Obituaries

Agnes Economos

1931-1921

Agnes Jones Terry Economos, loving wife, mother and grandmother, passed away on Feb. 14, 2021, at the age of 89, after a long battle with Lewy body dementia.

Agnes was born in Southampton, N.Y., to Walter and Theresa (Hugel) Jones. She was valedictorian of Sacred Hearts School and graduated in 1949 from Southampton High School, where she was an avid volleyball player, gymnast and cheerleader. Upon graduation, she worked at Corwith Pharmacy in Southampton.

She married George Terry of Riverhead in 1951 and they resided in Riverhead. While raising their two girls, Agnes became an avid seamstress, which lasted her lifetime. Her love of all children led to working in a nursery school, becoming a Girl Scout leader and subsequently a job as a teacher’s aide at Phillips Avenue Elementary School. She was most proud of her work as an aide with special needs children. She also took classes in psychology and education at Suffolk County Community College.

In 1980, following the death of her husband, George, she became secretary to Riverhead Town Police Department’s Juvenile Aid Bureau, where she worked until she retired.

She met her second husband, Connie Economos, while taking ballroom dance classes and they were married in 1989. Their retirement together was a whirlwind of travel, babysitting grandchildren and walking the sidewalks of downtown Riverhead and Tanger Outlets, always together and always with their walking sticks!

At age 60 Agnes began tap dancing with REdancers dance studio in a group with three other seniors (“The Golden Girls”) and they enthusiastically competed (winning trophies) and entertained the public at many town events. She was actively involved with Riverhead-Jamesport Homemakers, loved being a member of the Red Hat Society and volunteered every week doing bingo at Peconic Bay Medical Center’s skilled nursing center.

During her lifetime she also became renowned for her hat collection — she was rarely seen without one! Before entering the Southampton Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, she donated them all to The Retreat Boutique Gift Store in Bridgehampton. She was passionate about never wasting anything and also donated her many craft and sewing items to various charities.

She is survived by her daughters, Karen (Robert) Bocksel and Cathy (Michael) Caruccio; grandchildren Bradley, Lexi, Nicholas (Kristen), Richard, Emily and Rebecca; great-grandchildren Max and Milo and a great-granddaughter on the way; stepdaughter-in-law Christine; brother Thomas of Shingletown, Calif.; and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her first husband, George Terry; her second husband, Constantino Economos; stepson Michael; and siblings, Dorothy, Theresa, Ethel and Louis.

She loved her family and will be forever remembered for her beautiful smile and, of course, her hats!

A wake will be held Saturday, Feb. 20, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at McLaughlin Heppner Funeral Home in Riverhead, immediately followed at 10:30 by a Mass at St. Isidore R.C. Church in Riverhead. Private burial will take place at Riverhead Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, stjude.org).

This is a paid notice.