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Port Jefferson Station

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Photo by Andrew Harris

By Kylie Schlosser and Andrew Harris

Tuesday Dec. 14 at Comsewogue High School was a very special evening indeed. It was well orchestrated in more ways than one.

Dr. Rella’s son, Richie, spoke about how he was grateful that Comsewogue (where he spent most of his time) ‘shared’ his dad with the family. Photo by Andrew Harris

When Superintendent Jennifer Quinn spoke, she said that Dr. Rella always said that during any celebrations, it was the musicians who were called upon first. Sure enough, musicians and singers from all the schools serenaded everyone that evening.

The dedication of the auditorium could not have been any more fitting, as it was on an evening surrounded by family, friends and love, of course, all to honor the man who started out as a part-time piano player at a church.

Later on he would become a music teacher, principal and eventually the superintendent of Comsewogue. 

Board member Rob Destefano spoke about him with a unique perspective both as board member and as a former student at Comsewogue.

“I am so proud that we are honoring his legacy with his name on this auditorium,” he said. “This is the classroom where he influenced the lives and education of so many of us.  Going through some old papers this past week, I found the program from one of those early, magical moments. This is the program from the 1996 Spring Concert. Some will recall, about how Dr. and Mrs. Rella danced in the aisles as we played ‘Sing! Sing! Sing!’  Classic Louis Prima / Benny Goodman swing music. Magic was happening!”

Charlotte Johnson, choral director, and her Tapestry Singers sang some lovely and fitting songs that evening.

Johnson said, “If you listen to the words of the song, [A Million Dreams], you can imagine Dr. Rella speaking them. He always felt that making this district the best it could be was not impossible … We just need to  put our thoughts and dreams into action, develop a plan and then have the courage to see it through.”

Destefano summarized it best. 

“If we remember the lessons we have been taught here, the time will soon come again, when Comsewogue will dance in the aisles of this auditorium. There is room for all of us. And I hope you will get out of your seats and join us!”

The district believes he, along with his wife, Jackie, would dance to the song that his beloved Tapestry sang that evening: 

“Every night I lie in bed

The brightest colors fill my head

A million dreams are keeping me awake

I think of what the world could be

A vision of the one I see

A million dreams is all it’s gonna take

Oh, a million dreams for the world we’re gonna make

However big, however small

Let me be part of it all

Share your dreams with me

You may be right, you may be wrong

But say that you’ll bring me along

To the world you see

To the world I close my eyes to see

I close my eyes to see.”

— “A Million Dreams” 

Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Ziv Zaifman

Kylie Schlosser is a 9th grade student at Comsewogue High School. Andrew Harris is a teacher in the district. 

Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic President Sal Pitti protests a potential cell tower along Canal Road in 2019. File photo by Kyle Barr

If there’s a man around town, then that man’s more than likely to be Sal Pitti.

Whether he’s rolling up in his car to check on any reported problems, meeting with developers planning to build up in the Port Jeff Station area, running civic gatherings or attending town meetings focused on residential issues, it’s not hard to find the shaved head and thick, salt and pepper beard as the marked signs of his presence. 

Pitti has been vice president and now president of the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic Association over the past several years, and in that time has become a staple of community activism for the two hamlets. The retired ex-NYPD officer can be seen throughout the community, driving around with his current VP and friend Ed Garboski, as they check in on any supposed disturbances and the sites of any ongoing development.

Garboski said he was first introduced to Pitti through Joe Rella, the beloved former superintendent of the Comsewogue School District. Pitti was involved with the school’s Drug Prevention Coalition, and Rella asked Garboski to get involved. After talking for a good while, the two decided they should merge the coalition with the civic, and Pitti became an integral part of the PJS/T organization.

Since then, he’s become a major member of multiple committees, including Brookhaven Town’s Quality of Life Task Force and Suffolk County’s drug task force, for which Garboski said Pitti was instrumental in working with Suffolk County Police Department officials to close down several known drug houses in the community.

“He’s not going to give you lip service, and if there’s a problem he’s going to go after it,” the current civic VP said. “He’s committed to this community, whether that’s drugs or working on the homelessness issue. He’s got a lot of empathy for them. It’s not, ‘Let’s just get rid of them,’ it’s, ‘Let’s find out how we can help them.

Charlie McAteer, the civic’s corresponding secretary and previous Person of the Year recipient, has known Pitti for close to a decade. McAteer first interacted with Pitti through his stewardship of the Setauket-Port Jefferson Station Greenway Trail, when he was helping to clean up the trail and the parking lot on Route 112 that marks a trail end. Over the years, both Pitti’s and Garboski’s activism drew McAteer into the civic more and more.

Sal Pitti with other members of the PJS/Terryville Civic discuss ideas for the Terryville Road community garden. File photo by Kyle Barr

McAteer said Pitti was instrumental in multiple recent community projects, including the revitalization of the community garden on Route 112, keeping on top of the Lawrence Aviation property with the Suffolk County Landbank, and more recently working with Brookhaven Town to secure the historical Terryville Union Hall under civic stewardship after the local historical society folded in 2019. McAteer said they are now talking with the town about renovating the property to bring it back to its original 1800s-era look.

Pitti “is really utilizing his retirement time to help the community,” McAteer said. “Having been a New York City police officer, now retired, he has such a repertoire. He puts people at ease, that way they can talk to him. And he will then be able to then convey any problems they have to the powers that be.” 

Frank Gibbons, a longtime civic member and all-around expert about the area’s traffic history and issues, said Pitti is always willing to help anyone in the community.

“If anybody needs his time for anything, then he’s there,” Gibbons said. “You don’t have to ask him twice. Hell, most of the time you don’t have to ask him, he’s asking us, saying ‘Hey, will you come join us?’ Whether it’s cleaning up around the chamber of commerce train car, or cleaning up all the walking paths over to Stony Brook.”

Others who have known Pitti for a shorter time than Garboski and McAteer said his drive to see good work done is striking.

Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook), who is finishing up his first year as Brookhaven Town councilmember, said he has worked closely with Pitti ever since he came into office. 

“Soon after I took office, I met with Sal and the board of the civic and we had a frank discussion about the community’s needs, wishes, challenges and opportunities,” Kornreich said over email. “I found Sal’s insight and level of connectedness to his community to be very inspiring. For no reason other than the betterment of his community, Sal has worked hard for many years, investing time, money and energy. One can’t help but be inspired to support his efforts.” 

Andrew Harris, a special-needs teacher at Comsewogue High School and the school liaison with the civic, said Pitti and the other civic leaders are honestly concerned that their community remains a nice place to live, for all its residents.

“He’s a big dude, he’s an ex-cop, he looks like a pretty tough guy, you know?” said Harris, who is also a previous Person of the Year recipient. “But really, he’s the kindest, nicest guy you’d ever want to meet, personalitywise. The bottom line is he just volunteers his time for others.”

Indu Kaur, right, with her sister Kiran Wadhwa at SāGhar in Port Jefferson. File photo by Julianne Mosher

Soft spoken and modest, Indu Kaur has been quietly helping out her community, all while managing and operating three local businesses — two of which opened in the midst of a global pandemic. 

Kaur, owner of SāGhar in Port Jefferson, also works alongside her family with their two other establishments — The Curry Club in Setauket and the newly renovated The Meadow Club in Port Jefferson Station. 

A resident of Setauket, her sister Kiran Wadhwa said that while she lives a few minutes out of the village or station, Port Jefferson is her second home. 

“She just wants to always lend a helping hand,” Wadhwa said. “Her goal is to make the community better.” 

Indu Kaur with blueprints of her new restaurant after purchasing The Harbor Grill. File photo by Kyle Barr

Joan Nickeson, community liaison to the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce, said that Kaur is a member of several different boards and groups that all service Port Jefferson and its surrounding areas. 

“She is a model of entrepreneurship,” she said. “I am thoroughly impressed by her talent, grace and forward-thinking perspective.” 

Nickeson added that along with being a PJSTCC member, she is part of the Port Jefferson Chamber and the Three Village Chamber of Commerce. Kaur is also secretary of the Cumsewogue Historical Society, and owner of the historic Baylis-Randall house, next to The Meadow Club.

“She is looking to refurbish it and establish space for photos and archives of local history of, not just The Meadow Club, but the Baylis-Randall house, historic Port Jefferson Station and Terryville,” she said. 

While working full time at SāGhar in the village, dishing out delicious Indian and American cuisine and cocktails to locals and visitors alike, Wadhwa said that Kaur also does finances for The Meadow Club and handles all of its operations. 

“She burns the candle at both ends to improve her restaurant and catering hall,” Nickeson added. 

This past June, Kaur and Wadhwa hosted the Port Jefferson high school’s prom at The Meadow Club, as well as Port Jefferson Chamber’s Health and Wellness Fest in October — two opportunities that brought both sides of Port Jefferson together. 

And all of these things were implemented over the last year and a half — while dealing with and overcoming the coronavirus.

“Although women-owned businesses are somewhat rare in the restaurant/hospitality industry, Indu Kaur has managed to open two unique properties during a pandemic — The Meadow Club and SāGhar,” said Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket). “She is a role model for women aspiring to be restaurateurs. She has a can-do, work-hard attitude that she attributes to her immigrant family.”

Kaur previously told TBR News Media that after a fire devastated The Meadow Club in 2018, she and her family spent more than two years repairing it and turning it into the picture-perfect venue it is today.

But in the midst of rebuilding and construction, the pandemic hit — also as Kaur signed the deal on taking over the former Harbor Grill (Schafer’s) in the village. 

“Two years ago, we thought we were done,” Kaur said last November, just as The Meadow Club was starting to unveil. “But now we’re excited to bring our gem back to Suffolk County.”

Indu Kaur, left, with her family. Photo from Kiran Wadhwa

Hahn added that Kaur “had the courage and perseverance to rebuild The Meadow Club and reopen it bigger and better in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. Incredibly, she also simultaneously opened SāGhar, a new restaurant in Port Jefferson Village with rooftop dining. It was this open-air rooftop that helped her stay open throughout the pandemic.”

An empathetic business owner, Hahn said that Kaur would always put the needs of her customers first — even as she struggled herself throughout the troubles of maintaining her establishments during a trying time. 

“Even though she was incredibly busy with two businesses, she never forgot the hardship of her employees and the brides and grooms who were displaced by the fire, and did her best to help them find new jobs and wedding venues,” Hahn said. “Indu is an unstoppable force and a tremendous asset to our community.”

And on top of all that, Kaur would personally drive meals — more than $30,000 worth of food — to first responders throughout the pandemic to make sure they had nice hot meals and to say “thanks.”

Kaur still stays philanthropic, donating meals and food to homeless shelters and families that lost their jobs due to the pandemic. 

And she’s a great neighbor, Port Jefferson Village trustee Rebecca Kassay said. 

As of late, Kaur has taken it upon herself to create welcome bags for residents moving into the newly opened apartment buildings in town. 

“These lovely gift bags full of local vouchers, coupons, gift cards and information about the Port Jefferson business community help to tie new residents into our vibrant community,” Kassay said. “Indu so often weaves people together in the most beautiful ways, and we are endlessly grateful for her thoughtful and inclusive efforts.”

Kassay added that Kaur is a “gift to this community.”

“Between the glowing positivity she emanates, her incredible organizational skills and her generous spirit, it is no wonder that her business and community efforts find deserved success,” the village trustee said. 

Kaur’s sister agreed. 

“She always gives 100% — whether it’s for her friends, family, businesses or community,” Wadhwa said. “There is no one else I can see being any more deserving of this nomination for Person of the Year than Indu.”

Below, Linda Parlante presents Abel Fernandez with a certificate congratulating him on his nomination of Person of the Year at Mount Sinai High School, Dec. 23. Photo by Julianne Mosher

Think of all the little things that make or break your day. 

Were you greeted by a kind man when you came to work that day? Did someone tell you a joke that made you laugh while you whiled away the hours stuck at a desk? Did somebody help you move those boxes when you threw out your back earlier that week? Did somebody help you change your car tire after you got a flat when coming out of the parking lot? 

Abel Fernandez, lead custodian at Mount Sinai High School, is the man who makes people’s days, constantly, day after day, month after month, school year after school year. He’s a man who proves that small acts of kindness add up to a mountain of giving, and that is why Fernandez is named a TBR News Media Person of the Year for 2021.

Photo by Julianne Mosher

Linda Parlante, the district secretary to the facilities director, said Fernandez “spends countless hours making sure his building is safe for the students.” Even as a custodian, he makes his love for the school and community known through every action he takes, whether it’s by attending many of the school functions, including being the first to volunteer during the annual Battle of the Educators faculty basketball game, rolling out the red carpet during prom, or always being there to purchase a cupcake or cookie at school bake sales. 

Scott Reh, the district director of buildings and grounds, said all the students know him for constantly being there for them.

“The kids love him,” Reh said. “He’s a fixture in the school and in students’ daily routines. The kids see him, and he interacts with them in a positive manner. He’s a role model.”

Fernandez also serves as the Spanish language interpreter for the district, and even there he goes above and beyond. He’s been known to go to students parents’ homes alongside high school principal, Peter Pramataris, to communicate with them directly about what’s happening in a student’s life or how they can participate in district elections. Reh said that Fernandez has a way about him that “when he [talks to students and parents], it’s in a manner in which they feel comfortable. He’s a soothing presence.”

Nothing takes away Fernandez’s attention from his school work, not even recent personal tragedy. After his brother was involved in a severe car accident, Parlante said the lead custodian has been attending to his brother’s needs, driving him back and forth from the hospital, as well as managing his brother’s barbershop. Even with all this extra work, Mount Sinai school officials said Fernandez has never missed a beat in the district, and that he still comes to work wanting to give 100% of his care to the student body and school grounds.

Photo by Julianne Mosher

“He has been the first on scene for accidents on district property as well as the first in line when an issue arises that needs security,” Parlante said. “If anyone in the building ever needs anything, whether it be boxes moved, a car jumped, a tire changed or help at their house, he is always available and never says ‘no.’ He has created lifelong friends from his work here and everyone would agree that Abel would give the shirt off his back to anyone who needed it.”

Pramataris has known Fernandez for well over a decade, having especially come to rely on him since he moved up from middle school principal to high school after the untimely passing of former principal Rob Grable in 2019. Pramataris said Grable had elevated Fernandez to the head custodian position “just because he also saw the potential in him.”

Fernandez is in charge of four custodians at the high school, and the principal said he always leads by example and “he’s always the first one to climb the ladder and do whatever needs to be done.” 

What gives Fernandez his can-do attitude? Pramataris said it’s likely his familial bonds that, growing up, taught him the value of hard work. His mother, Angela, is a custodian for the Comsewogue School District.

“His personality is just pleasant, and as someone who’s been knocked down a few times, he could have probably given up, but it’s the last thing that he’ll do,” Pramataris said. “He’s just the type of guy that you want to help and support, and he does the same for you.”

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Mrs. Claus (Jennifer Quinn) with board members present gift bags prepared by students Ashley Doxey and Alysaa Morturano to military families. Photo from Andrew Harris

By Andrew Harris 

On Saturday, Dec. 11, at the Holiday Club Fair at Comsewogue High School, the district honored their graduates who are currently serving as active military personnel. 

“We hoped that some could actually be here but realized that they get very little time off and many are serving all over the world,” Superintendent of Schools Jennifer Quinn said. “So, we invited their families to receive the care packages.”

Santa Claus (Joseph Coniglione) with Mrs. Claus (Jennifer Quinn). Photo from Andrew Harris

One mother, whose sons Paul and Sean Piotrowski (2015) are serving in the U.S. Marines, said that “receiving the gift cards and handwritten notes for each of them was wonderful.”

The idea was inspired by students Alyssa Morturano and Ashley Doxey, who followed up by collecting cards at events and doing various fundraisers.

The wife and children of Michelle Flaherty’s son Billy (2004) attended because he is currently in the Army as a helicopter crew chief. The mother said that he is getting deployed to the Middle East this coming May. 

“I am so proud of my son and all the Comsewogue alumni who are serving in our armed forces,” Flaherty said. “It means so much to the families to have the support of the Comsewogue community — once a warrior, always a warrior.”

Joseph Coniglione, assistant superintendent of schools, was thrilled the event was able to happen.

“To have the proud parents of those who have made the decision to serve our country there, and to be able to share their pride was a tremendous experience for me and this community,” he said. “We are all so proud of all our students, especially those who made this commitment.”

Andrew Harris is a teacher in the Comsewogue School District. 

To help maintain social distancing, but still with the holiday spirit, the Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Chamber of Commerce hosted their second drive-thru Santa visit and letter drop off on Saturday, Dec. 4.

President Jennifer Dzvonar said that for decades, the chamber has hosted Santa at the Port Jefferson Station Train Car. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020 they opted for a drive-thru visit, instead. 

During the free event, kids were able to unroll their car windows, say hello to the man in red — who waited in his sleigh— and then pull their cars to a mailbox where they drooped letters to the North Pole. 

“Last year everyone raved about the drive-thru, and everyone seems to enjoy it,” Dzvonar said. 

Raffle tickets were also sold to help the chamber’s flag fund.

— All photos by Julianne Mosher

Community members and elected officials during the Pearl Harbor Remembrance Ceremony in Port Jefferson Dec. 4. Photo from Kara Hahn

People gathered in Port Jefferson early Sunday morning to remember and pay tribute to the fallen on the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. 

On Dec. 4, members from American Legion Wilson Ritch Post 432 of Port Jefferson Station joined elected officials including village trustee Bruce Miller, state Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket), Legislator Kara Hahn (D-Setauket) and Town of Brookhaven Councilman Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) nearly eight decades to the date of one of the worst terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.

Each year on or around the anniversary of the day, ceremonies are held across the United States to honor all those who lost their lives when the U.S. Naval Base in Pearl Harbor was attacked on Dec. 7, 1941. 

More than 3,500 Americans lost their lives or were wounded on that solemn day.

At the monuments for all American wars, wreaths were laid by American Legion Posts 1941, 417, Setauket VFW Post 3054 and the Ward Melville H.S. Patriot League Club.

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Nick Wolber surroundedd by friends at the first Support The Kid Founder’s Event fundraiser before he passed away from cancer. Photo from Anna Wolber

Before Nicholas Wolber passed away, he had a major goal — to create a nonprofit that would help children and their families who are experiencing the stresses of cancer. 

Wolber was diagnosed with Synovial Sarcoma — a rare form of soft tissue childhood cancer — in December 2005 at the age of 22. 

After going through chemotherapy and radiation he lived his life for almost five years cancer free, unfortunately returning in his chest with a fatal diagnosis. 

But according to his mother, Anna, Nick knew he wanted to create an organization that would help the children he met while staying at Cohen’s Children’s Hospital. 

“He was always in the children’s ward,” she said. “He was the big brother and loved the kids there.”

Anna said that before he died, he raised money, planned and got everything together to establish “Support The Kid,” a completely volunteer-based nonprofit where money goes directly to families in need. 

“He wanted the money to go directly to the families,” she said. “They can use it for travel or whatever is not covered by insurance … We know what they’re going through.”

Wolber passed surrounded by loved ones in 2011 at the age of 28, but luckily was able to see the organization come to fruition officially in 2010.

The first year, they hosted what would become an annual fundraiser where people could gather, eat, drink and buy raffle tickets for different baskets. 

“He was there at the first one,” Anna said. “It was good — He got to see it and he knew everything was going to be okay.”

The 11th annual Support The Kid Founder’s Event fundraiser will be held this week on Thursday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. People are welcomed at Miller’s Ale House in Lake Grove to raise funds and help those suffering from cancer. 

According to Support The Kid, since its inception, the nonprofit has donated over $700,000 to more than 180 children across the country. Originally founded here in Port Jefferson Station, they now have teams in New York, California, Oklahoma and Texas spreading the word. 

Thursday’s event will be the first fundraiser in-person for the group since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Anna said that she knows her son is looking down smiling at what his family has accomplished in his name for others. 

“I think he’s very happy,” she said. 

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Students working in Jackie’s Garden at Comsewogue High School over the summer. Photo by Andrew Harris

As students and staff came back into Comsewogue High School this year, they were greeted by hundreds of beautiful sunflowers flourishing in the courtyard garden. 

The difficult work of maintaining the garden over the summer rested on the shoulders of only two students who did the hard work so that their fellow students can come back to the beginning of a joyful year.

While watching these students working so hard over the summer, Marge Piercy’s poem comes to my mind. 

In a verse of “To Be of Use” she writes about how much she admires those that go out and do the work — and not just talk about it, said Jennifer Quinn, superintendent of schools.

“I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart, who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience, who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward, who do what has to be done, again and again. I want to be with people who submerge in the task, who go into the fields to harvest and work in a row and pass the bags along, who are not parlor generals and field deserters.”      

This type of student is typical of the Comsewouge community. Quinn said that in addition to outstanding academics, many of them participate in extracurricular activities and hold down jobs over the summer and when school is in session.

No sooner were the words out of my mouth than these students who stepped up to the plate and got to work. 

Students working in Jackie’s Garden at Comsewogue High School over the summer. Photo by Andrew Harris

“They went above and beyond what was asked of them, and even tended to another garden in the courtyard as well,” said Andrew Harris, a teacher at Comsewogue. “Keep in mind that they do this on their vacation and go very early as they also have full-time job responsibilities. It’s hot, dirty, and sometimes there is nobody around to give them the accolades or words of encouragement, but that’s not what they do it for.”

Harris said he hopes to encourage more students to have this giving attitude. 

“In the long run, I know they will reap the benefits of their positive proactive work,” he added.

The garden, “Jackie’s Garden,” has become a “magical place around the district,” according to Harris. 

“Each year a new miracle happens here,” he said. 

Since I don’t have a green thumb, perhaps the miracle is that I am the one who oversees this fabulous food and flower garden — I’ve never tried growing anything. But in all seriousness, and I know people find it hard to believe, but every year since we started our garden, these miracles continue to happen. 

Harris added that, “amazingly, this year hundreds of sunflowers started popping up. The weird thing is, we did not plant even one single seed. Keep in mind, that sunflowers are not perennials, and need to be seeded each spring; so yeah, you can consider that very, very, unique.”

This year in April I started to see a little something pop up. I thought maybe a seed or two was left over from last season, somehow got buried, and they were starting to grow. I planned on doing our normal seeding with my classes in mid-May, however, by then several hundred magically started appearing! I really can’t explain how that happened and I was at a loss for words.

Harris also mentioned the sudden influx of butterflies attracted to the garden the previous year. Dr. Rella told us that sunflowers and butterflies were Jackie’s favorites. I was going to buy something called a butterfly bush which will attract them. I looked outside one day and realized I didn’t need to buy one. There was a sudden influx of new butterflies everywhere. That and other crazy things have happened around this garden. The garden has Jackie’s Comsewogue jersey overlooking it. 

The year before that, Chris Friedl, the landscaper, planted two seeds to honor Joe and Jackie under the trellis. The same day hundreds of other seeds were also planted to honor our graduating seniors. Those two seeds popped up in under three days — which never happens. The other ones started to come up in about 7-10 days, which is the normal length of time for sunflower seeds to appear. So, yeah, now I believe in miracles.

“On behalf of the staff at CHS, we are so grateful for the time that Alyssa and Ashley spent beautifying our courtyard,” said Principal Mike Mosca. “Outdoor spaces are even more important than ever as we continue to navigate the challenges, we face due to COVID. Alyssa and Ashley’s efforts will give our students and staff a beautiful place to go for some fresh air.”  

When asked why they did what they did, the students communicated that nothing would please them more than having their fellow students enter the building and not only be greeted with friendly faces but an array of hundreds of sunflowers smiling at them as they go about their day.

Piercy’s poem ends like this and is fitting for the students who put in the hard work, “The people I love the best jump into work headfirst without dallying in the shallows and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight. They seem to become natives of that element.”

Arianna Morturano is a graduate of Comsewogue High School. She is currently a student at St. John’s and work sin the district. Andrew Harris is a special needs teacher at the Comsewogue school district. Triple C stands for Comsewogue Culture Club.

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Retired Mount Sinai school nurse Lynn Freitag Jordan’s love for her community didn’t come to an end with her passing. Lynn passed away unexpectedly on Nov. 3, 2021 at the age of 80.

Lynn Jordan

Lynn married the love of her life, G. Douglas Jordan, on Sept. 16, 1961 after receiving special permission from Bellevue School of Nursing at New York University. She then completed her nursing degree in 1962. 

She and Doug initially made their home in Port Jefferson Station, where their daughter Phyllis was born. In 1975 they moved to Mount Sinai, welcoming daughters Katherine and Elizabeth into their lives. 

Lynn was a consummate community volunteer who worked tirelessly throughout her life to make the lives of the young people in her community better. She served on local PTSA, Suffolk County Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, was a founding member of the Mount Sinai Friends of the Arts, and later served on the Mount Sinai School Board. 

It is through her three daughters, her granddaughter, Emily, her sister Cynthia Freitag, and all those whose lives she impacted over decades of service to her community that she will live on. 

Visitations will be at the Branch Funeral Home, located at 551 NY-25A in Miller Place, NY 11764 on Monday, Nov. 15 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Services will begin at 7 p.m. 

In lieu of flowers, Lynn’s family would like to ask for donations to be made to Hope House Ministries. Donations can be made online at hhm.org/donate-online.