This article was updated on May 7, 2025.
By Sabrina Artusa
Harold J. Sheprow, six-term mayor of the Village of Port Jefferson, passed away on May 1 at age 95, surrounded by family.
Sheprow was born Dec, 25, 1929, in Queens to Harold Sheprow Sr. and Gladys Petrie. As a teenager, he joined the Merchant Marines and became chief engineer at 18. Upon his return, he was drafted in 1954 to serve in the Korean War. On Feb. 9, 1957, he married Margaret Mary Katherine Kerr (Peggy) with whom he spent 68 years.
He then began working at Grumman Corporation, requiring he and Peggy to move to Port Jefferson Village from New Jersey in 1961. As an engineer, he worked on aircrafts like the F14 Tomcat, eventually retiring in 1990.
Upon moving to the village and paying to take his family to the beach, he was galvanized to get involved in village politics, first as a member of the Planning Board, then as a trustee and finally as mayor.
Sheprow was mayor for a total of 12 years — his lengthy tenure showcasing his dedication to serving his community, transcending his role as mayor and extending throughout his life.
Under Sheprow’s leadership, the village acquired the 170-acre Port Jefferson Country Club. He worked tirelessly for almost a decade to achieve his vision of a Port Jefferson where residents could have a private property they could call their own.
Famously, he attended a party where he made a connection to the country club’s owners. The acquaintance introduced him to the estate owners of the property. In a meeting, they agreed to lease the property to the village. They signed a $1 bill, sealing the agreement until a proper contract could be made.
The country club, an acquisition that required years of effort and planning and some spontaneous creativity, now bears his name.
Former Director of Recreation and Parks Ron Carlson said he was working in town hall while Sheprow was on a phone call with attorneys from Winston estates. “He came into my office, sat down, and said ‘Ron, guess what’,” Carlson said. “I said, ‘What?’ He said you may not believe this, but we are going to buy that golf club.”
“He said he wasn’t positive, but I think he was,” Carlson added. “He knew deep down that the village would vote ‘yes’ to the acquisition.”
Father Francis Pizzarelli, who formed Hope House Ministries while Sheprow was mayor in 1980, said Sheprow’s “creative genius” and “tender heart” helped make the village what it is today.
“He was a law-and-order tough guy but I was always amazed with him,” Pizzarelli said. “He was always thinking and he would think outside the box.”
Sheprow also worked to open the waterfront for public use through the development of Danfords Hotel & Marina in 1986, making the village less “heavily industrious” and developing a sense of place, former Mayor Margot Garant said.
As a father of six and an active golfer, Sheprow understood the need and value of recreational services in the village.
“What was very fun about him was he was very pro-recreation and parks,” Carlson said.
Indeed, he organized a bus service to ferry residents to the beach during the summer; he held Halloween parties at the Village Center; he promoted sports programs to make the athletic fields more accessible, with fields booked almost every day of the week; and even formed a team with other village employees, participating in softball and bowling games against the Village of Patchogue employees.
He strived to make the village a pleasant place to live, full of beauty, recreation and accessible parkland. His leadership style inspired his successors, including Garant.
“He was a man for everybody. He wasn’t pretentious. You always felt comfortable around Hal,” she said. “He never made any situation feel like it was something that couldn’t be handled. He wasn’t mayor for title or prestige, he was mayor for helping the people.”
Pizzarelli said that, although Sheprow was hesitant to support Hope House Ministries at first, he gave Pizzarelli the opportunity to argue his case and actively listened to other positions.
“He was always open-minded, and that is what always impressed me,” Pizzarelli said. “Whatever you brought to him, even though he may push back, he allowed you to push back to him so he could have a better understanding of whatever the issue was you were bringing to him.”
The Village of Port Jefferson made a social media post after Sheprow’s death, stating that the Sheprow family is “lightened by the fact that he was resting comfortably in his final moments, surrounded by loved ones.”
In an interview by Chris Ryon and Mark Sternberg in 2023 on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the incorporation of the village, Sheprow said, “Being a mayor for Port Jefferson has got to be the most exciting experience anybody, laymen, could have. There is no better. I don’t care what you do in Port Jefferson, whether you go water-skiing, whatever you do, golf…nothing. Nothing is better than this — working in the Port Jeff government.”
Sheprow served as mayor from 1977 to 1985 and 1987 to 1991. His daughter, Lauren Sheprow, continues his legacy as mayor. He is survived by his wife Peggy; daughters Madelyn and Lauren; sons Dennis, Warren, Glenn and Brendan; 14 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. He is predeceased by his parents, brothers Ralph and Warren and son Neil Harold.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hope House Ministries of Port Jefferson. Visitation was on May 6 at Moloney’s Funeral Home in Port Jefferson Station. The funeral Mass was held on May 7 at St. Charles Chapel, 200 Belle Terre Road, Port Jefferson. Graveside service was be held at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Port Jefferson following the Mass.
