By Dylan Friedman
A Port Jefferson bus shelter in front of the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce building on West Broadway has been given a new life thanks to the generosity of a team of philanthropic local Rotary Club individuals, including 91-year-old Al Kopcienski of Miller Place.
Kopcienski, who worked on the original structure in 2006 and the recent restoration of the structure’s roof and windows on Sept. 17, said that the motivation for the project came simply from seeing how many people used that bus stop.
“If you think about it, that was a bus stop for a year and a half since Suffolk County started the bus route, and at the beginning there was nothing there. Anybody waiting for a bus [in the rain] would have to stand out … with umbrellas, if they had them — if not, they got wet,” he said.
“And then, with the original shelter they built, if you had a slight rain, you couldn’t stay there because you got wet. But with our design, people could stay in there and wait for the bus. It’s amazing how many people use the bus stop there. That was our motivation to accommodate the people that use mass transit,” Kopcienski added.
He graduated from Port Jefferson High School in 1950 and worked with his brother in farming before running a plumbing, heating and fuel business for 33 years. Kopcienski formally retired in 1989.
Among his many voluntary posts, he has served as president of Mount Sinai School District Board of Education, more than 60 years with Port Jefferson Rotary Club, and with Miller Place Fire Department where he served as chief from 1967-68.
Dr. Patrick Sabo, a fellow Port Jeff Rotary Club member with Kopcienski who worked on both the original shelter and its recent restoration, was quick to commend his colleague for his contributions.
“I have to give kudos to Al Kopcienski. He is in his 90s, he is still a Rotarian, and he still volunteers to drive an ambulance during the week. He’s the one who built the bus shelter in 2006, and he was down there with us putting the roof on it. I got to give him a lot of credit,” Sabo said.
At the remarkable age of 91, Kopcienski’s passion for community service continues to burn brightly. While he jokes about not replacing the shingles on the Port Jefferson bus shelter again, his ongoing involvement in projects at Chandler Estate in Mount Sinai and Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck in Center Moriches continuously demonstrate his unwavering dedication to making a difference, regardless of the endeavor.
The Chandler Estate “laid fallow for a long time, and Dr. Sabo, he and I … we opened up paths, and now we have people that go for walks, bird watching and [enjoying] animals and stuff like that, and sits right on Mount Sinai Harbor,” Kopcienski said.
“Another big project we have is a hands-on project, Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck, which is a camp for disabled children out in Center Moriches. Probably 40 years ago, we started going out there and giving it a day’s labor, cleaning up the place, painting, raking leaves, this, that, and everything just to get the camp ready for the summer kids,” he added.
As Kopcienski continues to inspire others with his tireless volunteer work, the Port Jefferson bus shelter stands as a testament to his commitment to improving the lives of his fellow citizens. Even at the age of 91, his unwavering and consistent dedication to service remains an extraordinary example for all.
