Charles J. Hoffmann
Charles J. Hoffmann of Sayville, New York, and a former 50-year resident of Shelter Island, died on Thursday, May 23, 2019. He was 93 years old.

He was born on April 23, 1926 in New York City to Margaret (nee Doherty) and Karl Hoffmann. On June 28, 1953 he married the love of his life, Caroline Anderson, in West Babylon, New York and together they had three children.

Charles served in the United States Naval Reserve during World War II from 1944 to 1946 as a seaman first class, where he attained the American Theatre Medal, Asiatic Pacific Medal, European Theatre Medal and Victory Medal.

He worked for LILCO in Riverhead for 40 years as a lineman and dispatcher, retiring in 1986. He was also a member of the Shelter Island Country Club.

Predeceased by Caroline on August 20, 2018, he is survived by his three children: George J. Hoffmann of Shelter Island; Charles G. Hoffmann of Rockville Centre; and Cinthia Amurao of Ashburn, Virginia; eight grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and sister Anna Westerlind of Marco Island, Florida.

Interment with U.S. Navy honors will take place at Calverton National Cemetery in the near future.

Memorial donations may be made in his name to the Shelter Island Ambulance Foundation, P.O. Box 547, Shelter Island, New York 11964.

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Natalie Spencer Fox
Natalie Spencer Fox passed away on December 17, 2018, peacefully in her sleep, at her home on Shelter Island at the age of 93.

Natalie, or Nat, as she was known by family and friends, was a longtime Shelter Island resident. After visiting the Island for the first time in the late 1950s, she felt an immediate bond for the place, where in the early 1960s she met and fell in love with Arthur “Bud” Fox, her husband for 52 years.

Bud and Nat built a house on White Birch Road in Silver Beach in the mid-1970s and moved in as residents in 1978. Bud established himself as a home builder and Nat a realtor, first working for the Gregory Price Agency, then as the owner of Gregory Price, which she sold to Cook Pony Farm, remaining as an agent well into her 80s.

When they were not at work, Nat and Bud spent much of their time sailing and cruising around Shelter Island, Long Island and the east coast. They both shared a deep love for life on the water.

Natalie was born on August 20, 1925 in Manhattan, the daughter of Gerard and Lillian Spencer. She attended Friends Academy in New York City and then graduated from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. She first experienced life around the water in Sea Cliff, where her family spent their summers, and where she later lived in the 1950s and 1960s.

She and Bud moved to Annapolis, Maryland in 1966, where they lived and sailed before becoming full-time residents of Silver Beach in 1978.

Natalie is survived by her three sons, Peter Ryder, Anthony Ryder (from her first marriage to Howard Ryder) and Matthew Fox and three grandchildren, Lucas Ryder, Maxwell Ryder and Emily Fox.

She will be missed by her family, her many friends and associates and the Shelter Island community she loved so much.

James D. McCarthy
James D. McCarthy of Shelter Island died at home on Saturday, June 1, 2019. He was 71 years old.

The family has chosen to remember James’ life privately at this time.

Richard Hale Needham
Richard Hale Needham of Shelter Island died Wednesday, May 29, 2019 at home on Country Club Drive. He was 89 years old.

Richard was born to Elizabeth and Basil Needham on February 6, 1930 in New York City. An avid sailor who grew up in Bayside, he sailed Comets on Little Neck Bay. He continued sailing in high school, attending Tabor Academy in Marion, Massachusetts.

After graduating from Tabor, he attended Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, leaving to join the Navy during the Korean War. There he spent four years as a radarman aboard the USS Lloyd Thomas. In later years he thoroughly enjoyed traveling to his ship’s reunions and keeping up with surviving shipmates, his family said.

Richard worked in sales for several years at the National Industrial Conference Board in New York City before joining Continental Radiant Glassheat Corporation in 1974, which was founded by his father in 1951. He enjoyed working and keeping busy and continued to service heating customers even after the company was sold in the mid-1990s.

Predeceased by his brother Basil and sister Cynthia, he is survived by his younger brother, Robert, who resided with him on Shelter Island; his daughter Cynthia Leduc and her husband, David, of Hingham, Massachusetts; and sons Richard H. Needham II of Leesburg, Virginia and Todd Needham and his wife, Elizabeth, of Concord, Massachusetts.

In addition he leaves behind his children’s mother, Joan Needham of Plymouth, Massachusetts, and seven grandchildren.

A memorial service will be planned for a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to East End Hospice, 481 Westhampton-Riverhead Road, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978.

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Virginia Lorraine Kneeland, 53, of Westminster, Maryland, passed away with her family by her side, on June 6, 2019. Born November 6, 1965 in Madison, Wisconsin, she was the daughter of the late George Jackson Kneeland, Jr. and is survived by her mother Janet D’Amato and her step-father Donald D’Amato of Shelter Island.

Virginia Lorraine Kneeland

Virginia was a mail clerk for the Montgomery County, Maryland, Board of Education, where she retired after 30 years of service. She enjoyed dancing and loved babies, especially her own nieces and nephews, bowling and cooking. She was an avid New York Giants fan. Virginia also loved spending time with family and friends, especially on Shelter Island, and, her family said, with her amazing smile, she wanted to make others laugh and smile.

Along with her mother and step-father, she is survived by her brother George J. Kneeland, III of Shelter Island, sister Louise Byrnes of Exton, Pennsylvania, brother Donald A. D’Amato (Shamoli) of Ann Arbor, Michigan, brother John D. Kneeland (Heather) of Sag Harbor, brother Robert D’Amato (Valeria) of Kensington, Maryland; several nieces and nephews; and her roommates Susan A., Karen Z. and Liz W.

A memorial Mass and burial service will be held on Shelter Island later this summer. Memorial donations may be sent to charities for children of the donor’s choice.

Dorothy Ross
Dorothy Ross passed away on June 1st at the age of 82. Dorothy, or Dot as her friends called her, was born in Maine on August 7, 1936.

She was predeceased by her first husband Earl Price and, many years later, second husband Werner Ross. Dot is survived by her brother Al, sister Mildred and her four children: Kathleen, Norman, Debbie, and Ingrid. She is also survived by her 14 grandchildren, and 8 great grandchildren.

As a young adult, Dot moved to Shelter Island where she would reside and raise her family. Her house on Cartwright Road became home base for her ever-growing family through the years. Dot’s grandson Robert eventually came to stay with her, and the two developed a special bond. From her family home, she also ran Dorothy’s Beauty Salon for many decades, right up until her sudden passing.

She was very involved in the Shelter Island community as a member of: the Shelter Island Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary, American Legion Auxiliary, Shelter Island Country Club, and St. Mary’s Church. St. Mary’s Church held a special spot in Dot’s heart, as did the clergy and her fellow church members. She was a fixture working the annual ham dinner, and helping with the Christmas fair.

When she was not immersed in community affairs or working in the beauty shop, she was often helping friends and neighbors. Dot did not let anything slow her down, her family recalled, or stop her from doing what she loved.

She was an inspiration to so many who knew her, and continues to be a role model for her family.

Please come join us as we say good-bye to one heck of a lady. Someone who never failed to remind us that a little “Shelter Island air” is the answer to everything.

A service celebrating Dot’s life will be held at St. Mary’s Church on Saturday, June 15 at 10 a.m.

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JO ANN KIRKLAND PHOTO

The 40^th annual Shelter Island 10K will have beautiful weather for the race today, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

It will be a sunny Saturday all day, with a high temperature of 77, according to the NWS, which might be uncomfortable for many of the athletes. Winds from the southwest at 8 to 18 mph will help cool the runners as they travel around the Island, with most of the course along the shoreline.

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Renate M. Biamonti (nee Weinbrenner), 91, of Summit, New Jersey, passed away peacefully at her home on June 11, 2019.

A Funeral Mass was to be celebrated on Wednesday, June 19, 2019 at Our Lady of the Isle Church at 10:30 a.m. Funeral services are under the direction of Paul Ippolito Summit Memorial, 7 Summit Avenue, Summit, New Jersey. To send condolences please visit ippolitofuneralhomes.com.

Renate was born in Prague to Karl Borromeus Weinbrenner and Leopoldine Weinbrenner (nee Joch). She attended the University of Vienna and Sorbonne University in Paris. She was an executive assistant at GTE (now known as Verizon) in Stamford, Connecticut.

Renate loved animals and spending time with her family and friends. Her family said she especially loved being at her favorite place, Shelter Island, where she created many special memories with her family over the years.

Renate is survived by her beloved daughter, Clelia Biamonti, son-in-law Adam Psichos and cherished grandson George Psichos.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Renate’s memory to the Overlook Foundation, 36 Upper Overlook Road, Summit, NJ 07901, overlookfoundation.org/ or any animal charity of your choice.

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A memorial gathering celebrating the life of Rosemary Sanwald will be held at her home — 45 North Midway Road — on Sunday, June 30 from 4 to 6 pm.

The family welcomes all to come and share memories.

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Nora Beate Sigerist Beeson, editor, author, translator, land-preservationist and musician, died Monday, June 17, 2019 at age 97 in New York City. The cause was Alzheimer’s Disease.

Nora and her family had a home on Shelter Island for a quarter of a century, where she founded the local chapter of The Nature Conservancy with fellow Islander Priscilla Dunhill. Nora was instrumental in saving one-third of Shelter Island from commercial development. Mashomack Preserve, all 2,039 acres, remains one of her proudest personal achievements.

She was born February 23, 1922 in Zürich, Switzerland, daughter of the medical historian and social visionary Henry Ernest Sigerist, who was an early champion of healthcare for all in the United States. Wife of composer Jack Hamilton Beeson, Nora was the mother of Christopher Sigerist Beeson and Miranda Beeson. Her husband, son and sister, Erica Sigerist Campanella, predeceased her.

Nora arrived in Baltimore from Leipzig, Germany in 1932, where her father had been director of the University of Leipzig’s Institute of the History of Medicine. She was enrolled at Roland Park Country Day School at age eleven without a word of English, mastering it in a matter of months, foreshadowing her mastery of French, Italian, Russian and a smattering of Church Slavonic (in addition to her native German and Swiss German languages). Her favorite word in the latter remained chuchichästli, Swiss German for kitchen cupboard. The word delighted her no end; the contents or care of kitchen cupboards, not so much.

Ever-independent, she opted not to return to Switzerland with her family following World War II. Instead, she set her sights on furthering her violin studies at Eastman School of Music while attending the University of Rochester. It was here that she met the ever-dapper Jack Beeson who was studying composition at Eastman, and would become her husband of 63 years.

At the invitation of composer Douglas Moore, Columbia University captured their attention. Jack Beeson taught in the music department, while she obtained an M.A. in Russian, and Ph.D. in Slavic Literature and Languages, writing her dissertation on Russian theater director, actor and theatrical producer Vsevolod Meyerhold. The Beesons were known to fly between classes on campus, swapping off the strollers containing their two small children.

Post-Ph.D., Nora had an illustrious career as a lecturer, writer, translator and editor — teaching at Hunter; working for Columbia University’s Russian Institute; preparing manuscripts for McGraw-Hill’s Encyclopedia of World Art; editing international editions of the Encyclopedia Britannica; and, most happily, as a senior editor at Harry N. Abrams where she joyfully collaborated with numerous artists, including Christo and Jeanne Claude, and George Rickey.

In 1972 she was the author and general editor of the first “Guide to The Metropolitan Museum of Art” — a challenge which necessitated the use of her many languages, her considerable charm, and all of her brilliance, her family recalled, to navigate the complex web of the museum’s many curatorial departments.

Nora was also instrumental in founding the Bloomingdale School of Music in New York City which provides high-quality music education to children K-12.

There will be no service. The family asks people to play a piece of music you love in her memory.

Her ashes will be scattered in Long Island this summer.

Donations in her memory may be made to the Bloomingdale School of Music, 323 West 108th Street, New York, NY 10025, for “Stay Tuned,” which tunes and maintains the pianos of Jack Beeson, Douglas Moore, and 15 other studio pianos played by more than 250 young pianists every year.

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Thomas Harvey Maxson, 70, a resident of Shelter Island for the past 15 years, died on June 21, 2019 after a long illness.

Tom, son of the late William Maxson and Mary Elizabeth Maxson (nee Whiteman), was born in Greenwich, Connecticut on October 1, 1948. He graduated in the Class of 1966 from Greenwich High School and attended Yankton College in South Dakota.

He was a man for all seasons, his family said.

Tom worked variously as a long-distance truck driver, an insurance salesman, an options trader and a submersible pump engineer. He was also a gifted mechanic with a life-long passion for cars. During the late 1960s and early 1970s he was part of a race car pit crew and followed NASCAR and Formula One racing for the past 50 years.

Tom is survived by his wife, Jenifer Maxson of Shelter Island; his mother, Mary Elizabeth Maxson, and sister, Marney Farmer, both of Danbury, Connecticut; his niece, Meghan Farmer of Bethel, Connecticut; his nephew, Colin Farmer of Norwalk,Connecticut; his two step-daughters, Johanna Fitzgerald of Scarsdale, New York and Karena Shields of Shelter Island; and four step-grandchildren, James and Kay Fitzgerald and Marco and Sena Shields.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the Sierra Club (sierraclub.org) in Tom’s memory. Arrangements are being made for his memorial service, the date and location to be announced.

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A memorial for Timothy J. Bohen will take place in Saint Mary’s Church Hall, Shelter Island, at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 13.

All are welcome to speak at this nonsectarian celebration of life.

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V. Claire Freese, a longtime resident of her beloved Shelter Island, died peacefully in her sleep in the early morning of July 12. She was 95 years and 7 months old.

Courtesy Photo

Claire was born on December 28, 1923 in Washington D.C. A natural storyteller, she would share with her family and friends stories such as seeing the Hooverville Camp of 1932, experiencing the Great Depression, and meeting Eleanor Roosevelt.

Claire always revered her education by the Jesuits at Georgetown Visitation, her family said, and after graduating she moved to New York City where she lived in a rooming house for single women and pursued a degree in interior design (and shared many interesting stories from this time as well).

In 1952, Clare married Walter Freese, a WW II veteran. They bought a house with the help of the GI Bill and together built a long, happy, successful life full of interesting work, family and travel.

Claire and Walter retired on Shelter Island in the 1980s, in Claire’s long-time dream house, and enjoyed many years of friendship, community and family gatherings.

The family will receive friends on Wednesday, July 17 from 4 to 7 p.m.. at the Shelter Island Funeral Home, 23 West Neck Road.

The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday morning, July 18 at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of the Isle Roman Catholic Church on Shelter Island, officiated by Father Peter DeSanctis.

Clare is survived by her four children, five grandchildren, and six great grandchildren.

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Virginia Claire Freese of Shelter Island died on Friday, July 12, 2019. She was 95 years old.

Virginia Claire Freese

The Liturgy of Christian Burial was  celebrated on Thursday morning, July 18 at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of the Isle Roman Catholic Church, officiated by Father Peter DeSanctis.

Interment followed at Our Lady of the Isle Roman Catholic Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Senior Citizens Foundation of Shelter Island would be appreciated.

Elisa Johnson Parrish
Elisa (Lisa) Parrish, a longtime resident of Shelter Island, died peacefully at her home in Brooklyn on June 14, 2019, after a year-long battle with metastatic colon cancer.

Lisa was a major force in city government, the world of child welfare, and issues surrounding vulnerable populations such as LGBT youth.

She was born on July 22, 1958 in Glen Cove, Long Island to Doris and James Parrish. She spent her early years growing up near the shore off Strong’s Neck in Setauket. Lisa often described running to the beach with her siblings and other neighborhood children on idyllic summer mornings, and not coming home until her mother rang the dinner bell at the end of the day.

Her love of the beach, of nature, and of being near the water all stemmed from those years — and eventually led her to make her home in the place she loved best on earth, Shelter Island.

Over the years, Lisa held many leadership positions in New York City government, including deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, chief of staff for the deputy mayor, and most notably, deputy commissioner for the Administration for Children’s Services. She spent many years overseeing the foster care system in New York, and later in Los Angeles, fighting for better outcomes for children and families.

During her 22 years on Shelter Island, Lisa was a longtime supporter of the Mashomack Nature preserve, as well as of the Sylvester Manor Educational Farm, which in recent years had become one of her favorite organizations. She was an enthusiastic supporter of the CSA, as well as of the ongoing historical and archeological research conducted at the Manor. She was especially impressed with the efforts of the researchers and archivists to document the lives of the many nameless enslaved people and indentured servants who worked over the centuries to maintain the Manor and the farm.

Her loss will be deeply felt by all who loved her, knew her, worked with her, and were touched by her. Her family and friends mourn her loss, and the loss of the work she had yet to do. She was a force for good in the world, and left it a better place.

Lisa is survived by her life partner, Stacia (Stacy) Thompson; her stepson, Jordan Thompson-DeSon; her mother Doris Parrish Oder; her siblings Martha Chapman (Michael), Jeffrey Parrish (Diane), and Cynthia Clauson; her nephews and nieces.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, July 26 at 2 p.m. at the Brooklyn Society of Friends Meeting House, at 110 Schermerhorn Street. The service will be followed by a reception at the same location.

Should you wish to make a donation in Lisa’s name, please consider one of the following organizations: The Nature Conservancy — nature.org/en-us/
Sylvester Manor Educational Farm — sylvestermanor.org/donate-now.

John E. Roe Sr.

John E. Roe Sr. of Shelter Island, formerly of Beechhurst, Queens and of the “City Underwriting Agency,” died on Sunday, July 14, 2019. He was 85 years old.

John Roe was the beloved husband of Colette Roe; loving father of John Roe Jr. and Karen Roe; cherished grandfather of John Roe III, Christopher Roe, Elizabeth Roe, Maggie Hayes, John Hayes Jr. and Molly Hayes; and brother of Frances Kestler.

The Liturgy of Christian Burial was celebrated on Saturday, July 20 at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of the Isle Roman Catholic Church on Shelter Island, officiated by Father Peter DeSanctis.

Interment followed at Our Lady of the Isle Roman Catholic Cemetery.

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

Judith Carlson Winship

Judith Carlson Winship died on Sunday, July 7, 2019.

She is survived by her husband, William B. Winship, her son Charles S. Greene III (Virginia), her grandchildren Spencer and Julia Greene, and her stepson, Caleb Winship, as well as her sister Marta Moser and brother George Carlson.

She was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 3, 1941 and educated in Chicago public schools and then at Illinois College (B.A.), Hunter College (M.A.) and New York Law School (J.D.).

She spent her entire legal career as in-house counsel at Smith Barney (later Citibank). After retirement, she worked as an arbitrator for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

Judith was a long-time resident of Shelter Island Heights. She loved her house “Blink Bonnie,” her friends and family said, an 1880 Heights Victorian.

She was a member of the Shelter Island Yacht Club and was active in the Garden Club and the Pin and Sin needlepoint group as well as the Shelter Island Book Club.

A memorial celebration of her life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the Shelter Island Public Library or to a charity of your choice.

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Marie Anne Strom of Shelter Island died on July 20, 2019. She was 88 years old.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, July 25 at 11 a.m. at The Shelter Island Funeral Home, 23 West Neck Road, officiated by Father Peter DeSanctis.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Shelter Island Fire Department would be appreciated.

Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.

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Elizabeth Essex Pedersen

Elizabeth Essex Pedersen, 80, died Thursday, July 25, after a valiant four-year battle with metastasized pancreatic cancer.

The youngest of three daughters of Dr. Hiram Eli Essex and Marion Murphy Essex, Elizabeth was born Feb. 3, 1939, in Rochester, Minnesota, where her father was the director of physiology at the Mayo Institute of Experimental Medicine and an avocational farmer who raised pure-bred Holstein Friesian cattle.

Elizabeth was perhaps best known on Shelter Island for her work with the Shelter Island Historical Society.

She and her husband, William Pedersen, bought their first Island home in 1976. It was the beginning of a 43-year love affair with and devotion to Island life, her family said. Encouraged by the approbation and the example of her parents, who had made a gift of their farm to the City of Rochester, Elizabeth was determined to do something similar for the Shelter Island community.

In 2011, she took on the role of president of the Historical Society. There she put to work her considerable skills at bringing people together in pursuit of a common goal. Through her constant support and encouragement, the organization came to realize it could expand its role as an important repository for the extraordinary collection of historical information that had been carefully protected and preserved by the volunteers who preceded her.

On their 50th anniversary, Elizabeth and Bill gave the gift of a professional evaluation of the Historical Society’s existing facilities. The study showed that much needed to be done if the archival materials so lovingly assembled over the previous decades were to survive. Elizabeth then recruited her husband, a renowned architect, to design the Society’s new form.

Both Elizabeth and Bill were determined that any renovations and additions would be born out of complete respect for the original Havens House, which was built in 1743. Today, coinciding with Elizabeth’s death, the completion of the new structure has been realized and the entire campus renamed The Shelter Island History Center. Its existence is a testament to her determination, her vision and her extraordinarily generous spirit. Elizabeth herself donated the preponderance of funds needed to cover the cost of its design and its construction. She has also left in her will a major gift dedicated to the Center’s participation in the education of the youth of Shelter Island. It is to be called the Elizabeth Pedersen Educational Fund.

In addition, Elizabeth took a leadership position in getting Sylvester Farm going. She used her skills to help recruit the core group; get the CSA on its feet; help with the Saturday morning distributions of produce; and promote the preservation and sustainable use of the property to the benefit of both CSA members and anyone who chooses to buy the organically grown vegetables, fruits, cheeses and condiments available at the farm stand.

The journey that carried Elizabeth from Minnesota to Shelter Island began in 1961. After taking her degree in Child Development from the University of Minnesota, she married architecture student William Pedersen. In 1962, when Bill’s graduate studies at MIT took them to Cambridge, MA,, Elizabeth worked in the Boston Children’s Hospital and the Boston City Hospital.

In addition to her professional activities, she played in amateur musical groups throughout the early years of her marriage, and actively participated in volunteer organizations, including Art of the Eye, Women in Need and Hope for Housing.

In 1967, after six years of travel, which included a year in residence at the American Academy in Rome, Elizabeth and Bill settled in Brooklyn. Their daughters Kia Andrea Pedersen and Lea Essex Pedersen, were born there in 1967 and 1970 respectively.

Music remained a mainstay of her life. Her mother, a pianist, fostered a love of music in all members of her family. Elizabeth mastered the flute and instilled a love of music in her daughters and created a family quartet that often played together. When the Perlman Music Program (PMP) came to Shelter Island, Elizabeth and Bill became devotees of each season’s concerts, recitals and master classes at PMP’s Island campus

Elizabeth is survived by her beloved and loving husband of 58 years, William Pedersen; their daughters, a grandson Teph and son-in-law Jesse Huot; her sisters Dorothy Dixon of Portland, OR., and Sally Kleaveland of Spokane, WA.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Shelter Island History Center and/or the Elizabeth Pedersen Educational Fund.

A memorial gathering will be planned for the fall.

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Marie Anne Strom
Marie Anne Strom of Shelter Island died on July 20, 2019. She was 88 years old.

Funeral services were held on Thursday, July 25 at The Shelter Island Funeral Home,  officiated by Father Peter DeSanctis.

William B. Winship
William B. Winship, a resident of Shelter Island Heights for many years, died Friday, July 19 at San Simeon by the Sound. A full obituary will be published soon.

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Marie Ann Strom of Shelter Island died on July 20, 2019 at Southampton Hospital after an illness of three months. She was 88 years old.

Marie Ann Strom

She was born in Mt. Pleasant, NY on April 8, 1931 to Caroline (Kiesecker) and John Mierau and graduated from Jamaica High School.

On February 1, 1949, she married George C. Strom in Jamaica, NY and for a time worked at Dunn & Bradstreet in New York City as a secretary.

For the past 32 years, she has lived on Shelter Island and was involved in the Shelter Island Community Chorus, Shelter Island Organization, Blue Smoke Antique Auto Club and Antique Automobile Club of America.

She is survived by her husband of 70 years, George C. Strom; three children, Susan M. Strom of Brattleboro, Vt., Raymond J. Strom of Portland, Ore., Judith A. Strom of Brattleboro, Vt.; a sister, Florence Lehner of Latham, NY and two grandchildren.

Marie was predeceased by a daughter, Laura Jean Strom.

Services were held at The Shelter Island Funeral Home on Thursday, July 25, 2019 with Fr. Peter DeSanctis officiating.

Additional services are pending.

Memorial donations to the Shelter Island Fire Department, P.O. Box 613, Shelter Island, NY 11964, would be appreciated.

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Dorothy Dickerson Clark passed away on August 9, 2019.

Dorothy Dickerson Clark

A lifelong resident of Shelter Island, Dorothy was born on August 30, 1924 at her family’s home on Stearns Point Road, the daughter of William E. and Frances (Fannie) Dickerson.

Dorothy graduated from Shelter Island High School in 1941 and continued her education for a post-graduate year. She was the first member of the high school band, playing the saxophone. She then continued her secretarial career working for the Rationing Board for the town.

She served our country as a stenographer in the U. S. Army from 1944 through 1946, receiving an American Service Medal, a World War II Victory Medal, a Good Conduct Medal and a Meritorious Unit Service Plaque. She continued her service for many years by clipping coupons for servicemen and women serving overseas for which she received annual awards. She also knitted over 100 hats each year that were donated to veterans and oncology patients.

Dorothy married Eugene (Tink) Clark at the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church on October 25, 1947. They were married for 60 years before Tink passed away in 2008.

During her lifetime she was an active member of Gardiner’s Bay Country Club, The American Legion (Historian), The Shelter Island Presbyterian Church and the Shelter Island Home Bureau. She enjoyed playing golf, bowling, swimming and playing mah jong.

Over the years Dorothy held several different jobs. She worked for the Pridwin Hotel, the Ideal in Sag Harbor, as secretary for the Presbyterian Church and retired in 1994 as a secretary to the town supervisor.

Dorothy is survived by her daughters, Pamela Kelly (Brian) and Phyllis Power (Philip); grandchildren, Elaine Cleary (William), Gregory Kelly and Sharon and Theresa Power; her brother, William G. Dickerson and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Funeral services were held at the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church on Tuesday, August 13, 2019 with interment at the Emily French Memorial Cemetery.
Her family requests memorial donations to Mitchell Post #281, The American Legion, P. O. Box 2021, Shelter Island NY 11964.

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Howard Francis Jackson of Shelter Island, formerly of Garden City, died on Tuesday, August 13, 2019. He was 94 years old.

The family will receive friends on Sunday, August 18 from 2 to 7 p.m.. at the Shelter Island Funeral Home, 23 West Neck Road.

The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, August 19 at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of the Isle Roman Catholic Church on Shelter Island, officiated by Father Peter DeSanctis.

Interment with U.S. Air Force honors will take place at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

In lieu of flowers, donations to American Legion Mitchell Post 281, Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital or Our Lady of the Isle Roman Catholic Church would be appreciated. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.

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Martin Mayer died at age 91 on Aug. 1 at his home on Shelter Island.

Martin was a prolific author, journalist and critic. Effortlessly able to balance work and so many other aspects of his life, he took an interest in nearly everything around him and found a way to write about it.

Martin Mayer

Born in Manhattan on Jan. 14, 1928, Martin was the only child of Henry and Ruby Mayer.

In 1949, he married Ellen Moers, an author and professor of literature. She died in 1979. In 1980, he married Karin Lissakers, a Swedish-born academic and former State Department official who subsequently became the United States executive director of the International Monetary Fund. She continues to reside in their beloved Silver Beach home.

Martin first came to Shelter Island in 1956. He rented a house with Ellen, and their oldest son, then 2 years old, in Shorewood. In 1958, he and Ellen bought a house in Silver Beach.

He worked on his own schedule, writing mostly at night, and played golf and tennis during the day (though those who spent time with him during the day could tell when his mind was constructing the chapters he would type out in rapid-fire later that evening). He came to Shelter Island in part because he was a golfer, and back in the 1950s, Gardiner’s Bay Country Club was looking for new members, and accepted Jews.

He fell in love with the Island and has had a presence here ever since.

While not an athlete, he played both golf and tennis into his early 80s, often frustrating opponents (including his younger children) with a wingspan that covered the court from end to end and a slice that didn’t bounce.

On the putting green, his unconventional and ever-changing stroke sometimes confounded his partners — but it usually got the job done. He loved the Island and his home in Silver Beach. He spent every summer here for 63 years and lived here permanently for the last 10.

He wrote 40 books over five decades, about Wall Street, Madison Avenue, education, banking, television, builders, diplomats and judges; he was an investigative journalist who broke the story of fire-trap housing at Roosevelt Island, exposed institutionalized corruption on Wall Street and chronicled the catastrophe of New York’s three teachers’ strikes in 1968.

He also wrote with great insight and admiration about music and musicians. Though he played no instrument and had no singing voice, he was Esquire’s music critic for 20 years, official chronicler of the Metropolitan Opera, the first American critic to write for a general audience about Maria Callas in the 1950s and Luciano Pavarotti in the 1970s.

When he was 15, Martin entered Harvard and graduated, just barely, in 1947 (it took him a couple of more years to actually complete the foreign language requirement before he could get the degree). He was by his own account a terrible student, spending most of his time playing poker and bridge and attending only the classes that interested him. He wrote for The Harvard Crimson under an assumed name because he was almost always on probation.

Martin is survived by his wife, Karin Lissakers; two sons, Tom and Jim, from his first marriage; one daughter, Fredrica, and one son, Henry, from his second; as well as five grandchildren — all of whom inherited his love of literature, music and Shelter Island. As his eldest son, Tom said, “Until Parkinson’s took hold, he lived the life he wanted to live, and he enjoyed every minute of it.”

Donations may be made in his name to the following organizations — please indicate that the donation is in Martin’s memory and request notification to the family:

Shelter Island Ambulance Foundation, PO Box 547, Shelter Island, NY 11964.

Metropolitan Opera Association Inc. Mail to Office of Planned Giving,

Metropolitan Opera, 30 Lincoln Center, New York, NY 10023.

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Peter (Pete) Gray Farrar Jr. passed away on Monday, Aug. 12 at his home in Chula Vista, Calif.

Peter Farrar Jr.

Pete was born in New York City on April 17, 1980, and throughout his life spent significant time in Los Angeles, New York City, Shelter Island, and most recently, San Diego.

He was an incredibly creative person, his family said, and a deep, intuitive thinker. To his core he was a man of great integrity, and lived his life with strong loyalties to his people. He approached each day with a private fortitude, an incredible sense of humor, and a lot of pride.

Pete worked very hard to create a rich and meaningful life for himself, his family said. He was an impressive craftsman and a lover of the natural world. His passions and talents led him to strong interests in bowhunting and backcountry camping, music, cooking, and working with his hands.

Pete was initially trained in construction and moved on to master the art of fine woodworking and welding. He was highly regarded as a licensed machinist at his place of work, Solar Turbines.

Pete is survived by his mother, Linda Vincent of Rhinebeck, N.Y., his father Peter Farrar Sr. of Shelter Island, his grandmother Barbara Kinnee of Rhinebeck, his two sisters, Julenne Mounts of Kula, Hawaii and Kate Farrar of Hudson, N.Y., his beloved dog Bricks, and friends that stretch from coast to coast.

A West Coast memorial is set for Sept. 7 in Chula Vista and an East Coast memorial will follow later in the fall, with date and time to be decided.

Pete’s family and loved ones are deeply heartbroken by his death, which came far too soon.

Though Pete has left his mark on the world, he had much more love and talent to share with all who knew him.

The post Shelter Island Reporter obituary: Peter Gray Farrar Jr. appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.

Howard Francis Geoghegan Xavier Jackson of Shelter Island, formerly of Garden City, died in the early morning of Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2019 at Stony Brook ELIH in Greenport. He was 94 years old.

Howard was born Feb. 1, 1925 to Joseph James Jackson and Anne Marie Longworth in Cedarhurst, N.Y. He was predeceased by his brothers, Col. Joseph J. Jackson (Sam), Thomas P. Jackson (Phyliss), and Richard L. Jackson (Jane).

Howard is survived by his wife, Pamela, his children, Howard F. Jackson Jr., Peter C. Jackson (Pat), Susan DiGeronimo, Veronica Campbell (William/deceased), and David Jackson. He was blessed with seven grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and a multitude of nieces and nephews.

Howard grew up in Cedarhurst/Hewlett, N.Y. He helped with his father’s business in real estate, property management and development. He attended Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., graduating in 1942 at the age of 17. His brothers were actively serving in the military so, with the permission of his mother, Howard enlisted.

He was rejected by the U.S. Navy flying program because of a heart murmur. He then was accepted by the U.S. Army as a private, trained in heavy weapons, machine gun, mortars and Ranger training. Following cadet status in the Army Air Corps, he graduated as aerial gunner, bombardier and navigator.

Too young for a commission, Howard was promoted to flight officer and later received a battlefield commission.

Trained on B-24 bombers, he was in the 15th Air Force, 454th Bomb Group, 734th Squadron. He flew combat missions over North Africa, Italy, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Yugoslavia. Howard received many commendations and medals, including the Purple Heart, Air medal, Combat medal and Good Conduct medal.

After WW II, he was involved in the Korean, cold and Vietnam wars.

He married Veronica D. Zolnak in 1948. He worked for East New York Savings Bank, and was involved in real estate and politics. Eventually he opened his own international real estate business in Mineola while residing in Garden City. The family enjoyed summers in Atlantic Beach and Shelter Island.

The successful real estate business thrived and afforded a livelihood for all his employees. Howard and Veronica also donated their time with inmates and addicts, visiting, reading and coaching them.

In the early 1960s, Howard purchased a home on Tuthill Drive on Big Ram Island. There they continued to raise their children and entertain family in the summers. In 1977, Veronica passed away from pancreatic cancer. His mother Anne was still alive.

In 1979, Howard began dating Pamela. They married in 1986 at Camp Quinipet, officiated by Father Traynor and Pastor Mahron.

Howard retired from his business in Mineola, and moved to Shelter Island permanently in 1987. He worked with the Town Assessors office, and developed his own appraisal business.

In 2008, he sold the family property and relocated to Silver Beach at Crab Creek. He found peace and beauty there and continued to work until the end of 2018.

Howard was a member of the local American Legion Post 281. He was the keynote speaker at Memorial Day events along with donating his time to speak to students about the war. He also performed in the Telling Project, at the Bay Street Theater, which supports the Joseph J. Theinert Memorial Fund.

His gift of voice, the ability to listen and support, his humor and antics, and faith will continue on in all the people he touched.

He was a kind, quiet man, his family remembered, who was still looking to talk to the young and participate in the library and poetry talks.

A wake was held at the Shelter Island Funeral Home on Aug. 18, with a Legion service headed by Father Peter DeSanctis and Commander Dave Clark of our local Legion. A church service was held at Our Lady of the Isle on Aug. 19, followed by a reception at Rams Head Inn.

Howard was cremated and will be laid to rest in the future in Arlington National Cemetery.

John Peter Melkonian
John Peter Melkonian, 80, of Armonk, N,Y. passed peacefully, on Aug. 24, 2019 at his summer home on Shelter Island surrounded by friends and family.

John was born Sept. 15, 1938, the only child of Rose and John Melkonian. He was raised in the Bronx and attended high school there.

Later he served in the U.S. Army and eventually opened an outdoor patio furniture store on Long Island. He moved to Armonk in 1975 with his beloved wife, Nancy Bertini Melkonian, and there they raised their only son, Mark.

John enjoyed summering on Shelter Island for the past 50 years, where he loved the beaches, cruising around the Island on his boat, and especially loved watching the beautiful sunsets viewed from his porch.

John is survived by his wife, Nancy; son, Mark; daughter-in-law Martha and two grandchildren, Matthew and Morgan.

The post Shelter Island Reporter obituaries: Jackson, Melkonian appeared first on Shelter Island Reporter.