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Obituary

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Naomi (Hirschfeld) Solo

Prepared by the Solo Family

Naomi Solo died peacefully at her home on Sept. 23. One of her favorite movies was “Harold and Maude,” a fitting reflection of her spirit with its themes of celebrating life with love, humorand a great soundtrack. She touched many lives, and we will always remember her smile.

Naomi Hirschfeld was born in New Jersey on Dec. 3, 1937. Boston became a central part of her life — not just because she attended Boston University and became a lifelong Red Sox fan, but because it was there that she met her husband, Richard Solo, on an auspicious Friday the 13th (which our family always viewed as lucky).

She is survived by her three children, David, Michael and his wife Susan, and Julie, as well as her sister Karen Ralston, stepsister Isabel Pestronk and countless friends.

She was caring. A fixture in the Port Jefferson community since 1970, she ran the teen center — where she honed her ping-pong skills — and the senior citizen program, organizing annual St. Patrick’s Day outings to Tara’s. She also led the arts and crafts festival in downtown Port Jefferson and later contributed to the village’s Go Green efforts. In 2011, she was named Port Jefferson’s Woman of the Year.

She was curious. She instilled in her family a love of adventure — driving overnight to watch the sunrise on Cadillac Mountain in Maine, schlepping to Randall’s Island to see the New York Cosmos, and making a last-minute trip to Central Park for the historic Simon and Garfunkel concert. Her curiosity took her around the world, from a cross-country honeymoon road trip to regular trips to London. She made friends everywhere and kept in touch with nearly all of them.

She was musical. Our house was always filled with music, including the piano, recorders and guitar that she and our father played. They were close friends with the owners of a folk music record label, whose visits brought sea shanties and musicians into our living room. In her final months, she would still smile and sing along while watching “A Hard Day’s Night.”

She was sharp. Her business degree from BU served her well in her work at Macy’s after college and later in marketing at Danfords Hotel in Port Jefferson. A devoted “Jeopardy!” fan, she watched almost daily.

She had a way with words, whether solving The New York Times crossword puzzle or composing poems for family occasions. She and our neighbor, Ma Gull, often spent nights playing Scrabble together.

She was joyful. Whether on the tennis court, eating sushi, or watching birds, she found joy in almost every moment—and maintained her humor and positivity throughout her life.

A friend in England once shared a story that perfectly captured her spirit: “We were on the Millennium Wheel when she completely transformed the slightly dour atmosphere by leaping from side to side, chatting with everyone. By the time we ‘landed,’ we were all practically best friends. It was magic.”

She will be greatly missed.

At Naomi’s funeral, her family asked for donations to be made to Frank Melville Memorial Park and the Port Jefferson Harbor Education & Arts Conservancy, in lieu of flowers.

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Maureen Zuk

Prepared by the Zuk Family

Maureen Kelly Zuk, an educator, counselor and personal coach from Naples, Florida, and formerly of Port Jefferson Station, passed away on Sept. 13.

She was born on April 7, 1942, in New York City to the late James Bartholomew and Anne Rita Kelly.

Maureen’s teaching career spanned New York City; San Jose, California; and Ludwigsburg, Germany. Among her many achievements, she was twice awarded the San Jose Mercury News Teacher of the Year. She held degrees from Marymount Manhattan College and the New York University Graduate School.

A passionate advocate for science, technology and the arts, Maureen was active in various multicultural and educational communities, leaving a lasting legacy in each.

She was predeceased by her husband, John Zuk, Ph.D., an engineer at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, and by her sister Dorothy Kuveke. She is survived by her siblings Joan and Jim Kelly and a loving extended family of nieces, nephews and their children.

Though Maureen is no longer with us, her spirit and the love she shared will endure in the hearts of those she influenced. She will be remembered with warmth, love and gratitude.

A funeral Mass took place on Monday, Sept. 23 at Immaculate Conception Church in Westhampton Beach.

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Susan Romanelli

Prepared by the Romanelli family

Susan Romanelli was born on Oct. 25, 1949, in Mineola. Shortly after her birth, she moved with her parents, Charlotte and Thomas Tabosky, a combat veteran, to their new Levitt home in Hicksville. She attended Fork Lane School where she was classmates with Billy Joel. Susan became a big sister in 1959 when her brother Tom was born. She had an active childhood and was a member of the local pool’s swim team.

In 1965, after climbing the bleachers to attend the sold-out annual Labor Day Firemen’s Tournament held at Mid Island Plaza, she met her future husband, Jim. She invited him to her Sweet 16 where her grandmother predicted their future nuptials. After the Sweet 16, Jim called and asked her out on two dates: the movies and an upcoming school dance featuring Billy Joel’s band. Thankfully, the first date went well, beginning a long romance.

After graduating from Hicksville High School in 1967, Susan attended Mt. Sinai School of Nursing. Jim was at Stony Brook so they met on weekends and loved attending the many concerts and basketball games at Stony Brook. They were fortunate to see many outstanding performances including The Doors, Janis Joplin, The Who and Jefferson Airplane. In 1970, Susan achieved her dream when she received her RN. That summer, she landed her first job at Nassau Hospital.

Susan and Jim married on June 19, 1971, and in 1974, they moved into their home in East Setauket. In 1975, Susan began working at Mather Hospital and was appointed head nurse in the busy ER on the 3 to 11 p.m. shift. She became acquainted with a group of neurologists and, in 1978, started working in their office, which had one of the first CAT scans.

Life changed in 1980 when Paul was born in May. Susan became a full-time mom and worked part-time in a surgeon’s office, home nursing and weekends in the ER. On Jan. 1, 1983, Christopher joined the family. The two boys kept the family busy with soccer games, Little League and skiing in the winter.

In 1993, Susan returned to full-time nursing when she became a school nurse at a local elementary school. She often said the ER prepared her for school nursing. In her position, she cared for several medically fragile students and quickly gained the admiration of the school community. She also became president of the Nurses’ Association.

Her family continued to grow with the addition of her first grandson, Ari, born in 2005 to Christopher’s family. Paul married in 2009 and welcomed twin boys, Clark and Malcolm, in 2013 and Phineas in 2016.

Susan and Jim retired in 2010, skiing in the winter and traveling in the fall and spring. Their fall trips were to national parks and their spring trips included several river cruises in Europe where Susan fell in love with Paris and Barcelona.

Susan’s passions, besides her family, included gardening, skiing, reading, working out and traveling. Her calm, quiet demeanor served her well in all the roles she played in life. Her favorite saying, “It is what it is,” also guided her through life. She loved living at The Village Walk where she was adored by staff and fellow residents. She always had a smile on her face.

Arrangements were entrusted to Bryant Funeral Home in Setauket. Please visit www.bryantfh.com to sign the online guestbook.

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Robert Hendry

Prepared by the Hendry Family

After graduating from Northport High School, Robert Keith Hendry continued to live in Northport while working for several decades at Sperry Rand Corp. and Huntington Jeep. Following his mother’s death in 2015, he moved to Florida to be near his brother Jim and wife Irene in Ponte Vedra Beach.

Bob was a lifelong Yankees fan but embraced the Mets in the last 10 years. He loved decorating the exterior of his home for holidays, especially Christmas and Halloween. He was an avid fan of classic television and film, particularly from the 1940s to the early 1970s with a special fondness for Westerns. A car enthusiast, he could identify all makes and models from the past 70 years by sight. When his nieces and nephews were young, he loved taking them to Northport Sweet Shop, local bagel and candy stores and especially Adventureland Amusement Park.

Bob cherished his picturesque hometown of Northport with its quaint downtown, harbor, dock and park. His favorite season was summer when boats and small yachts would fill the harbor. He loved bringing his mother to enjoy it with him.

He is survived by his brother Jim and wife Irene; his sister-in-law Celeste Mansfield and husband Don; his nieces and nephews: Erica Hendry (and husband Max Steinmetz), James E. Hendry (and wife Arianna), Ryan Hendry and Kimberly Woods (and husband Geoff); six grandnieces and nephews as well as many cousins and friends.

A celebration of Bob’s life will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, at Nolan Funeral Home in Northport. A religious service will take place at 3:30 p.m. at the funeral home followed by burial at St. Philip Neri Cemetery in East Northport.

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Stephen Brodsky

Prepared by the Brodsky Family

Dr. Stephen Brodsky of Lake Grove, formerly of East Setauket, died Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024. He was 84.

Brodsky was a retired physician. He met his wife, Judy, at Adelphi College, and they married during his first year of medical school. He graduated from Chicago Medical School and completed his residency at Albany Medical Center, followed by two years in the Air Force, stationed in Hawaii. After finishing his residency at Maimonides Hospital in Brooklyn, Brodsky and Judy moved to Setauket with their three children, where they lived until recently. Six years ago, they downsized and relocated to Lake Grove.

Brodsky knew he wanted to be a doctor from a young age; it was his true passion. He loved helping people, and even after retiring, he remained available to assist others. He was a respected member of the medical community.

Brodsky is survived by his wife, Judy; daughter, Sharon; sons, Kenny and David; six grandchildren, Sophia, Alexander, Jonah, Max, Sam and Nathan; and his brother, Nick.

Donations may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in his memory.

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Barbara R. Mohar. Courtesy Allison Mohar Fabella

Prepared by Allison Mohar Fabella

Barbara R. Mohar passed away on Aug. 20, in Marlborough, Massachusetts. She was a beloved piano teacher and college music professor, dedicating more than 40 years to teaching hundreds of students at her home in Stony Brook, and teaching music history at Long Island University.

Known for her creative spirit, generosity and tenacity, Mohar was a charismatic force who always found beauty in her surroundings and in the arts. Her love of painting, music, gardening and animals reflected her deep appreciation for all things beautiful. She cherished her piano students as if they were family, leaving a lasting impact through her dedication and generosity.

Mohar was featured in Newsday and The Village Times Herald for her imaginative teaching style, transforming her Stony Brook home into a theater for her annual “piano plays.” These productions brought music to life, casting each student as a character with costumes, dialogue and choreography.

In addition to her private teaching, Mohar was an adjunct music professor for over 30 years at Long Island University where she received the “Excellence in Teaching” award. She also served as program director for the Suffolk County Music Guild, was a music specialist for the Creative Learning Program of the Long Island Regional Advisory Council on Higher Education and was a board member of The Friends of Sunwood.

A lifelong painter, Mohar filled the walls of her sunroom with paintings of animals, landscapes and flowers, many inspired by her own garden.

Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Mohar studied at the Dana School of Music until she married and relocated to New York City with her musician husband, who was attending the Juilliard School of Music. She later earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from C.W. Post College in Greenvale, graduating with highest honors.

Mohar is survived by her son Brian (Diane) of New Kingston; daughters Victoria (Imade Sudana) of Acton, Massachusetts and Allison Fabella (Ted) of Atlanta, Georgia; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren and her ex-husband Conrad Mohar, with whom she remained close.

In addition to a private family service in Upstate New York in September, a casual gathering will be held on Friday, Sept. 20, from 7 to 10 p.m. at Eastern Pavilion Chinese restaurant in Setauket. Friends and students are welcome to share memories and raise a glass in her honor. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Mohar’s memory may be made to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), a cause dear to her.

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Priscilla Pratt. Courtesy of the Pratt Family

Prepared by the Pratt Family

Priscilla Ewer Pratt of Port Jefferson, died peacefully on July 31. She was 83.

Priscilla was born on March 21, 1941, in Plainfield, New Jersey, to Edmund Addison Pratt and Priscilla Swint Ewer. She graduated from Wheaton College in Illinois with a B.A. in English, earned a Master of Library Science from Rutgers University, and an M.A. in English from SUNY Stony Brook.

Priscilla had a long career as a librarian spanning nearly 54 years in college libraries across Long Island, most recently at Suffolk County Community College, where she worked part-time well into her 80s.

Her love of books was extraordinary, and her intellectual curiosity was lifelong. She excelled at languages, loved poetry and the classics, and participated in book clubs throughout her life. Priscilla also enjoyed writing, history, genealogy, art and nature.

She wrote and published two novels and composed award-winning poetry. Additionally, she played the piano and was an enthusiastic concertgoer and choir member.

Priscilla is survived by her brother, George, and nieces, Cindy, Kathy, Beth, Wendy and Sophie, as well as their families. An inurnment ceremony was held at Caroline Episcopal Church in East Setauket on Sunday, Aug. 11.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Nature Conservancy or the New York Public Library.

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Edward G. Leahey. Courtesy The Island Funeral Home & Crematory

Prepared by Leahey family

Edward G. Leahey passed away on Aug. 6 in Hilton Head, South Carolina, at the age of 87.

Ed was born in Far Rockaway, and grew up in Hollis. He attended Cortland State Teachers College. After graduation, he entered the Marine Corps, where he became an officer, and served in both California and the Far East. Following his military service, he became the director of physical education and athletics, at Suffolk County Community College.

Ed later worked in the shipbuilding industry, with E.W. Hazard Associates, and, later, became the owner of a small resort, the Whiteface Chalet, located in Wilmington.

He was involved with local attractions, businesses and sports — even going so far as to serving, along with his wife, Linda, as an official in both the World Cup and the 1980 Olympic Winter Games.”

After selling the chalet, Ed and Linda became general and business managers for large recreational resorts. He was affiliated with Gurney’s Inn, in Montauk, the Sheraton, in Glens Falls, and the Windmill Point Marine Resort, in Virginia.

Ed and his family moved to Hilton Head in 1987, where he and Linda worked in real estate for more than 25 years. He eventually became a teacher of real estate to newcomers in the industry.

Ed is survived by his wife; son, Todd, of Tolland, Conn.; daughter, Michelle Cox, of Columbia, Mo.; and six grandchildren.

Ed will be cremated, and a memorial is planned for a later date. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be sent to the American Cancer Society. 

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Joseph Shroyer in 2019. Courtesy the of Shroyer family

Prepared by the Shroyer Family

On Aug. 4th, 1932, Dr. Joseph Mark Shroyer (Joe)  passed away at 91 on July 9th at Stony Brook University  Hospital.

Born to Dr. Reed M. and L. Pearl Shroyer in Vincennes,  Indiana, he grew up as the youngest of four. In Indiana, he learned the importance of hard work, education and family.

A photo of Joseph Shroyer taken when he was at college at the Indiana University. Courtesy of the Shroyer family

He, subsequently, completed his bachelor’s degree at the Indiana University,  where he served as the president of the Acacia House and was a co-founder of the world-renowned Little 500 bicycle  race.  

Joe married Nancy Jane Morris, and his first child, Ken, was born, while attending medical school at Yale. Following  graduation, Dr. Shroyer pursued training in experimental pathology, at the University of Rochester, in Upstate N.Y., where his daughter, Beth, was born.

Following this, Joe completed residency and clinical  fellowships, in adult and pediatric orthopedics, at the Mayo  Clinic, Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the New Mexico State Children’s Hospital.  

Dr. Shroyer enlisted as an officer in the U.S. Army in 1962, serving as a trauma and orthopedic surgeon, for almost nine years. He was the commanding surgeon of a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) unit in Vietnam, as well. Additionally, he was the chief of orthopedics at military bases, throughout the southwest.  

Dr. Shroyer entered private practice in Pueblo, Colorado, in 1969, where he lived with Ken, Beth and his first wife, Nancy, until she passed away. In 1982, Dr. Shroyer married Joann Arnold, with whom he raised their daughter, Katie, and his stepson, Brian. Later in life, he married his high  school sweetheart, Nancy Knowles, with whom he lived for many years before she passed away, last year.  

Joe was an adventurer, avid horseman, skier, sailor and  motorcyclist. He and the family traveled frequently to Kino Bay, on the coast of one of the most remote areas of Northwest Mexico, and to the high peaks of the Rocky Mountains.

He devoted his life to serving others, and was a role model to his children, grandchildren and those whose life he touched.

Dr. Shroyer is survived by his son, Ken, his wife, Laurie, his daughters, Beth and Katie, and his three grandchildren: Robert, Jessica and  Brad.

A memorial service was held at the Three Village Church in Setauket.

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Henry Hull

Prepared By Christine Cognetti

Henry Hull (Hank) of Port Jefferson passed away on July 26 at the age of 91.  Born in 1933 in Orange County, Hank was the son of Henry Hull and Helen Frances Smith of Highland Mills. 

Having lost both his parents by age 14, building a strong family was everything to this man.  His greatest joy was spending 64 years married to the love of his life, Eileen Katherine Hull.  Together they had four children: Jacqueline Hull, Suzanne Frances Wolff, the late Lawrence Henry Hull and Christine Cognetti.  The role he treasured most was being grandfather to his all-star team of seven who lovingly called him Pop: Thomas Henry Hull, Sarah Hull, Alexa Jane Wolff, Connor Wolff, Ella Cognetti, Olivia Cognetti, and Katherine Cognetti.

Raised by his loving sister-in-law Carrie, college seemed out of reach until he was inspired by a high school teacher to apply to Albany State. There he discovered his lifelong love for education.  Hank earned his bachelor degree from the University at Albany, a master’s degree from Hofstra University and did extensive graduate work in mathematics at Boston College. 

Hank was a believer in the power of education, so teaching was not only his career but also his true calling.  He spent 35 years teaching mathematics at a variety of levels,  ranging from middle school classes in Northport to courses at Suffolk Community College and Dowling College. In addition, he was a founding member of the Continental Mathematics League (CML), an organization that enables students and schools to compete in a variety of subjects on a global level.

Giving back to the community was always a priority for Hank. He was a member of the Eaton’s Neck Fire Department and an ex-Captain and lifetime member of the Port Jefferson Fire Department. A veteran of the US Air Force, he was a mathematics instructor at Sampson Air Force base in Geneva.

Using stories and jokes he touched so many lives; Hank was always ready with a (not so) quick story to engage those around him. He loved the challenge of puzzles and met the crossword each day with a hopeful spirit. Hank found a passion for poetry, often gaining inspiration at night and writing throughout the day. We are now fortunate to have hundreds of poems to comfort us.  

Hank enjoyed the simple things in life with his grandchildren like ice cream, oreos, a cold beer and deep discussions. He loved seeing his children and grandchildren play the sports he once played himself and could often be found cheering on the sidelines of soccer, lacrosse, golf, basketball, and baseball. Up until the end, he kept track of where everyone was in their travels so he could pray for their safe returns. 

Wherever Hank went he touched the lives of so many with his deep sense of caring and utmost respect for others.

Memorial visitation was on Thursday, August 1 from 2–4 p.m. and 7–9 p.m. at Bryant Funeral Home. Firematic services are on Friday at 8:00 p.m.  A mass followed by celebration of life was held on Friday, August 2 at 11:30 a.m. at Caroline Episcopal Church in Setauket. The burial was at the Cemetery of the Highlands on Saturday, August 3 at 1p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Caroline Episcopal Church of East Setauket. 

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