U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
John J. (Sean) Hayes
John J. (Sean) Hayes, 74, of Rocky Point, died at home April 19, 2007.
Mr. Hayes was born on Feb. 26, 1933, in Tipperary, Ireland.
He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Kathleen (née O'Neill) Hayes; their four children, Catherine Nolan, Sean, Susan Ortolani and Christina Coburn; and 10 grandchildren.
Mr. Hayes was "a great friend to all and will be missed," said a family statement. "He fought a courageous battle with cancer and truly deserves to be with his God, and his parents and sister Margaret in heaven."
The family received visitors at O.B. Davis Funeral Home in Miller Place on April 21 and 22. A funeral mass was offered on April 23 at St. Anthony of Padua R.C. Church in Rocky Point. Interment followed at St. Charles Cemetery.
Memorial donations may be made to the FDNY Burn Unit or Forward Face at New York University.
Alice O'Lilyer Christman
Alice O'Lilyer Christman, age 78, of Redlands, Calif., formerly of Riverhead, died at her home on Dec. 13, 2004 after a lengthy illness.
Ms. Christman was born in Raleigh, N.C., on July 9, 1926, to John and Lee (Bell) Liles. She graduated as valedictorian from Broad Creek Village High School and married her second husband, the late Carlyle "Chris" Christman, on Nov. 2, 1962.
The couple resided for many years in Riverhead, Westhampton, and Fort Pierce, Fla. In Redlands, Ms. Christman lived with her brother and sister-in-law, William and Libby Liles.
She is survived by her son, Jerry Lupia of Marlton, N.J.; daughter, Sharon McGovern of Commack; stepdaughters Gene May of Quogue and Carlene Kotthaus of Nesconset; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
A graveside service will be held at Quogue Cemetery in Quogue, at 11 a.m. on Dec. 27. A family memorial service in Redlands will be scheduled later.
Memorial donations may be made to Inland Valley Hospice, 3770 Myers St., Riverside, CA 92503.
Richard W. Schmersal
Richard W. Schmersal, a retired Riverhead police officer residing in Merritt Island, Fla., died there on Dec. 10 at age 69.
Born in Greenport on May 29, 1935, Mr. Schmersal resided in Wading River. He joined the Riverhead Police Department in the 1960s and moved to Brevard County, Fla., in 1980. He was a U.S. Air Force veteran and a member of the American Legion.
Mr. Schmersal is survived by his daughters, Debbie Kelly of Titusville, Fla., and Joann Borsella of Palm Bay, Fla.; a brother, Douglas, of South Carolina; and six grandchildren.
Interment was at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell.
Kathleen Marie Salt
Kathleen Marie Salt of Riverhead died there on Dec. 15, 2004 at age 89.
She was born in New York City on March 25, 1915, to Michael and Kathleen (Perdoch) Petrino. She was a tap dancer with a dance troupe, specializing in toe tap. Later she moved to Whitestone and married William Salt, who died on Dec. 12, 1974.
The family moved to Flanders in 1956. Ms. Salt worked for Youth Fair, a seller of children's clothes and school uniforms, for 23 years, until the store closed. She then worked at Kids' Stuff, a toy store on Main Street in Riverhead, for 13 years, until that store also closed.
According to a family statement, at age 77 Ms. Salt was finally convinced it was time for her to retire, and then she began traveling with her daughter, Kathleen Brown of Riverhead.
Ms. Brown wrote that her mother enjoyed trips to Louisiana, Florida, Hawaii, Monaco, Italy, Egypt and Israel and "had very good memories to fall back on when, in February 1998, she had a paralyzing stroke from which she never recovered."
Besides her daughter, Ms. Salt is survived by three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
A funeral mass was offered by Father Tom Coby on Dec. 16 at St. John the Evangelist R.C. Church, Riverhead. Interment was the same day at Cutchogue Cemetery. Arrangements were by McLaughlin Heppner Funeral Home, Riverhead.
Louis Stokes
Louis Stokes of Riverhead died there on Dec. 9, 2004 at age 89.
He was born in France on Dec. 21, 1914, to James and Bertha Stokes. His wife, Ruth, predeceased him in August 2003.
Mr. Stokes was employed as a station cleaner by the Long Island Rail Road. He enjoyed fishing and golfing, according to a statement by close friends Virginia Fisher and Sandy Miranda, both of Riverhead.
He is survived by a brother, Charles, of Florida; a niece, Ruth Tai of Inwood; and numerous other nieces and nephews.
Visitation was on Dec. 12 at McLaughlin Heppner Funeral Home, Riverhead. A graveside service was held on Dec. 13 at Pinelawn Cemetery in Farmingdale.
Wanda Lee Aldrich
Wanda Lee Aldrich of Southaven, Miss., formerly of Baiting Hollow and Hampton Bays, died on Dec. 9, 2004 at Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto following a brief illness. She was 82.
Ms. Aldrich was born in Imperial, Calif., on Feb. 11, 1922, to Thomas and Lydia (Burden) Kelly. After earning a bachelor's degree in home economics from Pepperdine College in Los Angeles, she came east on a trip and met her future husband, Hampton Bays Police Chief Harold "Cort" Aldrich. They married on Aug. 4, 1951, and settled in Hampton Bays.
In 1956 the family moved to Baiting Hollow. Ms. Aldrich worked as a cafeteria chef in Riverhead schools, then as a teachers' aide at Riley Avenue and Phillips Avenue elementary schools. She was assistant activities director at Riverhead Nursing Home when she retired. When her husband retired they returned to Hampton Bays, residing there until moving to Mississippi in July 2004.
Ms. Aldrich had been a Girl Scout leader, enthusiastically helping her daughter sell cookies. According to a family statement, at one time they couldn't watch TV for the boxes of cookies stacked in the living room. She was also active in Cub Scouts, helping to found Pack 133. Her other interests included church activities, preparing recipes from her mother's cookbook and watching tennis and football games, "but the raising of her children and care of her husband were always her first love," the family wrote.
Ms. Aldrich's body was privately cremated in Tennessee. A memorial service will be held in January at Goodman Oaks Church of Christ in Southaven, Tenn. Upon the death of her husband, she will be interred with him during a graveside service at Good Ground Cemetery, Hampton Bays.
In addition to her husband of 53 years, Ms. Aldrich is survived by a daughter, Lydene, of Southaven, and a son, Robert, of Amityville and Hampton Bays. She was predeceased by an infant son, Cortland.
Memorial donations may be made to Timothy Hill Children's Ranch, 298 Middle Rd., Riverhead, NY 11901; Goodman Oaks Church of Christ, 1700 Goodman Rd., Southaven, MS 38671; or the Palliative Care Program of Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto, c/o Development Office, Baptist Memorial Health Care Foundation, 350 N. Humphries Blvd., Memphis, TN 38120.
Thomas A. Kulesa
Thomas A. Kulesa of Calverton died suddenly on Dec. 18, 2004 at age 54.
Born on May 3, 1950, to Alex and Bertha (Sujeski) Kulesa in Greenport, he married Jane Warner in 1974.
Mr. Kulesa was a vegetable farmer before he opened his own fabrication business some years ago.
According to a family statement, "Tom was passionate about racing, both as a spectator and as a participant. As racers, Tom and [his son] Scott were successful and had fun together."
Mr. Kulesa is survived by his wife and son, of Calverton.
Visitation was on Dec. 21 at Reginald H. Tuthill Funeral Home, Riverhead. Funeral services were held on Dec. 22 at Baiting Hollow Congregational Church, the Rev. Elsa Callender officiating. Interment followed at Baiting Hollow Cemetery.
Memorial donations may be sent to American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 1131, Fairfax, VA 22038; American Heart Association, 122 East 42nd St., 18th floor, New York, NY 10168; or Victory Junction Gang Camp, 4500 Adams Way, Randleman Junction, NC 27317.
