Daniel H. Fricke

Daniel H. Fricke of Baiting Hollow died May 7 at the age of 82.

He was born June 22, 1930, in New York City and grew up on farms in East Northport and Middletown, N.Y. He attended Cornell University and graduated from its College of Agriculture in 1952. He served in the U.S. Army field artillery as a 1st lieutenant in Korea from 1953 until 1955.

Following his military service, he began working at Cornell Cooperative Extension, first in Herkimer, N.Y., and then in Suffolk County. He subsequently served as executive director of the Cooperative Extension in Suffolk County for 18 years, retiring in 1990.

Mr. Fricke was a member of the Riverhead Rotary Club for over 50 years, and served as district governor from 1991 to 1992, and was involved in the district’s international youth exchange committee. He was elected to the Riverhead school board in 1966, serving as its president from 1977 until his retirement from the board in 1991.

He was a long-standing member of Baiting Hollow Congregational Church, serving as its treasurer for 17 years. The Suffolk County Pine Barrens review committee, the Suffolk County farmland development rights committee and Riverhead Townscape also benefited from his volunteer efforts.

Mr. Fricke is survived by his wife of 59 years, Bertha; three daughters, Susan McDonald of New Jersey, Marilyn Fricke Marsilio of Water Mill and Beth Feizet of Georgia; six grandchildren; and one great-grandaughter.

Arrangements were handled by Reginald H. Tuthill Funeral Home in Riverhead.

Memorial donations may be made to Rotary Gift of Life, P.O. Box 518, Riverhead, NY 11901.