U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
C. Austin Dawson
C. Austin Dawson died Monday, August 16, 2004 in the Nursing Facility of the Frederick Mennonite Community, Frederick, Pennsylvania after a long illness.
A true "harelegger," Austin was born on Christmas Day, 1925 and brought up on Shelter Island, the son of Austin and Edith (Raynor) Dawson, who for many years operated Dawson's Market on Grand Avenue in the Heights.
Austin was a graduate of Shelter Island High School Class of 1944 and Hartwick College in Oneonta in 1949. He soon married Helen Barron, one of Shelter Island High School's teachers, and they settled in Granville, New York, where Austin was the high school business teacher.
They stayed in Granville for 18 years and were blessed with three children: Barrie, Kenneth and Mary Ellen. During those years, Austin attended the New York State University at Albany, where he earned a master's degree, and also took post-graduate studies in guidance.
Wishing to return to his home and family on eastern Long Island, Austin accepted a position as director of guidance in the Southold school system. The family moved to Southold in 1967.
Austin was an elder of the Eastport Bible Church and was active in the Ministry of The Gideons International. He loved fishing the waters off East End and he also enjoyed gardening. He had an extensive vegetable garden, much to the delight of his neighbors, who were often the beneficiaries of his produce.
In 1998, Austin was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. Because of this health, he and Helen moved to the Frederick Mennonite Community, a continuing-care facility, in 2000. His health deteriorated rapidly until he had to be transferred to the nursing home there. He passed away after a long and debilitating struggle.
He is survived by his wife Helen; three children: Barrie, Kenneth and Mary Ellen; and five grandchildren.
Viewing at the DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold began yesterday, Wednesday, and continues today, Thursday, August 19. Funeral services will be held at the Eastport Bible Church on Friday, August 20 followed by burial in the Dawson family plot in the Shelter Island Cemetery.
John Robert Albinson
John Robert Albinson of Hilo Shores, who passed away suddenly at home on Thursday, August 5, 2004 at the age of 87, had discovered Shelter Island during a 1964 family vacation from New Jersey -- where he worked as a school principal.
"February and March of 1964 was rough in the Albinson household," wrote his wife Agnes Abrahamsen Albinson this week in recalling that first visit to the Island. "Mumps hit from the year-old baby to the mother. Rob, following the family epidemic, decided an overnight getaway necessary for Mom and Dad. They planned on eastern Long Island, where Rob's brother vacationed and because they had never been on Long Island."
Their stay was at Mitchell's in Greenport, then a fisherman's hangout and, for years, suspected of offering hourly rates to those who requested them, Agnes recalled.
The Albinsons loved Greenport and the next day decided to take the ferry to Shelter Island because Agnes listened to Island resident Martha Deane's New York radio program. On the Island, it was love at first sight and they began looking for a summer rental. Before the day was over, they had bought a home.
On Memorial Day weekend, with wife, five children, two cats and a large dog, Rob drove to the Island but could not find the house. A trip to real estate agent Fanny Dickinson solved the problem as she led them home: a 100-year-old farmhouse, 10 rooms, two kitchens, two baths, for which the asking price had been $13,000. They had offered $12,500 and bought it, heavily mortgaged, for $12,750.
Rob was born April 22, 1917 in Ramsey, New Jersey and grew up in Paterson, where he graduated from Paterson State College (now William Patterson University). He earned a master's degree at Montclair State and earned credits toward a doctorate at Columbia University.
He volunteered for military service in September, 1941. He was awarded the gold wings of a naval aviator in Pensacola, Florida in 1942. It was his life's proudest moment. He served in the Navy until late 1945.
In November, 1942, he married Agnes Abrahamsen of Teaneck, New Jersey and New Orleans.
For 42 years, he was a New Jersey school principal in Riverton, Roseland and finally Montclair. He retired to Shelter Island in 1981.
In addition to his wife of 61 years, Rob is survived by five children: Robert David of Chevy Chase, Maryland; Diane Keeler of Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey; Laura Loomis of Honolulu; Mary Dunlap of New York City and John Robert Jr. of Port Jefferson; and by 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
"Enough cannot be said concerning our wonderful volunteer ambulance department," commented Agnes. "Please be generous in their current drive for a new ambulance."
Elizabeth M. Heineman
Elizabeth M. Heineman, 93, of Sunshine Road, passed away Wednesday, December 13, 2000 at San Simeon by the Sound in Greenport after having suffered a massive stroke on December 10.
Born in Jamaica, New York on March 9, 1907, she was the daughter of John Alexander and Emma Bohn Munson.
Mrs. Heineman's husband of 66 years, Herbert Heineman Sr., predeceased her on September 6, 1996. She is survived by her devoted family: son Herbert and his wife Carol of Cousins Island, Maine; daughter Gladys and her husband Jay Pinover of Shelter Island; six grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
A 1925 graduate of South Side High School in Rockeville Centre, "Libby" was an avid runner and swimmer. Her career with Cheney Brothers as a secretary and model was short lived as she married on December 20, 1930 and her husband and progeny became her life-long devotion.
The Heinemans first visited Shelter Island in the late ‘30s and became annual summer guests at Lucy Burns' Cottage. They later lived on Baldwin Road as summer renters at "Aunt Lucy's" family home.
They purchased their home, Robin Acre, on Sunshine Road in 1947, moving there full time from Lynnbrook in 1967.
Mrs. Heineman was involved in the transition of St. Mary's Episcopal Church of Shelter Island from a status of visiting ministers to today's full-time ministry. Mrs. Heineman was also an avid member of the Shelter Island Historical Society and the Shelter Island Women's Club. She was known as an outstanding cook and often prepared custards, cookies and cakes on special occasions and for ailing friends.
Funeral services were conducted on Sunday afternoon, December 17, 2000 at Mrs. Heineman's beloved St. Mary's Church, with Father Steven F. Crowson officiating. The family requests that contributions be made to San Simeon by the Sound, P.O. Box 2122, Greenport, New York 11944.
Olivia Dickerson Tallcott
Olivia Dickerson Tallcott, widow of the late John F. (Jack) Tallcott, died on November 23, 2000 at San Simeon by the Sound in Greenport after a long illness.
Olivia was the daughter of the late George R. and Marie Hoffman Dickerson. Born on Shelter Island, she was a graduate of Shelter Island High School. She attended Paine Hall Medical School in New York City.
A World War II veteran, she served in the Women's Army Corps at Walter Read Hospital in Washington, D.C. and General Hospital in Durham, North Carolina. Later she was employed by Southeast Bank, Martin Memorial Hospital, FIT College and Hospice of Martin.
For many years, while a Shelter Island resident, she was a member of Gardiner's Bay Country Club and later of the Sandpiper Bay Country Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Olivia is survived by one son, Roderick E. Anderson of Shelter Island, and one daughter, Linda Rae Burger of Scarborough, Maine. She had three grandchildren, Justin and Maria Burger and Morgan Anderson. She is also survived by two brothers, George Dickerson of Shelter Island and Robert Dickerson of Hollywood, Florida as well as several nieces and nephews.
Following a private family ceremony, she was buried in the Shelter Island Presbyterian Cemetery beside her brother Raymond, a World War II casualty.
Catherine Burroughs
Catherine Dillingham Burroughs was born on September 1, 1906 in Elba, New York and passed away on December 12, 2001 in San Antonio, Texas.
Catherine received her education at Oakwood Friends School, Poughkeepsie, New York and New Paltz Normal School, New Paltz, New York. She grew up on a farm, taught school, and was a buyer for Macy's in New York City.
She was married to Benjamin Burroughs for fifty years until he passed in 1983. They raised their children in Caldwell, New Jersey and, as a family, designed and built a home on Rocky Point Road, Shelter Island where they spent many happy years with family and friends.
Catherine loved children and taught Sunday school in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina where she and her husband resided for more than 25 years after he retired. She was a life long member of the Religious Society of Friends.
She is survived by a brother, Maurice Dillingham, Lieutenant Colonel Retired of San Antonio, Texas; three sons, Benjamin of San Antonio, Texas, Keith of Birmingham, Alabama and Jonathan of North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; a granddaughter, Carol Ann Platt of Santa Rosa, California and grandson, Slade Burroughs of Louisville, Kentucky and great-grandchildren Benjamin, Stephen and Emily Platt.
Interment took place in Fishkill Rural Cemetery, Fishkill, New York.
Andrew J. Dickey
Andrew J. Dickey, 41, of Shelter Island, died suddenly of apparent heart failure on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2001, at the home of friends in Calverton, New York. Formerly of Northport, he was currently employed at the Island Boatyard and Marina on Shelter Island.
"Andy" was born in Olathe, Kansas on May 3, 1960 and moved to Northport with his family at an early age. He attended Northport Junior High School and graduated from Northport High School. Following graduation he pursued studies in mechanics at L. A. Wilson Tech on Long Island. Following his studies there, he worked for a time at the Northport Village Docks, and then was employed from 1978 until 2001 at a Northport marine center, now known as Britannia Yachting Center.
Andy moved to Shelter Island this summer and soon became a familiar sight in his vintage green and white van. He loved Shelter Island and recently said he wanted to spend the rest of his life here. He enjoyed the peace and quiet, the good fishing and boating, and the easy access to water from anywhere on the Island. Andy in his red bandana, with his radiant smile and easygoing, friendly manner, made friends in local coffee shops and lunch counters. "He would help out whenever and wherever needed and would never accept pay for good deeds," said his friend, Edith Shepherd. "Andy had a profound impact on my life. He will be dearly missed."
Andy is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John J. Dickey of Florida, his sister Julie and brother-in-law Robert Serino of Bay Shore and was the nephew of Carol Baker, Noel and Willard McCullogh, Barbara J. Dickey, Paul G. Dickey and Charlotte Gerige.
Following cremation at Nolan-Taylor Funeral Home in Northport, a memorial service was held at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Northport on November 28, 2001, at which several hundred grieving friends and relatives were present. Pastor Thomas R. Smoot gave time for personal testimonies about the many kind and caring tasks Andy had performed for those present and there was an outpouring of response. Several Shelter Island friends were able to attend. Following the service, Andy's ashes were taken to Northport Rural Cemetery, where a service of committal was performed by the pastor.
Since the age of 27, Andy had suffered from diabetes, so his family has requested that donations be made in his memory to the American Diabetes Association, New York City Chapter, 149 Madison Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, New York 10016.
Meg Eckerson
Meg Eckerson, 43, of Shelter Island and New York City, died on December 7, 2001 after a fierce battle with cancer. She is survived by her loving companion, Jill Emerson, and her mother, Nancy Eckerson Fitts, and step-father, Richard Fitts, as well as three brothers and a sister and five nieces and nephews. Donations in her memory may be made to the Mashomack Nature Preserve.
Richard A. Edwards
Richard A. (Dick) Edwards, long-time Island resident and owner of the Dory, an Island landmark, died on December 10, 2002 after a prolonged struggle with cancer. He was 73.
Mr. Edwards was born on December 21, 1929 in Brooklyn. He graduated from Poly Prep C.D. School in Brooklyn in 1948. He had an outstanding record of achievement while at Poly, earning distinction in football, wrestling and track. He was the president of his senior class and president of the school's Honor Society.
He graduated from Williams College in 1952. While at Williams, he was president of his fraternity and a member of the Air Force R.O.T.C. He won the New England intercollegiate heavyweight wrestling championship.
Following his graduation from Williams, he entered the Air Force flight program, earning his wings and spending the balance of his tour of duty flying F-86 Sabrejets in the American Defense Command. His last assignment was at Stewart Air Force Base in Newburgh. Older residents of Shelter Island may recall one of the several times he flew his jet over the Island on a training mission.
Islander David Huschle, Mr. Edwards's friend for more than 50 years, remembers an incident in the mid-50s involving the young jet aviator. "While flying over New York, at night, he unwillingly found himself a member of the 'Caterpillar Club,'" named for the caterpillar silk from which parachutes were made then. This was "a unique association of aviators who are forced to bail out of a stricken aircraft. The story was front-page news in the New York Herald Tribune and the Daily News." In 1950-51, he remembers, they "worked together on the infamous lima bean machines," as part of the Shelter Island Farmers' Cooperative.
In the mid-60s, after leaving the Air Force, Mr. Edwards owned and operated a restaurant and bar in New York City, just off Lexington Avenue. The name of the establishment was, not surprisingly, Dick Edwards. It was during this time that he and a friend of his, also a summer resident of the Island, bought a small plane and attempted to start a weekend commuter business between New York City and the eastern end of Long Island. The Shelter Island terminus was Frank Klen's Shelter Island International Airport. The business survived for several years until the partners decided to sell the aircraft.
Having spent the first 40 or so of his summers on Shelter Island, Mr. Edwards decided it would be a good place to make his year-round home. In the late 1970s he moved to the Island on a permanent basis, built a house overlooking Shelter Island Sound and became a full-time owner and operator of the Dory Restaurant in the Heights. His brother Bob commented that Dick acquired the Dory for exactly the same reason he had bought the restaurant in New York -- he spent much of his non-working and leisure time at the bars in these establishments and decided that instead of the money flowing from his pocket across the bar he would buy the place and reverse the direction of the flow.
Mr. Edwards never married but he lived a full and eventful life. "He was strong willed and held strong opinions on many subjects," his family said, "but his many friends both on and off the Island will remember him as a loyal and generous friend. His family and friends will miss him and will share fond memories of the many good times shared with him."
Bob Edwards wrote that the family particularly wanted to thank Tricia and Jim Lenzer "for all the love, care and affection they afforded to Dick during the past few months. Words can never express our appreciation for all they did."
Mr. Edwards was predeceased by his parents, Gordon L. and Maie Edwards, formerly of Brooklyn and Dering Harbor, and is survived by his brother Gordon R. (Bob) Edwards and his sister-in-law Nancy L. Edwards, both of Houston, Texas. He is also survived by two nieces, Sharon L. Edwards of Atlanta, Georgia and Susan Bopp of Houston; his nephew, Dr. Gordon W. Edwards of Houston; and three grand-nieces and one grand-nephew.
Funeral arrangements are in the care of the DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home on Shelter Island. A memorial service will be held at St. Mary's Episcopal Church on Shelter Island on January 11, 2003 at 2 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Mary's or a charity of the donor's choice.
Jan Garis
Jan Russell Garis of Cheyenne, Wyoming; Nantucket, Massachusetts; and Hatfield, Pennsylvania; and a former employee of the Dering Harbor Inn, died Tuesday, November 19, 2002 in Cheyenne. He was 50.
Born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, he was the son of Doris (Grasse) Gans of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania and the late Russell E. Garis. He was a 1970 graduate of North Penn High School in Lansdale, Pennsylvania and a 1975 graduate of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
A resort and hotel manager, Mr. Garis was employed by the Quality Inn in Cheyenne at the time of his death. In the 1980s, he worked for several years as part of the management team at the Dering Harbor Inn. His career included hotels on Nantucket, in the British West Indies, Middletown, Virginia and in Michigan and Ohio.
Mr. Garis is survived by his mother and his sister Jane Rebecca Garis of Reading, Pennsylvania.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Friends Service Committee, 1501 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19102.
