U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Leon (Lee) Henry Smith
Lee Smith died on January 2, 2004 at his home in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey. His daughter, Lizanne S. Mullins, is a resident of Shelter Island.
Born in Philadelphia, Mr. Smith earned scholarships to college and was awarded a membership in the Phi Beta Kappa Society prior to graduating from Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania.
He was particularly proud of serving his country during World War II. In 1942, he graduated from the Pensacola, Florida Naval Air Station as a second lieutenant and Marine naval aviator. He was a flight instructor in the B-25 primary, advanced and tactical squadrons at Cherry Point, North Carolina. He earned the rank of major and was honorably discharged in 1945.
After a successful tenure as a commercial airline captain for TWA, he left aviation for a career in the chemical business in 1947, when he joined Drew Chemical Company of Boonton, New Jersey.
He remained at Drew until he founded Hexagon Enterprises in 1972. Known for his knowledge of specialty chemicals for the aviation and food industries, he authored papers for the U.S. government on the supply and acquisition of these chemicals for national defense. He was a charter member of numerous chemical and industry organizations.
Lee was keenly interested in art, music, computers and literature. He played the piano and pipe organ and was also known for his engineering ability and fine writing skills. He could be both an academic and a practitioner at the same time, his family said. With his wife of 62 years, Elizabeth (Bette), he traveled throughout the world on business and for pleasure.
His wife predeceased him by nine days on December 24, 2003. He is survived by two sons, Gary L. Smith of Doylestown, Pennsylvania and Kevin D. Smith of Bernardsville, New Jersey; his daughter Lizanne, son-in-law Robert and their children Kyle, Katie and Ryan Mullins of Basking Ridge, New Jersey and Shelter Island; and four additional grandchildren. His sister, Lillian V. Smith, of Florham Park, New Jersey also survives Lee.
A joint memorial service for Lee and Elizabeth will be held at the Community Church, Briarcliff Road, Mountain Lakes, New Jersey on Saturday, January 10 at 1 p.m., followed by a reception and refreshments in the parish hall.
Contributions in lieu of flowers may be sent to the Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey, St. Clare's at the Sloane Kettering Annex and the American Cancer Society.
Emily Hixon Taplin
Emily Hixon Taplin, one of Shelter Island's resident artists, died on December 20, 2003 at the Peconic Landing Health Center in Greenport.
Born in 1919 in Auburn, Alabama, she attended Auburn University, where her father was a faculty member, and earned a bachelor's degree in fine arts.
Her career in art took her first to Rutgers University in New Jersey, where she developed an art program for the Rutgers Preparatory School and taught there for 13 years.
In the early 1970s, Ms. Hixon moved to New York City and became a founding member of the Amos Eno Gallery in Soho. There she exhibited her work for the next 30 years.
In addition to her art, Ms. Hixon pursued a lifelong interest in the study and practice of yoga, completing her formal teacher training at the New York City branch of the Himalayan Institute in the early 1980s. She taught both yoga form and meditation for a number of years at the Institute. In 1995, she moved to Shelter Island permanently and opened a yoga studio and meditation room in her home on Peppermill Lane.
She is survived by her husband, George Taplin of Shelter Island, whom she married in 1999; her daughter, Margaret Mitchell of Dunnellon, Florida; her son, David Sturkie of Plymouth, Pennsylvania; six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be announced and a retrospective art exhibit is being planned. Donations in her memory may be made to the Shelter Island Public Library.
Leo J. Urban
Former Shelter Island Highway Superintendent and Fire Chief Leo J. Urban died November 30, 2003 in Boynton Beach, Florida, three weeks after surgery.
Born on April 12, 1920 in Lisbon, Connecticut, Mr. Urban married Mary Wojenski in Cutchogue in 1939. He moved to Shelter Island in 1946 and worked as a caretaker for Nelson Slater on Ram Island and continued to work for C. Wallace Tiernan on the same estate.
Mr. Urban served as part-time constable for the Town of Shelter Island from 1959 to 1967. He was elected superintendent of highways and commissioner of public works and served from 1974 to 1979.
He was one of the founders of the Shelter Island Fire Department Benevolent Association in 1967 and president from June 1973 to June 1975. Mr. Urban actively participated in the fire department and was chief from January 1970 to April 1972 and from April 1973 to January 1975.
Leo and Mary Urban owned and operated Urban's Vegetable and Flower Farm on Brander Parkway from the early 1960s until 1986, when they retired to Florida.
Mr. Urban is survived by his two children, Deanna Fuller of Southampton and Leo F. Urban of Boynton Beach, Florida; eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
A memorial service is planned in March 2004 at the Ascension Catholic Church in Delray Beach, Florida and interment at St. John's Cemetery in Riverhead, New York.
Captain (Robert Arthur) "Bucky" Clark
"Bucky" Clark, 82, passed away on December 25, Christmas Day, 2000 at Stony Brook Hospital due to complications following heart surgery.
Born in Centerport, New York on July 29, 1918, Mr. Clark was the fifth and youngest child of Albertus and Isabelle Clark, who moved to Shelter Island in 1924 to work on the estate of Otto Kahn. The property is now known as the Mashomack Preserve and is owned by the Nature Conservancy.
After graduating from Shelter Island High School in 1937, Mr. Clark fished commercially with classmate Harold Shear. In 1941, Mr. Clark was drafted into the United States Army as a mortar gunner. He landed at Normandy in 1944 on D-Day plus four with the 30th Infantry "Old Hickory" Division, saw action throughout Europe and was wounded in battle, for which he was awarded the Purple Heart, the American Campaign medal, the Good Conduct medal, the EAME Campaign medal and the World War II Victory medal.
He recovered from his wounds and returned to the front, where he continued fighting until he became paralyzed, a delayed result of his injuries. He eventually regained the full use of his limbs after spending a year in a rehabilitation hospital in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He returned to Shelter Island in 1946 and met the woman who would become his wife of 52 years, Barbara "Buzz" Smith, whom he married in 1948.
Mr. Clark crewed on classic wooden boats both before and after the war, including the private yachts of Mrs. Barbara Whitney, Secretary of the Navy Nelson Slater, the Vanderbilt family and many historic yachts including the Brilliant, which is now on display at the Mystic Seaport Museum.
He later bought the powerboat Sungic, a 38-foot Wheeler, added a flying bridge and pulpit and ran a fishing charter business, which included offshore swordfishing. Many family members and friends learned the fine points of boat handling and seamanship from Mr. Clark on this boat. "He was great at teaching people," said his daughter Heather Reylek. "He lived and breathed the water."
Mr. Clark lived close to the earth and was an accomplished hunter and fisherman. He hauled the seine, harpooned fish off the Sungic, scalloped and clammed. Due to his expertise, he was sought out as a fishing guide. For years, he captained the Atalanta owned by Marjorie Bond, wife of gourmet cook and United Nations interpreter Jules Bond.
He lived and worked at Mashomack throughout his life, first working for Otto Kahn and later as the caretaker when it became a private shooting club in the 1960s.
For many years, he worked with his good friend Alfred Tuthill, at Mr. Tuthill's shipyard on Shelter Island. Both Mr. Tuthill and Mr. Clark were legendary boatmen and fishermen on the Island and befriended many people over the years, sharing their knowledge of boats, love of the sea and more than a few practical jokes, as well as their homespun philosophy of life.
Mr. Clark loved music and could be found most weekends playing his accordian for friends and family. He also performed publicly for the Historical Society on their paddleboat trip around the Island.
Mr. Clark is survived by his beloved wife Barbara; seven children, Virginia Smith, Keith Clark, Patricia Hildreth, Heather Reylek, Wendy Sanwald, John Clark and Andrew Clark; 13 grandchildren, Joshua Samet, Joseph Samet, Kate Topliff, Jessica Hildreth, Laurel Hildreth, Thomas Hurley, Rachel Reylek, Timothy Reylek, Zachary Reylek, Raymond Sanwald, Kevin Sanwald, Tara Clark and Sydney Clark; and three great grandchildren, Margaret, Timothy and Elijah. He is also survived by two sisters, Alice Ketcham of Gainesville, Florida and Helen Worm of Melbourne, Florida, one brother, Albertus "Toots" Clark Jr. of Shelter Island, as well as many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother, Edward Clark of Shelter Island.
Funeral services were conducted at the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church on Thursday, December 28, 2000 with Pastor Bill Grimbol officiating. The family requests that contributions be made to the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church, the American Legion or a charity of the donor's choice.
Sheila Frances Drum
Sheila Frances Drum of Southampton and formerly a part-time resident of Shelter Island died at Southampton Hospital on Sunday, December 17, 2000 after a long illness. She was 82.
Mrs. Drum was born in Brooklyn, New York on April 11, 1918 to Patrick J. and Ella T. (Dodd) McCarthy. She was a graduate of St. Francis Academy in Brooklyn and the College of Mt. St. Vincent in Riverdale, New York.
Mrs. Drum married Lt. Edward J. Drum Jr. on April 27, 1943 at Our Lady of the Angels Church in Brooklyn. She and her husband raised their family in Little Neck and Manhasset. The Drums also had a home on Wesley Avenue on Shelter Island for 30 years.
While living in Manhasset, Mrs. Drum was a member of St. Mary's Church and a past president of the Manhasset Community Club. She was an extensive traveler, avid bridge player and a lover of life. Her friends will remember her for her kind heart and wonderful sense of humor.
Prior to her illness, Mrs. Drum was an active member of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Church in Southampton and participated in local charitable organizations.
She is survived by her five loving children and her beloved dog Nipsy.
A viewing was held at Brockett Funeral Home on Thursday, December 21 and a mass was celebrated on Friday, December 22 at Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Burial followed at Our Lady of the Isle Cemetery on Shelter Island.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Southampton Hospital in appreciation for loving nursing care.
Mary Simensen
Mary Simensen, a resident of Shelter Island since 1983 and formerly of Jericho, passed away at Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport on December 18, 2000.
Mary was born in Glen Cove, New York on October 10, 1907, the daughter of Benidetto and Louise Spevira Azzenaro.
She was a member of the Shelter Island Legion Auxiliary.
She was predeceased by her husband, Aage, who passed away in 1993. She is survived by her son, John, and daughter-in-law, Carol Simensen of Centereach, New York. She is also survived by two grandsons, John Carl and Michael James Simensen.
Visiting hours and a funeral service officiated by Rev. Dr. Steven Crowson were held Wednesday, December 20, at the Shelter Island Funeral Home. Private cremation followed.
Memorial donations may be made to the Shelter Island Ambulance.
Jan Daniel Van Rynbach
Jan Van Rynbach, who lived on Tuthill Drive on Ram Island, died of natural causes at his home on December 20, 2001. He was 81 years of age. He and his family had a home on Ram Island for 44 years and he spent most of each year on the Island since his retirement about 15 years ago.
Jan Van Rynbach was born on September 20, 1920 and grew up in Leiden, Holland. His father was a high school teacher of Dutch literature and his mother was an artist. He was the only son in a family of six. Growing up in Holland, a maritime nation, he developed a lifelong interest in boats and ships. As a teenager he was known for spending long days by the water and built his own sailing boat. He also loved to read and study and became fluent in five languages. These interests held throughout his life.
He attended the Technical University in Delft, Holland, where he studied naval architecture. During the summers he apprenticed at shipyards. He also loved to read and write history and later in life he wrote several accounts of the history of the Dutch nation. In 1940, after he had spent only two years in college, war broke out in Europe and Holland was occupied by Germany. His university remained open for another year until the Germans decided to send the students to labor camps. Jan just narrowly escaped being sent to the camps and later managed to evade capture for his Resistance activities. He always said he was lucky to have survived the war years. He and his family suffered from near famine conditions during the later war years. After the war Jan was able to resume his education and graduated in 1947 as a naval architect.
He began his career in this field working for Ydo Consulting Company, which was involved with redeveloping Dutch industry. On a business trip for the company to England he met his future wife, Yioula Panagopulos. The two were married in 1948 and moved to Amsterdam where they had their first child, Angela. Yioula's family also was involved in the shipping business and in 1951 the young Van Rynbach family accepted an invitation from Yioula's brother to come to America and work for Orion Shipping in New York City. Jan worked as ship construction superintendent for a series of tankers that were being built in Massachusetts and Maryland. Soon after the family moved to Huntington, Long Island, Jan became the father of two more children, Eugene and Iris.
Orion embarked on a large-scale shipbuilding program in Japan in 1955 and Jan was sent to oversee the program. This was a pioneering effort as Japanese shipbuilding was just being revitalized after the war and Jan had to help them develop modern shipbuilding techniques based on what he had learned from his experience in the U.S. and Europe. He managed the construction of 23 ships over a two-year period for Orion and other shipping companies.
Returning to the U.S., Jan became a partner with his brother-in-law, Eugene Panagopulos, in a consulting engineering company. They remained partners until 1970. Jan was involved in ship construction, modification and repair projects for many ship owners over these years and traveled widely.
It was upon returning home from Japan in 1957 that Jan and his family bought their house on Ram Island. They spent every summer there and at times the house was like a summer camp with various nieces, nephews and friends of his children staying over, sometimes for the whole summer. His time on Shelter Island was always his most prized moments. He enjoyed coming to the Island whenever he could so he and his family could clam, scallop, fish, sail, go for boat rides and enjoy the beauties of the surrounding bays.
In 1970 he became an independent naval architect and with his children off to college and later working, he was able to enjoy more and more time on Shelter Island. He worked from his home here and in Huntington. In 1982 his son Eugene joined him as a partner and they worked together until 1989. After then, Jan slowed down his working until finally retiring completely in the early 1990s. In the last ten years of his career he worked mostly as an expert witness in maritime legal cases and was involved in several major cases such as the explosion and fire on the tanker Betelgeuse and the loss of the vessel Marine Electric. He became known for his well-written reports and insightful testimony.
In the 1990s he was appointed to the Shelter Island Planning Board and served for six years. During his time on the board he worked to preserve the character and environment of Shelter Island. He believed the Island should be enjoyed by all who live here and not become the exclusive reserve for a few nor covered by suburban sprawl like much of Long Island. In these years he spent seven to eight months a year on Shelter Island and his home on Ram Island became his permanent residence. He and his wife Yioula were also involved with organizations working to preserve the Island. They were among the founders of the Shelter Island Friends of Trees, supporters of the Mashomack Preserve and he was chairman of the Tuthill Drive Neighbors Association.
His five grandchildren were his latest joy in life and he loved to show them the ways of Shelter Island. They would spend weeks and even months on the Island where they all learned to sail, fish and drive boats under his guidance. It was always a favorite vacation for the grandchildren to come and stay at his house.
Jan always thought himself lucky in life and enjoyed good health and good spirits up to his last day. He was always thankful that he was able to spend his final years in his favorite place, Shelter Island. One of his favorite sayings was that there was nothing in life he wanted that he could not get within 10 miles of Shelter Island.
He is remembered with love and caring by his family. He is survived by his wife, Yioula, his three children, Angela, Eugene and Iris, his five grandchildren and by two sisters still residing in Holland, Johanna and Aleid.
Dr. John A. Evans
Dr. John A. Evans, a long-time resident of Shelter Island, died December 24, 2001 after a long illness at the age of 92.
Dr. Evans was born in New York City in 1909 where he attended Stuyvesant High School and received his B.S. degree at New York University. He received his M.D. degree in 1935 from Cornell University Medical College. After five years of surgical training, the last three at the New York Hospital, he served in the U. S. Army from 1941 until 1945. A World War II veteran, he landed in North Africa with the 5th Army in the winter of 1943 and then went through Sicily and Italy, serving overseas until the war ended in 1945. He rose to the rank of colonel and served as commanding officer of field and evacuation hospitals, the equivalent to the popularized MASH. He was awarded the Legion of Merit in 1944.
It was during his military service in Italy that his interest in radiology was stimulated, and upon discharge from the service in 1945, he began his training in radiology at the New York Hospital. He was appointed radiologist-in-chief of the New York Hospital and chairman of the department of radiology of Cornell University Medical College in 1952, a scant three years after finishing training. He held that position until 1976. He continued as professor emeritus and maintained an active role in the department until recently.
Dr. Evans has published over 100 papers covering a wide spectrum of diagnostic radiology and contributed chapters to a variety of radiological and non-radiological authoritative texts.
Among Dr. Evans' most important contributions to diagnostic radiology was the introduction of the technique of nephrotomography. This contribution is of great significance since it ushered in the era of modern excretory urography. He also was one of the first to recognize the importance and potentials of interventional radiology. Early on, he saw the value of both ultrasound and CT. He managed to obtain one of the first five CT installations in the world -- the first installation in New York City.
He has been the honored speaker at a large number of named lectureships in many radiological societies. Invited to be a visiting professor in most of the great medical centers in this country, he lectured far and wide. He was also a frequent lecturer overseas.
Dr. Evans, in addition to being an innovative radiologist, was a visionary chairman. He foresaw the need of subspecialization and special procedures, probably because of his own interest in uroradiology and surgery. He staffed his department with subspecialists long before this became an accepted practice, and at that time was criticized by many. His table of organization is practiced in most medical centers.
Dr. Evans served as a trustee of the American Board of Radiology for 12 years from 1959 to 1970, and was president of that board for a two-year period from 1967 to 1969. As a trustee, he was influential in promoting and organizing the written examination and served as chairman of the first examination committee.
His scientific and organizational achievements were recognized by the following honors: president of the New York Roentgen Society, 1958-1959; member, American College of Radiology, 1949; fellow, American College of Radiology, 1953; chancellor, American College of Radiology; national consultant in radiology, Veterans Administration; national consultant in radiology, U.S. Air Force 1958-1964; first vice president, Radiological Society of North America; gold medal, Radiological Society of North America, 1967; citation for meritorious service, the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, 1968; trustee, American Board of Radiology, 1959-1970; president, American Board of Radiology, 1967-1969; chairman, Residency Review Committee; president, Eastern Radiological Society, 1973; scroll of special recognition, the New York Roentgen Society, 1976; and associate editor, Radiology, 1962-1980.
Dr. Evans served with distinction as a member of the Board of Chancellors of the American College of Radiology for a six-year period in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He was the recipient of the American College of Radiology's most prestigious award, the Gold Medal, in 1985.
During his tenure as chairman of the Department of Radiology at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, he contributed greatly to the addition of radiology to the Cornell Medical School curriculum, which subsequently resulted in the recruiting of many Cornell students into the field of radiology. Intravenous cardiac angiography had its inception in his department.
Dr. Evans often recounted his first visit to Shelter Island on a cold rainy March day in 1952 looking for a summer rental for his family. At that time the real estate agent apologized for the Island's appearance due to the weather. He, however, was so impressed with its beauty and thought if Shelter Island was this lovely on such a miserable day it must be wonderful in the summer. He rented that summer and bought his first house in the Heights in 1954. He later moved to Hay Beach.
His recreational passion was golf and he played all over the world. He joined Gardiner's Bay Country Club in 1954, two years after it was reconstituted. Recalling Gardiner's Bay's admission process then, Dr. Evans said he just showed up at the first tee, signed up as a member and paid the requisite $50 dues. He later served as a director of Gardiner's Bay and was influential in expanding the clubhouse to accommodate its present dining room. He continued to be an honorary member until his death. Dr. Evans also was a member of the Shelter Island Yacht Club during the 1950s and 1960s.
Dr. Evans' first wife Dorothy Reilly Evans predeceased him in 1982. He is survived by his wife Anne and four children, Linda Power Franklin of Virginia Beach, Jane Carreyrou of Paris, France and Shelter Island, John T. Evans and Susan Evans Sterling, both of New York and Shelter Island. He also is survived by nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were private. The family requests that those wishing to express sympathies make a contribution to either the Tree Memorial Fund at Gardiner's Bay Country Club or the Mashomack Nature Preserve in his memory.
