Maureen Jo Raynor-Johnston of Shelter Island died at home on May 4, 2017. She was 75 years old.

The family will receive friends on Sunday, May 7 from 1 to 5 P.M. at the Shelter Island Funeral Home on West Neck Road on Shelter Island.

The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, May 8 at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of the Isle Roman Catholic Church on Shelter Island, officiated by the Reverend Father Peter DeSanctis.

Interment will follow at Our Lady of the Isle Roman Catholic Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Our Lady of the Isle Roman Catholic Church would be appreciated.

Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.

Mrs. Johnston was the long time secretary at Our Lady of the Isle Roman Catholic Church.

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David Jones Crandall

David Jones Crandall
David Jones Crandall, beloved son, uncle, brother, life partner, and friend, who considered Shelter Island his home away from home, died in San Diego on March 13, 2017. He was 61.

David was born on May 15, 1955 to physicians Charles E. and Elizabeth (née Jones) Crandall of Maplewood, New Jersey. He attended Tuscan School, Maplewood Junior High School, and later Columbia High School, where he played football and lacrosse.

After graduating from Columbia in 1973, Dave attended Franklin and Marshall College, where he played football and lacrosse, and then Drew University, where he played lacrosse, receiving his undergraduate degree in 1978.

He earned his law degree at California Western School of Law in San Diego in 1985 and returned to New Jersey to pursue private practice. His family recalled that Dave used his law degree to help people, especially family and friends. Later, he worked in the private security business for several decades.

Dave especially loved Shelter Island, where his grandfather Benjamin F. Jones owned a cottage on the old Willow Walk and was one of the orginal trustees of the Methodist Meeting place, now Camp Quinipet.

Dave and his best friend, Steve Read, developed special childhood memories of their time on the Island. In 1991, Dave met Jill Gates at his cousin Penny (née Warter) Longo’s wedding on the Jersey Shore, and the two became inseparable. Dave spent as much time as possible on the Island with Jill, their friends and families.

Dave’s family recalled that his rich life was punctuated with gentleness, kindness, fierce loyalty to family and friends. He had an encyclopedic memory, a quixotic sense of humor, a passionate love of music, and an appreciation of the natural world, they said.

A talented pianist, Dave relished playing karaoke while entertaining family and friends at social events and local venues. In more recent years, he devoted himself to care-giving for his elderly parents as well as several Gates family members.

In addition his parents, of Maplewood and Shelter Island, Dave is survived by his sister, Dr. Marilyn C. Jones of San Diego; his brother, the Hon. Charles S. Crandall of San Luis Obispo, California; two nieces, Abigail E. Jones and Joanne E. Crandall; his nephew, Warren S. Crandall; his companion, Jill, who now lives in North Caldwell, New Jersey, and other family and friends.

All of them keenly feel Dave’s absence and miss him dearly, his family recalled, noting that though he parted way too early, Dave will never be forgotten by those whose lives he touched.

Mary E. Currie

Mary E. Currie
Mary E. “Libby” Currie, who summered on Shelter Island, passed away on April 29, 2017, surrounded by her loving family.

She was born on June 21, 1936 in Fayetteville, North Carolina to Gola Willoughby of St. Pauls, North Carolina and Elias Straughn of Sampson County, North Carolina.

Libby is survived by her sons Don (Michelle) of Lake Mary, Florida and Scott of New York City; and daughter, Heather (Forrest) Currie Wegge of St. Louis . She also leaves behind her grandchildren, Lauren, Katherine and Sarah Currie, and Miranda Wegge.

Libby was raised in Fayetteville and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1958 with a Bachelors Degree in Education. After marrying Donald J. Currie in 1959, the couple started a family while living and working in New York City. Libby was a fashion model in New York in her younger years and, as children entered her life, she moved to Long Island and began her lifelong career of teaching.

She lived and worked for most of her life on Long Island and summered with her family on Shelter Island. After many years of raising her children and teaching primary and secondary schoolchildren in the Valley Stream and Hempstead Public School Districts, she earned her Masters Degree in

Reading Specialization from C. W. Post College. During her career she had untold impact on the lives of hundreds of school children with the gift of reading. At the peak of her career, she served as the Administrator of Reading and English Language Arts for Hempstead Public Schools and was an Adjunct Professor for the New York Technical Institute in the Department of Education.

Libby served as the president and trustee of the UNC Chapel Hill Alumni Association, president, secretary and trustee of the North Carolina Society of New York City and was on the advisory board of the Duke University Eye Center.

Libby was known for her boundless energy, her family said, her love of entertaining, travel, photography and giving little gifts for any occasion. She was always on the lookout for a new family moving into her neighborhood as an opportunity to bake and deliver an apple pie.

Upon her retirement, she built her dream home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, near her alma mater. As her health declined in 2012, she moved to Florida to be with her family and grandchildren where she lived out the remainder of her life. Libby was a loving mother and grandmother, and her love was abundantly returned by her children and grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in memory of Mary E. (Libby) Currie to support glaucoma research at Duke Eye Center. Checks may be written to Duke Eye Center and mailed to Duke Eye Center Development, 710 West Main Street, Suite 200,
Durham, NC 27701.

Or donate online at gifts.duke.edu/dukeeye. Please note Mrs. Currie’s name on the memo line of the check or when making an online donation.

Jennette Williams

Jennette Williams
Jennette “Jenny” Williams of New York City, a summer resident of Shelter Island for 32 years, died on April 9, 2017 after a two-year struggle with cancer. She was 64.

Jenny was born December 17, 1952 in Forest Hills to John H. and Lorraine (O’Connell) Williams, and was raised along with her brothers, Timothy and John, in East Meadow.

Jenny attended the University of New Hampshire and earned a law degree at New York Law School.

She practiced real estate law in New York City at Weil Gotshal & Manges. After the birth of her two children, Halley and Emmet, Jenny decided to pursue photography. She earned a Master of Fine Arts degree at Yale University School of Art in 1991, where she was awarded the Robert A. Weir Award for Excellence in Photography.

Jenny won a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2000 to pursue a project entitled “The Bathers,” in which she photographed women in steam baths in Eastern Europe over a period of six years. Her work earned her the Honickman First Book Award from Duke University, which published the project in 2009.

Platinum prints from “The Bathers” are in numerous museum collections including The Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Yale Art Gallery. In addition to “The Bathers,” she had two other books: “Time Out” published in 2004 and “The Wet Class” published in 1998.

Remembered as a beloved teacher at The School of Visual Arts in New York City, Jenny was known to her family, her many close friends and her students for her warmth, generosity, her colorful adventurous spirit and untamed laugh. She was an inspiration to all and shared her brilliant sense of humor abundantly, her family said.

She is survived by her children, Halley Katsh-Williams of New York City and Emmet (Katie) Katsh-Williams of Cliffside Park, New Jersey; her mother, Lorraine Williams, and her brothers, Timothy (Mary) and John (Pamela) Williams; her adored nieces and nephews; and her former husband, Salem Katsh of Orient.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Guggenheim Foundation gf.org/donate. The family plans to hold a memorial on the Island on Sunday, June 25 with details to follow.

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Danny Peskowitz

Danny Peskowitz died at his Penny’s Path home on May 5, 2017, surrounded by loved ones.

Danny moved to the Island in 1998, having summered here for many years. He was a Wednesday afternoon volunteer at Mashomack. Until his last years, he was a late-afternoon regular at Menhaden Lane beach and loved concerts at the Perlman Music Program, his family said.

He drove his beat-up red Subaru wagon on early morning rounds for coffee and the newspapers, mid-morning rounds to the post office and bank, and afternoon rounds to the dump, hardware store, Jack’s and the IGA. Danny was never happier than when on Shelter Island, his family said.

In March 2015 a kidney specialist told Danny to start dialysis, or else he had six months to live. Danny decided he was O.K. with that. He didn’t want dialysis and preferred to live life on his terms, his family said. He’d had a better life than he ever expected, he said. He loved his wife, his kids and grandkids, and his large circle of extended family, friends, and friends who became family.

As it turned out, Danny lived for two full years, getting to see his grandchildren, who are summer regulars on Shelter Island, grow up some more. He was cared for in his final weeks by family, neighbors, friends and East End Hospice. Dr. Desire was present when Danny died.

Born in 1931, Danny was raised in New York City during the Depression. He and his sister, Gerry, lost their mother, Fannie Peskowitz, to cancer when he was 9.

He graduated from Samuel Tilden High School in Brooklyn, though the highlight of his teenage years was membership in a social group called the Naturals. Danny graduated from Long Island University and served as a company clerk in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict, stationed in Frankfurt.

Surviving him are Myra Peskowitz, his wife of 56 years; his son Ira (Stephanie) Peskowitz; daughter Miriam (Rob Baird) Pekowitz; and his grandsons, Issac and Ilan, and granddaughters Samira and Amelia. Before leaving this earth,

Danny made sure his grandchildren knew how to fish for snappers off Second Bridge. In their big-heartedness, Danny and Myra often adopted whole families, including the DeDeus family.

Danny was a quiet, gentle and kind man, his family remembered, with a quick wit and goofy sense of humor. He was a graceful and supportive father and a patient and loving husband. He taught them by example how to appreciate the present moment.

In the New Yorker’s matrix of teams, it must be noted that Danny rooted for the Jets and the Mets, and watched the games religiously, win or lose. If the Mets played the West Coast, Danny stayed up to watch the last player make the final out.

He was, in addition, a fan of the orchestra and the opera; an avid reader of mysteries, the New York Times and Newsday; terrific with babies; and an aficionado of jigsaw puzzles and big LEGO builds.

Danny was, with Myra, an active and beloved member of Temple Adas Israel in Sag Harbor. He was buried on Sunday, May 7, 2017 in East Hampton.

Donations in his name can be made to East End Hospice, the Mashomack Preserve, or Temple Adas Israel.

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Karen H. Mullins

Karen Helene Mullins, who took up parrot rescue in retirement and brought her beloved birds to Island events to educate others about their special needs, died at age 71 in her Hay Beach home on May 5, 2017.

She was interred at St. Mary’s on May 23.

She was born May 6, 1945 in the Bronx to Dorothy and Henry Senft, and was raised in Massapequa.

After two years at Kentucky Wesleyan College, she returned to Massapequa where she met Ed Mullins, another Massapequa High graduate who had recently completed his college studies. They were married on August 27, 1966.

The couple lived in Massapequa and Mrs. Mullins worked as an office manager and bookkeeper while her husband served for 32 years as a federal agent with the United States Postal Service working in and around New York City.

They first came to Shelter Island when her sister, Jeanne Fenkl, purchased the Shelter Island Inn, Mr. Mullins recalled. The Mullinses purchased property on Country Club Drive 17 years ago and built a house there based on her own design, he said.

“She took her plans to an architect and said ‘spec it so it doesn’t fall over,’” he told the Reporter in a phone call Tuesday.

After they retired, the Mullinses moved full-time to the Island with three pet birds.

Over time, they became involved with the non-profit Parrot Rescue, Inc. of Suffolk County. A profile in the Reporter in July of 2003 traced their journey from interested owners to expert rescuers.

By then, they were a familiar sight at events like the Shelter Island Historical Society’s annual harvest festival and the Hamptons Classic horse show, where they sought to raise awareness of the challenges particular to raising intelligent animals that might live 100 years or more.

In addition to their own birds, they fostered dozens of parrots, while finding new homes for them. Mr. Mullins said that he and his wife retired from parrot rescue about six years ago.

In addition to her husband and sister, Mrs. Mullins is survived by her son, Lawrence, and adored neices and nephews, and four beloved parrots: Krishna, age 49, Zazu, 34, Coco, 19 and Kenny, 12, as well as three cats.

“Those that knew her hold wonderful memories of her,” Mr. Mullins said. “She will be missed.”

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REPORTER FILE PHOTO

Joseph Satira

Joseph Satira of Middle Island, 75, passed away on June 1, 2017.

Joseph graduated from Shelter Island High School in1959. He was one of the many stars on the baseball and basketball teams that won a championship. Joseph was the beloved husband of Rosalie; cherished father of Christine White, Joseph Jr. and Michael; and adored grandfather of six.

Massoud Vahdat with his wife, Salma.

Massoud Vahdat
Massoud Vahdat, physician, father, grandfather and friend, passed away unexpectedly on May 30, 2017. He was a spectacular 94 years young, his family said.

Born on February 16, 1923 in Tabriz, Azerbaijan, Iran, Massoud lived his life chasing possibility, his family said, and was never deterred by war, geography, opinion or circumstance.

He received his I.B. and medical degree from University of Istanbul and practiced fertility medicine in Paris before coming to New York in 1958 where he met and married Salma Besheer. Massoud became a United States citizen in 1964, and set out to achieve his American dream, practicing pediatric and adult medicine in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and raising four daughters.

Over the course of his nearly 60 years as a doctor in both private practice and the New York public health sector, he helped thousands of children and working families from all walks of life.

In 1971, Massoud brought his family to Shelter Island, where they have spent every summer since.

His fierce spirit and extraordinary example will be carried on by his wife, Salma, his daughters, Linda, Lisa, Jeanne Marie and Pamela, his sons-in-law and 10 grandchildren. His family said: “We’ll certainly do our best, Chief. We love you always.”

Joseph Satira

Joseph Satira of Middle Island, 75, passed away on June 1, 2017.

Joseph graduated from Shelter Island High School in1959. He was one of the many stars on the baseball and basketball teams that won a championship. Joseph was the beloved husband of Rosalie; cherished father of Christine White, Joseph Jr. and Michael; and adored grandfather of six.

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REPORTER FILE PHOTO

Susan Gay Gross
Susan Gay Gross of Shelter Island passed away on Friday, June 2, 2017 at home of natural causes.

She was 82.

Susan was born in Somerset, England on March 31, 1935 to Godfry and Margaret Eden. She worked in retail in England and later in New York. She was married for 39 years to Ralph Gross, who died in 2008. The couple had travelled extensively throughout the world.

Mrs. Gross is survived by stepsons Richard Gross of Coram and Gary Gross of Hampton Bays, and grandson Nicholas E. Gross of Shelter Island.

Family say she will be very much missed by friends and family. A celebration of her life is planned for a date yet to be determined.

Edith Petry

Edith Petry
Edith “Edie” Petry, a lifelong visitor to Shelter Island who became a full-time resident in 1962 when her husband and father acquired the Pridwin Hotel with Paul and Dorothy Mobius, died peacefully in her home on June 9, 2017 after a protracted illness.

Born on July 11, 1938, Edith Caroline Frost was raised in Douglaston, Queens and attended Bayside High School followed by secretarial school. In 1957 she married Richard A. Petry, whom she met while he was a cadet at the nearby Kings Point Merchant Marine Academy. Edie and Dick moved to Long Beach and both commuted to work in New York City, Dick to the Hudson River piers and Edie to the Chrysler Building.

Dick had his eyes set on moving out of the city, preferably to a place with water and fishing, when Edie’s father, Frederick Frost, noted that the Pridwin Hotel was for sale.

The Frosts had vacationed each summer at the Pridwin since the early 1930s and Fred saw it as an opportunity to retire with his wife, Mildred, to the Island.

In 1962, Edie and Dick had their first son, Glenn, followed in 1968 by Gregg.

A striking beauty with a keen fashion sense, Edie went through a bit of a “Green Acres” phase after first moving to Shelter Island, her family remembered, but her unique combination of style, approachability and “Did she really just say that?” sense of humor won her some influential fans.

The Island eventually claimed her as one of its own, her family recalled.

She always remembered a warm welcome from Evelyn Curry, wife of Dr. Donald Curry, Gracie and Stelvio Silvani, and many others who became friends, her family said. In later years, they said, she always looked forward to Thanksgiving spent in St. Maarten with Jackie and Tut Tuttle.

Edie was no newcomer to the region since her mother, Mildred Weed, came from a rich ancestry on the East End, including Josiah Stanborough, a distant relative who left Lynn, Massachusetts in 1640 and landed on what is now known as Conscience Point. Mr. Stanborough would become an original settler of Southampton and built a house in Sagg, today known as Sagaponack. Edie’s ninth great-grandparents were Thomas Halsey and Elizabeth Phoebe Wheeler, whose house, “The Halsey House,” is now a museum in Southampton.

In addition to her husband and sons, Edie is survived by her sister, Jacqueline Frost, and grandchildren, Seneca, Ella, Jem and Todd who knew her as “Mimi.”

There will be a wake Thursday, June 15 at Shelter Island Funeral Home from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. The funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Friday, June 16 at the Union Chapel.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggested donations to the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons or East End Hospice.

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Charles Eben Crandall

Charles Eben Crandall, M.D., of Maplewood, New Jersey, and Shelter Island died on April 15, 2017, after a brief illness.

Mr. Crandall was born March 8, 1921, in Jersey City, New Jersey, the son of Charles Eben Crandall and Edith Harriet Squire. He grew up in Kearny, New Jersey, and graduated from Kearny High School and Princeton University with a degree in chemistry.

He enlisted in the Navy, and went to officer candidate school and volunteered for the “Rocket Gunboat Groups,”  which manned converted landing craft equipped with barrage rockets.

On LCI(G) 471, part of Rocket Gunboat Group 8 in the Central Pacific theater, Lt. Crandall participated in the landings at Kwajalein, Eniwetok, Peleliu, Saipan, Tinian, and Guam before the invasion of Iwo Jima, where the 471 lost half of her crew when the Japanese mistakenly concluded that the demolition teams and Rocket Gunboats were the actual invasion force.

Rocket Gunboat Group 8 was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for Kwajalein and the Presidential Unit Citation for Iwo Jima. Lt. Crandall was awarded the Navy and Marine Corp medal for rescuing two marine pilots under enemy fire at Guam, and the Bronze Star with Combat V for bravery under fire at Iwo Jima. He received a battlefield promotion at Iwo Jima to skipper of the flagship LCI(G) 457. Following World War II, Mr. Crandall served in the reserves on the USS Gato (submarine service).

After returning from the Central Pacific, Mr. Crandall attended medical school, he said, so no one ever would die on his watch for his lack of knowledge. At Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, he met the woman who would be his partner for almost 70 years, Elizabeth Jones. The two interned at Bellevue Hospital in New York and completed residency at the Hospital Center at Orange, New Jersey. He then spent two years as chief resident in Orange before moving on to Francis Delafield Hospital doing cancer research.

Dr. Crandall subsequently established a private practice in the South Orange-Maplewood area and was on the medical staffs of the Hospital Center at Orange, East Orange General Hospital and St. Barnabas Medical Center, serving all three institutions in multiple capacities. At East Orange General, Dr. Crandall was instrumental in establishing the first intensive care unit in New Jersey. He finished his professional career as medical director and chief underwriter at Prudential Life Insurance Company and then at Guardian Life in New York.

An ardent conservationist, Dr. Crandall believed deeply in community involvement, his family said. He was instrumental in saving from development Camp Glen Gray in the Ramapo Mountains, Sunfish Pond in Worthington State Forest, and the Hilltop Reservation on Second Watchung Mountain. A lifelong Boy Scout and former Eagle Scout, he served as scoutmaster of Troop 3 in Maplewood, and led a backpacking trek to Philmont Scout Ranch in northern New Mexico, as well as a wilderness canoe trip into Quebec. He received the Silver Beaver Award for distinguished service.

Dr. Crandall served for nearly 20 years as the football team physician at Columbia High School and was inducted into the CHS Athletic Hall of Fame. He was a long-term member and former president of the Kiwanis Club of Maplewood, as well as the New Jersey Medical Club, the oldest medical club in the state. For many years he was a member of the Shelter Island Yacht Club, serving for a time as its Fleet surgeon, as well as a trustee of Union Chapel in the Heights.

In addition to his wife, Dr. Crandall is survived by his daughter, Marilyn Crandall Jones, M.D., of San Diego; his son, the Honorable Charles Stevens Crandall of San Luis Obispo; granddaughters Abigail Elizabeth Jones of Washington D.C. and Joanne Elizabeth Crandall of San Luis Obispo; and grandson, Warren Stevens Crandall of Boston. He was predeceased by his sons Richard Squire Crandall and David Jones Crandall.

The family has lost a beloved father, the community an engaged citizen, and America an honored son, his family said.

Arrangements for a memorial service are pending. Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to the Friends of Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (Basking Ridge, New Jersey), the Kennebec Land Trust (Winthrop, Maine), or the Civil War Trust (Hagerstown, Maryland).

Kevin Joseph Cassisdy

Kevin Joseph Cassidy
Kevin Joseph Cassidy of Darien,  Connecticut, who summered on Shelter Island, passed away at home surrounded by his family on May 10, 2017. He was 60. The cause was lung cancer.

Kevin was born October 1, 1956 to Joseph and Eleanor Cassidy in Red Bank, New Jersey. He grew up on the Jersey Shore with his brothers, Padraic and Brendan, and his sister, Kathleen. It was there, family said, that he developed his love of family, his great capacity for friendship, and his love of the ocean.

While he was in high school, he moved with his family to Chevy Chase, Maryland, and he graduated from Good Counsel High School in Wheaton, Maryland. Kevin graduated from Boston College where he was an Economics major and an avid rugby player. His love for the Heights and his BC brother and sister Eagles lasted ever since, his family recalled.

He earned his law degree at Fordham Law School where he was a member of the Law Review, and became a member of the New York and California Bar associations. He practiced law at White & Case’s New York and Stockholm offices and for several years practiced law at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, first in New York and later in Los Angeles. Most recently, he was the general counsel and executive vice president at Rafferty Holdings, LLC.

Twenty-five years ago Kevin married Jacqueline Sinon of East Williston and the couple lived in Los Angeles, Sydney, and Hong Kong before settling in Darien, where they raised their four children.

Kevin was a devoted, endlessly supportive neighborhood dad and relished the joys of fatherhood, his family recalled. When his children were young, Kevin never tired of lacing up their hockey skates and the ice rink was a favorite destination. Learning and loving the game himself, he excitedly stood at the glass taking in games and working the clock. He was devoted to the Darien Youth Hockey Program and served on its governing board of directors.

An enthusiastic supporter of Darien Little League, Kevin also coached baseball and softball.

A former Boy Scout, Kevin guided his sons in scouting, serving as an assistant scoutmaster for Troop 53 in Darien. He loved participating in canoing, skiing and camping trips, especially the famous annual Klondike Camp Out in the snow. He devoted many hours to the annual Boy Scout tag sale and glowed with pride when troop members, including his sons, became Eagle Scouts.

Kevin was a member of Saint Thomas More Parish in Darien, and was recalled by family as a man of deep faith who set a powerful example for his children.

Whether he was taking off with his kids early on a Saturday morning for a day trip to the ski slopes or teeing off when the sun came up at Gardiner’s Bay Country Club, Kevin loved his life and lived it to the fullest, with enthusiasm, a generous heart, a sense of humor, and uncompromising integrity, his family recalled. The family recalled many unforgettable summers spent on Shelter Island, where no one who got in the boat while Kevin was at the helm didn’t learn to water ski.

In addition to his wife, Kevin is survived by his sons Kevin, Michael and Brendan, and his daughter Colleen; his brother, Brendan of College Park, Maryland and his sister, Kathleen of Longmont, Colorado. His brother Padraic passed away in 2009.

A funeral mass was held at Saint Thomas More Church and Kevin was buried at Our Lady of the Isle Cemetery. Donations in his honor may be made to the Andrew Shaw Memorial Trust (an organization that supports Darien Boy Scouts) P.O. Box 2315, Darien, CT 06820 or to the Darien EMS-Post 53, P.O. Box 2066, Darien, CT 06820.

Gary Koehler

Gary Koehler
Gary Koehler, a longtime Shelter Island resident who painted many of the homes here and in neighboring communities, passed away peacefully on June 20, 2017, surrounded by his family and friends at the VA Hospital in Northport. He was 73.

Gary was born on October 26, 1943 in San Fransisco to Fredrick Koehler and Ingrid Johansen. He was the oldest of four children. In high school, Gary was on the wrestling team and played football in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. He lived with his great aunt Dagney “Nana” Johansen in Staten Island before being drafted to Vietnam in 1965 where he served as a military police officer.

Gary married Grace Kempton in 1972. They resided in Rockville Centre with their two children. Gary and his family moved permanently to Shelter Island in 1990 after summering here for many years.

He ran a successful painting business on the Island that he loved.

Family recalled he enjoyed taking his kids and their friends waterskiing, tubing and fishing off their boat, trips to Newport with Grace, talks with his friend Virginia, running errands in his red pickup truck, lunches from the Shelter Island Pharmacy, salads from Bella Vita Pizzeria, stopping in to see his friends in the hardware store, afternoon naps, his dog Toby, his kids and especially his grandchildren.

Gary is remembered by family as a kind and gentle man who looked after stray cats, baby birds and all of the critters in his yard. He was a fun-loving Poppi to his grandchildren who absolutely adored him, his family said. His dry sense of humor, bellowing laugh and warm ways will be so greatly missed.

Gary is survived by his children, Lesley Evans of Staten Island and Gary “Chip” Koehler of Cutchogue; their mother, Grace (the couple divorced in 1997 but remained close), and three grandchildren, James, Isabella and William; and his siblings Ingrid Catherine Sutherland of New London, Donald Aitken of Tarpon Springs, Florida and Greg Aitken of West Islip.

A celebration of his life will take place at noon on Saturday, July 8 at the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church. All are welcome.

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Robert Reiter

Shelter Island lost an Island legend, icon and unique character when Robert Reiter passed away at home on Sunday, July 16, 2017. He was 84.

Born in Greenport on November 19, 1932 to Theodore and Mary (Norkelun) Reiter, he was one of six children. In his younger years, Bob was an avid roller skater at the Greenport rink. He could “cut a rug” both on the dance floor and on skates, his family recalled. He was, they said, a real old-fashioned ladies man.

Working as an usher at the movie theater in Greenport, Bob approached Kolina Mal Nevel, who was there with friends from Shelter Island, and told her “someday I’m going to marry you,” she recalled, adding “I told him, ‘You gotta be kidding me!’”

The couple were married in 1960 and had three sons: R. Michael, Earl and Jeffrey.

A great outdoorsman, Bob enjoyed deer hunting locally and in upstate New York. He had always been involved in fishing activities, clamming, scalloping and gillnetting. He spent 10 years on sea scallop boats and as a local bay scalloper was profiled by The Newsday Magazine on January 2, 1983 in a long article and photo essay entitled “The Hard, Sweet Life of a Scalloper.”

The family moved to Shelter Island in 1962 as caretakers of the Garr estate. A year later, Bob became a full-time bayman.

He served as a volunteer fireman for about 20 years and had his share of escapades, his family recalled, like the time he had to vent the roof of the manor house in Mashomack.

Bob and Kolina purchased what is now Bob’s Fish Market and Restaurant in 1969. The market began as a scallop shucking shop and evolved over time, starting with an all-you-can eat fish fry and continuing to grow due to Island demand.

For 33 years, Bob was involved in the annual fundraiser at Mashomack where he cooked lobsters in ‘Big Bertha,’ sometimes wearing outlandish getups. Last summer he participated with his buddy Warren Lucas.

Missing him greatly are his wife, Kolina; his sons, R. Michael, Earl and Jeffrey, and their families; grandchildren Anthony, Kayla and Amelia; and great-grandchildren Gloria, Margaret, Anthony and Lucas; along with hundreds of his friends, customers and acquaintances.

The Reiter family invites all to join in a day of remembrance on Saturday, September 9 beginning at noon at the restaurant.

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Eileen Edna Deutsch

Eileen Edna Deutsch of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and formerly of Manhasset and Shelter Island, passed away on August 10, 2017 after a nine year struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 77 years old.

Eileen is survived by her husband of 55 years, Edward; her identical twin sister, Elaine Small; and her sons, Eric (Stephanie) and Douglas (Lori). She also leaves behind a close and loving family including grandchildren Jack, Emma, Nate and Cole.

Eileen and her sister were born on February 28, 1940 to Ernest and Ann Drollinger. As Eileen would like to say, her family remembered, she was first and is the oldest. She attended local New York City schools in Glendale, Queens and summered in Croton-on-Hudson. Enrolled in Queens College, Eileen majored in American History and graduated in 1960.

She met her husband-to-be in her third year at college. Their first date was visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art to fulfill a college art course requirement. She got an “A”.

After graduation, Eileen, went on to get a Master’s in Education at St. John’s University and taught 9th grade American History at Memorial Junior High School in Valley Stream. She married Ed on April 22, 1962 and continued working until their first child, Eric, was born four years later. Eileen went back to part-time teaching for a year until Douglas was born in 1969. Then she became a full- time mother, president of the Parent Teachers Association, treasurer of the Manhasset High School Education Fund, played bridge and tennis and, finally, achieved her great wish of a hole-in-one.

Eileen was a very much of tomboy, her family said, loving spending summers on the East End, especially on Shelter Island. She was an excellent swimmer and loved to boat, clam and fish. She had a wonderful, smiling disposition, her family said, and will be missed by friends and family.

A memorial service was held at Hilton Head’s All Saints Episcopal Church on August 16, 2017 and was followed by a reception at the church. Remembrances may be sent to Memory Matters, PO Box 22330, Hilton Head, SC, 29925 or memory-matters.org.

Neal Raymond Sr.

Neal Raymond Sr.

Neal Raymond Sr. passed away on August 2, 2017. Born on August 24, 1940, he was 76.

Neal served in the U.S. Air Force, then worked for Grumann Aerospace. He then joined the Suffolk County Sheriff ’s office, serving 33 years before retiring.

A “people person” according to his wife, Cathy, Neal is remembered for his dedication to Shelter Island. After coming to the Island 24 years ago, he immersed himself in the community and its many traditions and institutions.

He served the town on the Assessment Review Board for 16 years and on the Zoning Board of Appeals for nine years. He was also involved with the Shelter Island Chamber of Commerce and the American Legion. Neal was a town councilman, a detention officer, a candidate for town justice and was active in the local Conservative Party.

Neal didn’t think he would be as busy as he was after retirement, his family said, but soon felt he belonged on Shelter Island. He loved taking photos, his family remembered, of the beautiful surroundings of the Island. Some of his favorite places to visit, according to his family, were the Police Department, Town Hall, the IGA, the hardware store and the post office.

He also loved visiting longtime friends Amber Anglin and Greg Ofrias at their respective estab- lishments, All Dogged-Up and the Shelter Island Heights Pharmacy. He enjoyed talking to everyone, Cathy said, and if he could help in any way, he would do so.

Neal loved working with radios, offering his ham radio skills wherever needed and volunteering to operate the radios for the annual 10K race. He also was a member of Police Chief James Read’s emergency preparedness team, providing back up radio communications in case of emergencies. He most enjoyed working the Fourth of July fireworks coordination between the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the Shelter Island Police Department and New York State Police Department.

In addition to Cathy, Neal is survived by daughters Tracey and Samantha; sons Neal Jr. and Daniel; and granddaughter Amanda. Memorial donations may be made to the Shelter Island Ambulance Foundation, PO Box 547, Shelter Island, NY 11964, and St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, (631) 749-0770 or st- marys11964@optonline.net.

The post Shelter Island Reporter obituaries: Deutsch, Raymond appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTO A new idea to protect the Island’s ground and surface waters has been voiced.

While the Water Quality Improvement Projects Advisory Board pushes forward with plans to offer grants to Island residents and business owners to upgrade their septic systems, a Hay Beach man believes many Massachusetts communities are proceeding in a better direction.

Instead of outright grants, Gordon Gooding reported places such as Nantucket offering government loans that, as they’re paid back, create a revolving source of money for people in need of assistance in the future to upgrade their septic systems.

Mr. Gooding has been critical of the move here to provide grants, calling it “a giveaway program.”

Nantucket voters in a recent town meeting approved a “Community Septic Management Program,” managed through the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), to make loans available to qualified homeowners.

To qualify, homeowners must have a failed septic system that lies within an environmentally sensitive area and the DEP must certify that the system meets those requirements.

Loans incur a 2 percent interest charge and are to be repaid over a 20-year period with payments due every six months tacked onto homeowners’ municipal tax bills. Loans are secured as a betterment assessment and may be paid off ahead of time without penalty or when a homeowner transfers property.

On Nantucket, loans cover septic system repairs, replacements or upgrades.

In implementing the program, Nantucket left the door open to considering loans to property owners in other areas of that Island, with those to be determined on a case-by-case basis.

In other areas of Massachusetts, loans are being offered under a septic repair program, but are tied to property owners’ family size and income level.

Shelter Island’s water advisory board is not recommending considerations based on income, at least not for the initial year of the program. But the board is leaving open the possibility of revisiting terms of its grants next year, with the possibility it could recommend adding income considerations.

The post Idea floated for alternative septic financing for homeowners appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

Anne DeStefano
Anne DeStefano of Shelter Island passed away unexpectedly in her sleep in the early hours of Thursday, August 17, 2017 at North Shore Hospital in Manhasset where she was awaiting heart surgery.

Born on March 9, 1939 and raised in Long Branch, New Jersey, Anne met her future husband, Bob, in kindergarten. Thirteen years later, on graduation day they went on their first date. Soon after they were married and moved to Cape May, New Jersey where Bob was stationed in the Coast Guard and Anne worked at Marine Bank.

They later moved to Southampton where she worked as a secretary for local attorney Tom Burke.

Anne has been a resident of Shelter Island for over 50 years. She worked at the golf shop at Gardiner’s Bay Country Club, as a real estate broker at Hallock Realty and later became a partner in its successor, Georgiana B. Ketcham Real Estate.

Anne will be remembered, her family said, for her smile, her heart and her kindness, but mostly for her limitless love of family, both her own and countless others. She was on every school committee, her family recalled: she was a den mother, class mother, chaperone, cook, bus driver, entertainment committee, teacher, friend, confidant, confessor, protector and comforter.

She never missed a game, match, play or concert. She loved unconditionally and without judgment and accepted you as you were, her family recalled. She gave without any thought of reciprocation. Her door was always open, her table was always full and everyone was welcome. Anne’s greatest ambition in life was to be a mother and that is how she will be remembered — by many more people than she ever would have imagined.

Anne is survived by her husband of 58 years, Bob DeStefano, her son Bob DeStefano, Jr. (Elena), her son-in-law Kevin Byrne and his son Daniel, as well as her sister, Patricia Dennis. She will be missed by everyone, and especially the generations of Island children to whom she was a second mother. She is reunited with her daughter and best friend, Nancy Anne Byrne, who predeceased her.

Services were held on Monday, August 21, 2017 at Our Lady of the Isle Roman Catholic Church.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that anyone wishing to make a donation in Anne’s memory send a contribution to the Shelter Island Ambulance Foundation — PO Box 547, Shelter Island, New York 11964 — in appreciation for the times they have come to the family’s aid and their kindness and compassion at those trying times.

The post Shelter Island Reporter obituary: DeStefano appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

John Patrick “Jack” Monaghan of Shelter Island died on September 6, 2017. He was 82 years old.

The family will receive friends on Sunday, September 10 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the DeFriest-Grattan Shelter Island Funeral Home, 23 West Neck Road, Shelter Island, New York 11964.

The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, September 11 at 10:30 a.m.. at Our Lady of the Isle Roman Catholic Church officiated by Father Peter DeSanctis.

Interment will follow at Our Lady of the Isle Roman Catholic Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Shelter Island Lions Club and/or the Shelter Island Educational Foundation would be appreciated. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.

The post Obituary: Jack Monaghan appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

Donna Marie Barletta
Donna Marie Barletta, 69, formerly of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, passed away Thursday, September 7, 2017 at her home on Shelter Island.

She was born to Angelo and Mary (Lombargo) Sabia on May 15, 1948 in Hazleton.

She graduated from Hazleton High School in 1966 and was a professional hairstylist for many years in Hazelton and Columbia, Maryland. Her family remembers her as a  creative and artistic spirit who loved life and family and was a dedicated daughter and niece as a caretaker to her mother and aunt Lucy Sabia. Donna loved animals and cared for numerous pets throughout her life, her family remembered, and was a talented artist who enjoying painting and sculpture. A devoted mother and grandmother, she was always warm, happy and loving.

Donna moved to Shelter Island full-time six years ago. The Island became a source of joy for her, her family said. She fell in love with the community and the natural surrounding beauty. She was a member of the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church and regularly attended services at Our Lady of the Isle Church, as well.

Surviving are her daughter, Renee Barletta and her son-in-law, John Yang, of Brooklyn; grandchildren Jasper and Francesca, Yang, and her former husband, Anthony “Tootser” Barletta, and many nieces and nephews.

Memorial service details to be announced.

The post Shelter Island Reporter obituary: Donna Marie Barletta appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

REPORTER FILE PHOTO
Jack Monaghan

Jack Monaghan, one of the most beloved Islanders in recent memory, passed away on September 6, 2017. He was 82 years old. Here’s a profile by Peter Boody of Jack the Reporter published in 2014.

It’s said of certain Irish gentlemen that they have the “gift of gab.” That phrase, with its notes of blarney does not apply to Jack Monaghan, a former Brooklyn schoolteacher who worked across the U.S. and Europe as a speech and language consultant for ITT and other corporations.

He’s Irish all right. A former lead actor, producer and director with the Thomas Davis Irish Players in New York and a medal-winning dance performer and teacher of Irish history and culture with the Gaelic League in the city, he owned an apartment outside Dublin for years, dropping his bags there whenever his work took him to London or Brussels.

Retired for more than 20 years to Shelter Island, which he said had captured his heart — “How could it not? The place really grabs you” — he’s well known here as a substitute teacher, a volunteer mentor at the Shelter Island School and a leader of the Shelter Island Lions Club, helping with programs for people in need.

Besides theatre and dance, he’s a trombonist who played with the fondly remembered Brooklyn Dodgers Sym-Phony atop the dugout at Ebbets Field and an athlete who coached football and basketball teams throughout his career, heading the English department and coaching debate teams at St. Francis Prep and St. Francis College in Brooklyn.

He still helps out as a volunteer basketball coach on Shelter Island. A former regular on the tennis court, he served on the board of the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills.

“I’m the luckiest guy in the world,” he said. “Everything just fell to me.”

More likely, a love of people and a knack for making lifelong friendships is the real reason for his success. That capacity plus some hard work and a bit of talent make their own luck.

Take, for example, the “almost unbelievable” way his lucrative consulting connection to ITT came about.

He had stopped off one day in the late 1970s at St. John’s University, where he’d been an adjunct professor, to see his friend Jim Hall, a speech specialist and English teacher who happened to be the substitute announcer at Yankee Stadium for the great Bob Sheppard.

“We were having coffee,” Jack recalled, “when his secretary comes in and asks, ‘Do we know a John Monaghan?”

She had a caller on the line who’d been in a seminar that Jack had taught at IBM a couple of years before. All the caller could remember was that he coached basketball at a city school called “Saint Something.”

“When you talk about basketball in New York, there’s only one school: St. John’s,” Jack explained. “So this guy called the speech department and asked for me.”

The caller was a corporate headhunter looking for a consultant to help ITT with its training and marketing seminars, board-room presentations, and corporate speeches.

It was the beginning of a long relationship including working directly with ITT President Harold Geneen, by which time Jack had had two heart attacks — heart disease was a family curse — and was phasing into retirement.

At the height of his consulting career, friends told him he should hire staff and set up a business so he wouldn’t have to do all the work himself. But “I wasn’t ambitious,” he said. “I was making as much money as I wanted and who wanted the headache of running a business?”

Where did his interest in speech, language and literature come from? A certain Irish gene leans that way, of course — Jack will offhandedly quote from Yeats — but he said he didn’t know the answer. All he could say was: “I always wanted to teach.” And it had to be language and literature because writing is so important as a life skill.

“You can do without trig but you can’t do without language,” he said.

Despite his affection for all things Brooklyn, Jack was a Forest Hills resident from his birth in 1935 until the late 1990s.

His father was an executive with the Borden Company. When he died at the age of 42, when Jack was 2, his mother moved with him and his brother into an apartment. She went back to work as a secretary, never remarrying and somehow enduring the death of Jack’s brother, who was killed by a train, when Jack was 10.

Before that, trying to keep them from being “smothered” by her attention, Jack said, Mrs. Monaghan had begun sending the boys to a Franciscan summer camp in Centerport. Jack thrived there and developed a “love for all things Long Island,” he said, continuing to head to Camp Alvernia every summer right into adulthood, working as a counselor until his consulting work made that impossible.

A scholarship student, he had to leave St. Francis College before graduating because he needed money. He took a job for a while writing news and sports for NBC TV and radio at Rockefeller Center. One of his assignments, he recalled, was riding around city neighborhoods in a red Ford Thunderbird with a young reporter named Gabe Pressman. Meanwhile, he worked toward his bachelor’s degree at night at St. John’s, which offered a part-time program, unlike St. Francis.

Years later, his friend from St. Francis basketball days, Frank Machiarola — who by then had become the chancellor of the city school system — learned that Jack’s B.A. degree came from elsewhere. He pulled strings to get him a degree from St. Francis. Jack, who did doctoral work at NYU but didn’t finish because his consulting business had taken off, also has an honorary doctorate from his old alma mater.

Throughout his career, Jack lived in a six-room apartment in Forest Hills, owned that weekend place in Vernon Township — where he played tennis and relaxed by a lake — and had the apartment in Monkstown, just outside Dublin.

In 1998, the wife of a tennis friend from Forest Hills, Al Gaudelli, invited him to their place on Shelter Island for Al’s 60th birthday party. Within days, Jack had made an offer on a unit at the Dering Harbor Inn. He moved to an even nicer one on the bluff overlooking the water about eight years ago.

Jack sold all his other homes in the late 1990s, using the capital to set up low-interest mortgages for godchildren and cousins’ kids. “It provides a good income for me,” he said.

Seeing an ad in the paper here for mentors to work with local students, Jack thought he’d see what today’s teenagers were like after not having worked with them for 25 years. He called adviser Brian Becker to offer his services. Brian assigned him Joey Emmett, son of teacher Frank Emmett, and later Joey’s best friend, Joey Theinert.

When Jack spoke of the loss of Army 1st Lt. Joey Theinert in Afghanistan in 2010, the tears came like a storm, clearing almost as suddenly as he told of his continuing friendship with the other Joey, who lives in England now and whose wedding Jack attended in 2011. “I visit them whenever I’m over there,” Jack said. “We have a great time.”

When he was named Lions Club Citizen of the Year in 2015, Selection Committee Chairman Dr. Frank Adipietro said: “Jack Monaghan personifies the Lions’ motto — ‘We Serve.’ He supports each and every effort on the Island.”

The post Remembering Jack Monaghan: Teacher, mentor and friend appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

George Edmund Butts Jr.
George E. Butts Jr. of Shelter Island, former dog control officer here, died at his home on September 5, 2017. He was 82.

George was born May 20, 1935 to George E. Butts Sr. and his wife Madeline (Mitchell) in Southampton. An only child, he grew up in Sag Harbor and graduated from Pierson High School in Sag Harbor. He served in the United States Army Reserve from 1956 to 1959.

He worked as a contractor and eventually took over the family business, George Butts Builders.

Mr. Butts was mayor of Sag Harbor from 1985 to 1991. He moved here 17 years ago, he said in a 2008 Reporter interview, because its “like Sag Habor used to be.”

Animals, especially dogs, played a big part in his life. When he married Nancy Friscia, who grew up in Bensonhurst, she recalled in the Reporter profile that she went straight from the wedding to an animal shelter to get a dog of her own because she’d never before been allowed to have one. Ardent animal lovers, they were stalwarts of the Animal Rescue Fund (ARF) of the Hamptons, homing animals that were difficult to place.

Mr. Butts was a member of the Coast Guard Auxilliary, the United States Power Squadron and the American Legion Post 388 in Sag Harbor. He was president of the St. Andrew’s Chuch Parish Council and served on the Board of Directors for the Sag Harbor Yacht Club and in the Sag Harbor Fire Department, Gazelle Hose Company.

In addition to his wife, Mr. Butts is survived by his daughters, Katherine Butts Gregg (Jeffrey) of Shelter Island and Jacqueline Butts Minetree (Lee) of Wainscott; his son, George E. Butts III (Jennifer) of Sag Harbor; eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. His grandson George H. Butts predeceased him.

A visitation was held on Friday, September 8 at the Yardley & Pino Funeral Home in Sag Harbor, followed by a private burial. Memorial donations may be made to ARF of the Hamptons, PO Box 901, Wainscott 11975, the Cormaria Retreat House, PO Box 1993, Sag Harbor 11963, or the Shelter Island Ambulance Foundation, PO Box 547, Shelter Island 11964.

Barbara Ward
Barbara Ward of Rye died peacefully after a short illness at Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut on September 17, 2017.

She was 87 and had spent many summers at her beloved Shelter Island home.

She grew up in the village of Kingsland, Herefordshire England, and graduated with a degree in English Literature from the University of Birmingham. In London she worked for the Fulbright Scholarship Program, supervising and assisting visiting scholars from the United States. In those days she played tennis and was a forward for the South of England field hockey team in regional competitions.

She visited the United States where she met her husband, Sedgwick Ward of Wilmington Delaware. They were married in 1960.

After a short stay in Washington D. C. the couple moved to Brooklyn Heights where she was active with the Girl Scouts and the Junior League. She served for a number of years as the secretarial assistant to Msgr. Charles Diviney, the Vicar General of the Brooklyn Diocese.

In 1973 the family which by then included a daughter and son moved to Summit, N. J. and then to Rye, N. Y. in 1998. From 1968 on they spent summers on the Island, where they owned a much beloved home.

Family and in later years especially her five grandchildren were the focus of her life, her family recalled.

For Barbara tennis held a fascination both as an active sport and as a spectator. She sailed on cruises with her husband in on Long Island Sound and on the coast of Southern New England.

A guiding passion was her love of, instrumental, choral and operatic classical music as well as drama and ballet. She had danced as a ballet student in England. She and her husband spent countless evenings at performances in New York. An opera buff, she was a fan of many of the reigning singers and delighted particularly in opening night at the Met.

A love of fine art led her to undertake the definitive biography of Jervis McEntee, a 19th century landscape painter of the Hudson River school. The book, completed shortly before her death is expected to be published soon, her family said.

She is survived by her husband; daughter, Mary (Michael Beran); son, Andrew (Arden); granddaughters Caroline, Sarah and Lucy Beran;  grandsons Christopher and Tucker Ward, and by her brother Eric Wall of Chichester England, sister Sheila Bulbeck of Litchfield, England and numerous nephews and nieces.

Donations in her memory may be made to the Cornelia Connelly Center for Education (Holy Child, Connelly Middle School) 220 East 4th Street New York, NY 10009.

A mass will be said at Resurrection Church in Rye at 10 a.m. on Monday September 25.

On Shelter Island, there will be a graveside service at the Our Lady of the Isle cemetery at 11 a.m. on September 26.

The post Shelter Island Reporter obituaries: Butts, Ward appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

Mary Arden Clark
Mary Arden Clark, 80, formerly of Shelter Island, died peacefully at home in Rockland, Maine surrounded by her family on Monday, September 11, 2017.

Mary Arden Clark

Born June 2, 1937, in Greenport, she was the daughter of Reginald and Una Larson Webb. A graduate of Greenport High School class of 1955, she earned her L.P.N. from University of the State of New York in 1962.

On July 16, 1960, she married John F. Clark and the couple settled on Shelter Island.

As a young girl, Mary was taught to play the piano and organ by her mother. She developed a great love of music that, her family said, glorified God, and used her talent as pianist and organist in churches she attended.

Mary was well known for her hospitality and industry, her family remembered. She raised three children and opened her home to many others, preserved her own food and sewed for her family, as well as caring for her aging parents and housekeeping in other homes and businesses on the Island.

Mary and John moved to Maine following his retirement from South Ferry in 1998. Continuing to use her gift of hospitality, they opened a bed and breakfast in Camden and faithfully attended the Cornerstone Baptist Church there.

She took great interest in her grandchildren and was involved in their lives. Her pastor commented: “She was a strong woman with a vibrant faith whose focus and desire was that her children succeed in whatever the Lord would have them to do.”

Mary will be sadly missed by her family, church, and community. Family said that because of her trust in Jesus Christ, and not her own good deeds for salvation, they are “assured by God’s Word she is in heaven with the Lord.”

Predeceased by her husband in 2000, her daughter, Laurie Morin, in 2012 and her sister, Margot Clark, in 2016, Mary is survived by her sonsJohn (Judith) Clark of South Thomaston, Maine and Todd (Charlotte) Clark of Warren, Maine; eight grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; and many nieces, nephews, and extended family members

A memorial service was held in Camden on September 20, 2017 at Cornerstone Baptist Church, where gifts in her memory may be made to the church’s mission ministries by mail to 164 Cobb Road, Camden, Maine 04843.

Private interment was at Mountain View Cemetery in Camden.

Doris Thelma Clegg Larsen
Doris Thelma Clegg Larsen 96, died peacefully on October 2, 2017 at her home on Shelter Island.

Doris was born July 30, 1921 to John Howard Clegg and his wife Marian (Robe) in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. The oldest of three children, she grew up in Montclair, New Jersey and later moved to Verona, New Jersey where she graduated from high school. She majored in mathematics at New Jersey College for Women (now Douglass College) at Rutgers University.

Following graduation during World War II, she was recruited by Curtiss-Wright Aeronautical Engineering where she worked on engine testing, in the propeller division and on development of jet engines.

In 1955,she married Paul F. Larsen at Central Presbyterian Church in Montclair. They settled in Upper Montclair where they raised three daughters.

Doris was an active life member of the Girl Scouts, serving as leader for over 25 years. She was a life-long member and participant in the life and mission of Central Presbyterian Church in Montclair. She was an avid nature enthusiast, artist and crafts person with many creative interests and talents.

Paul introduced Doris to Shelter Island where his family had owned a vacation home on Menantic Creek since the 1940s. In 1963, they purchased their home on Menantic Creek next door to the Larsen family home.

For years they split summers between Shelter Island and Cape Cod where Doris’ parents had built a vacation home. Many happy years were spent boating around and on the beaches of the Island. In 1990, they retired to Venice Florida and the Island. In 2015, they moved permanently to the Island to be closer to their daughters and their families.

Doris is survived by her husband of 62 years; daughters Alice Deupree (Marvin) of Montclair and Shelter Island; Linda McCarthy (Peter) of Shelter Island; Suzan Newcomb (Mark) of Chatham, Massachusetts; four grandchildren; her brother Donald Clegg of Chatham; her cousin Jane Clegg Cook of Saxtons River, Vermont and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held on the Island (date to be determined) and interment will be in Caldwell, New Jersey.

Donations in her memory may be made to Central Presbyterian Church, 46 Park Street, Montclair, New Jersey 07042, East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach, New York NY 11978 or the Shelter Island Ambulance Foundation, P.O. Box 547, Shelter Island  New York 11964.

Lorna Jeanette Drilling Laspia
Lorna Jeanette Drilling Laspia, 95, died peacefully in her sleep on September 21, 2017 at her home on Shelter Island.

Lorna Jeanette Drilling Laspia

Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Lorna was an avid tennis player during high school and college, garnering many trophies in tournaments throughout the state. Her family said her proudest moment was when she and her brother, Morris, won the Michigan State doubles championship. She remained a lifelong follower of tennis and a sports enthusiast, especially loving baseball, boating, horse racing and croquet.

Lorna was well known for her bridge playing and was a much sought after partner.

After college graduation, Lorna enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving during World War II and becoming a leader of her platoon. She was a flight instructor, operating a link trainer (an early flight simulator) and taught U.S. servicemen how to fly relying solely on their instruments. While there, she met and taught her future husband, Blaise Laspia, a Navy pilot.

When the war ended, Lorna and Blaise moved to Shelter Island and eventually started the Shelter Island Nursery on St. Mary’s Road. Lorna was an active community volunteer — hosting scout jamborees, helping at the Shelter Island Historical Society and Garden Club, teaching math at the school and working with the PTA — while holding down full-time jobs.

She was a bookkeeper for the Peconic Lodge, the Mashomack Club and her family’s nursery.

When Lorna and Blaise retired for the winter months in Sarasota, Florida, she remained active volunteering for area organizations. She worked tirelessly at Spanish Point, a historic site near her home there.

Her family remembers her unquenchable thirst in the pursuit of knowledge, studying a wide range of topics to keep her mind active and alert. Cooking was a lifelong passion and she was well known for her culinary expertise and enjoyed preparing a variety of cuisines.

Lorna joined a local wood carving association in Sarasota and became an accomplished carver well into her 90s, winning several ribbons and supplying her family with many fine examples of her craft. She also studied religions, gardening and knitting, and was always looking for something new and challenging, her family recalled.

Lorna will be remembered for her quick wit, bold frankness, sharp memory and mental acumen.

She is survived by her sons James Michael and Maury and her daughter, Donna Kilb, all of Shelter Island; grandchildren Erica and Jamie Laspia, Novella Yeaman, Jon and Nick Kilb; and three great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband, and eldest son, John “Randy” Laspia.

A memorial service will be held at the American Legion hall on Sunday, October 22 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations would be appreciated to the American Legion Mitchell Post 281, PO Box 2021, Shelter Island, New York 11964.

Philip Peters
Philip Peters, whose family remembers him as a kind, considerate man known for his deep loyalty to family and friends and a wry sense of humor all his own, passed away peacefully in Englewood, Colorado on September 20, 2017 after a full and rewarding life.

Philip Peters

Phil was born in Newark, New Jersey on October 25, 1918 to Fred Peters and Honora McHugh Peters. After he lost his mother at age 6, his stepmother Margaret Travers Peters joined his family.

Phil was a retired superintendent of schools of the first supervisory school district in Suffolk County and the executive director of the Board of Cooperative Educational Services of that school district.

He received a bachelor’s degree from Panzer College of the University of Montclair, where he excelled on the track team, and a master’s degree from Seton Hall University.

He served in World War II with the U.S. Army in Australia and New Guinea.

After the war he taught school in Milltown, New Jersey and on Shelter Island where he also coached baseball and basketball. Throughout his career his wry wit and way with words made him a highly sought speaker, his family said.

Phil married Doris Zabel in 1944, and they raised their children, Phyllis, Nancy and Jake, on the Island and in Southold. A sports enthusiast, Phil was also a lifelong bridge player. After he retired in 1979, the couple moved to Gainesville, Florida, where Phil played golf daily, twice hitting a hole in one.

After Doris passed away, Phil moved in 2011 to a senior retirement community in Englewood, Colorado, where he coordinated the bridge club and entertained all with a new-found passion for writing stories about his life.

Phil is survived by his daughter Nancy Peters of Englewood and son Jake (Patty Olson) Peters of Superior, Wisconsin; three nieces, Louise (Mike) Sheyker of Fontana, Wisconsin, Sister Ann-Joyce Peters of Santiago, Chile, and Debbie Nicholson of Crofton, Maryland; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his daughter Phyllis Linn, two brothers, Fred Peters and John Peters, and one sister, Frances Huff. Cremation was conducted by the Cremation Society of Colorado.

In lieu of flowers, family and friends are invited to donate to the charity of their choice.

Barbara Reeves
Barbara Reeves passed away on August 28, 2017 in Venice, Florida, surrounded by her family, shortly after receiving a brain cancer diagnosis. She was 67 years old.

Born on June 1, 1950 in Brooklyn, Barbara moved to Shelter Island when she was 5 years old. She met her future husband, James “ Zippy” Reeves, when she was 15. They were engaged in 1968, the night she graduated from Shelter Island High School, and they married in 1969.

Barbara was a resident of Shelter Island for over 60 years. She worked at the Shelter Island High School cafeteria. She went on to work for the Town of Shelter Island as the confidential secretary to the supervisor, working for six different supervisors, retiring in 2009.

After her retirement, she decided to go back to work part-time and worked in the North Ferry office.

Barbara and Zippy wintered in Florida for many years, before they decided to make the move permanent, relocating in May 2016 to North Port, Florida.
Barbara is survived by her husband of 48 years; her daughters Robin (Gary) Goetz of Venice, Florida and Vicki (Rich) Russ of Southold; son, Jimmy (Karyn) Reeves of Gainesville, Georgia; eight grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her mother, Harriet Case and a brother, Robert Hopkins.

A service was held in Northport at the McKee Funeral Home on August 31. A memorial service will be held on October 21 at the Shelter Island Heights firehouse.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Barbara’s name to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148-0142.

The post Shelter Island Reporter obituaries: Clark, Larsen, Laspia, Peters, Reeves appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

COURTESY PHOTO | Carl Zenkert and his wife, Kathryn R. Dabney

On Saturday, October 21 at 2 p.m., a memorial celebration will be held at Camp Quinipet on Shelter Island to honor the life of Carl Zenkert. Carl, who served for over 25 years as director of United Methodist camps, including Camp Quinipet, passed away on January 29, 2017. He will be honored with a tree planting and bench dedication at Camp Quinipet. 

Guests are invited to come celebrate Carl’s life and share stories and photos from their time at Quinipet. Book donations for the camp library, which is reserving a shelf for books Carl regularly used during his ministry, are also welcome, as are donations for Camp Quinipet’s Scholarship Fund. Please make checks payable to “Quinipet Camp & Retreat Center” with the memo “scholarship in memory of Carl Zenkert.”

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Joseph Napolitano passed away on Tuesday, October 24.

The family will receive guests at 21 Brander Parkway on Friday, October 27 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The funeral is scheduled for the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church on Saturday, October 28, at noon.

A full obituary will appear in a future edition of the Reporter.

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Thomas Henry Hagoort, of Hilton Head, South Carolina, and East Quogue died on October 18, 2017. A long-time resident of Ram Island, he was 85.

Tom was born in Paterson, New Jersey on May 30, 1932 to Nicholas Hugh and Rae (née Sytsma) Hagoort.

He grew up in Belleville, New Jersey and started dating his future wife, Lois Bennett, in his senior year at Belleville High School. They married in September 1954 a few months after Tom graduated from Harvard, where he was captain of the freshman crew and active in the Crimson Key Society, and a few days before he started law school at Harvard.

Tom was a member of the Law Review and was elected Note Editor. He had a long legal career, first as a corporate partner at Cleary, Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton in New York, and then as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel at Albany International Corp.

The Hagoorts lived in Montclair, New Jersey for 36 years until they retired to Hilton Head in 1996.

Tom and Lois bought their home on Ram Island in 1975 after renting on Shelter Island for two summers. They spent every summer in the house and on their boat until they moved to East Quogue in 2015 to be near their daughters.

Tom was an avid sailor and he and Lois lived for their weeks-long summer cruises from Coecles Harbor to some of their favorite spots to anchor. They were members of the Shelter Island Yacht Club and spent many summers cruising with other members. Every sailboat he owned was christened Peripatetic and he was up to Peripatetic IV when he passed away.

In addition to his beloved wife of 63 years, Tom is survived by their daughters Susan (John) Bick of Quogue and New Canaan, Connecticut, and Nancy (Robert) Treuhold of Quogue and Manhattan; his granddaughters Jessica (Michael) Law, Anna (Brinkley) Rowe and Christine Treuhold; and his brother, Nicholas Hugh Hagoort Jr.

A private celebration of his life will be held at Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the spring.

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Barbara Ellen O’Brien, 83, a Ft. Myers, Florida resident since 2009, formerly of New York City and Shelter Island, passed away on Monday, November 6, 2017 in Ft. Myers.

She was born on September 14, 1934 in Brooklyn to Raymond and Adelaide O’Brien, now deceased.
After graduating from The College of New Rochelle, Barbara attended the Sorbonne in Paris and The University of Leuven in Belgium. She graduated with an M.A. in Philosophy and an M.D. in Psychiatry.

Barbara completed her residency at St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York City in 1967 and retired May 1, 2002. She was an attending psychiatrist at Saint Vincent’s for over 30 years, serving with distinction in a number of positions, including inpatient unit chief, outpatient service chief, chief of the hospital consultation program, as well as chairman of the quality assurance committee.

She was an outstanding clinician, teacher, supervisor and mentor to countless medical students, residents and junior faculty members.

She is survived by her brothers, Raymond O’Brien (Heidi) of Ft. Myers and Gerald O’Brien of New York City; nephew Raymond A. O’Brien (Elizabeth) of Orlando, Florida; and a niece Marlene Hayes (Patrick) of Darien, Connecticut.

Memorial contributions in memory of Barbara Ellen O’Brien are suggested to the Alzheimer’s Association, Florida Gulf Coast Chapter, 14010 Roosevelt Boulevard, #709, Clearwater, FL 33762 or alz.org.

Friends are invited to send condolences via the on-line guest book which can be found at MullinsMemorial.com.

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