, formerly of East Northport, passed away on Feb. 18 at 95 years of age.

She was the beloved wife of the late Warren and loving mother of Nancy Petit, Lisa Meinecke, Peggy Ann Smith, and the late Robert Smith; the cherished grandmother of Jennifer Fargnoli, Ryan Smith, Gina Neary, Kelly Brady, Steven Meinecke, and Katie Kostuk and the devoted great grandmother of Kira, Alyssa, Lea, Lindsay, Madeline and Layla. She was the dear sister of Marion Bopp.

The Funeral Mass was held at Feb. 28 at St. Anthony of Padua Church in East Northport. Cremation was private.

by -
0 392
Michael Piersa. Photo courtesy Nolan Funeral Home

Michael Piersa, of East Northport, passed away on Feb. 27 at 61 years of age.

Piersa was the beloved son of Patricia and the late George M. Piersa, the loving brother of Theresa, Apel, Barbara Piersa and John Piersa and the dear uncle of Jonathan, James, Kaitlin, Ashley, Jacqueline and Mikayla. He was great uncle to Arriana and Emma.

Visiting to take place Tuesday, March 4, from 5-8 p.m. at Nolan Funeral Home, 5 Laurel Ave, Northport. Family and friends will gather at the funeral home Wednesday, March 5,  at 10 a.m. for a 10:30 a.m. prayer service with Friar Valentine officiating. A burial will follow at St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Michael’s memory to People’s Arc of Suffolk would be greatly appreciated.

by -
0 531
Barbara Muttitt Thomas

Barbara Louise Muttitt Thomas, age 93, of Brentwood, NY, died on Feb. 10. The cause of death was heart failure.

Born March 22, 1931, in Port Jefferson, Thomas was the daughter of the late John S. Muttitt and Ruth Schmeelk Muttitt. She was married to Charles L. Thomas (deceased) with whom she had three children. They later divorced. She lived in the Setauket area most of her life and used the surroundings of the area as subjects of her paintings. Thomas developed quite a talent. Her artwork is prized by her family and friends. In 1984 she moved to Hartwell, GA, to be near her mother.  She was a secretary for the Department of Art at the University of Georgia, Athens. In 1992, she returned to Setauket to help care for her daughter’s two young boys.  She was a longtime member of Setauket United Methodist Church where she sang in the choir and led Bible studies.

Thomas is survived by two sons, Glenn Thomas of Santa Clara, UT, and Mark Thomas of Heathsville, VA; sisters, Lillian Muttitt of Patchogue, and Shirley Kowalski of Hartwell, GA; and by grandsons Jared Thomas, Charlie Thomas, Peter Steinert and Kristopher Steinert.  She was preceded in death by daughter Sharon Thomas Steinert of Setauket and brother Dennis Muttitt of Hartwell, GA.

Thomas donated her body to the medical school at SUNY, Stony Brook. A memorial service will be held at Setauket United Methodist Church in May.

Prev1...234...21Next Page 3 of 21
TBR News Media is your local news and entertainment website.
We provide you with the latest breaking news and information for your community.
Contact us: [email protected]

Most Viewed

©