Catching up with the Tuesday Crew

He just celebrated his 98th birthday, but still drives himself every Tuesday from Sag Harbor to the North Fork to be part of the latest construction project that the Tuesday Crew is working on. John Anderson is one of the founding members of this group of volunteers who have built, painted and refurbished structures in more than 149 projects for nonprofits across the North Fork. 

Mr. Anderson, who was a food broker in New York City until he retired in 1989, wanted to spend his time building ship models, but instead was intrigued by the rebuilding of an actual ship, the nearly century-old Regina Maris in Greenport. Six years after the ship set sail from the harbor, having becoming friends with other volunteers, their work morphed into the Tuesday Crew. 

“We agreed it was the best day of the week for all us retired people looking for something to make us happy,” said Mr. Anderson, who, with 32 years in construction under his belt, is now the longest serving member of the crew.

For any nonprofit that needs their help, the group provides the labor for free. Their talents save organizations like museums and historical societies hundreds of thousands of dollars as they install new roofs, repair old ones and give new life to historic buildings with their carpentry skills. 

“I have a bit of satisfaction that I used my time for doing good,” he said.

Celebrating his 98th birthday recently at a dinner party in Calverton, David Higbee and the other crew members reminisced and laughed about past projects. And Mr. Anderson remembered one of the more challenging jobs, rebuilding the rotting wooden caboose at the Railroad Museum in Greenport. 

“We looked at it and thought, ‘how are we gonna fix it?’ We jacked it up using a regular car jack, if you can believe it!” he said.

You would think being the most senior member of Tuesday Crew that Mr. Anderson, whose eyesight and hearing are still amazing, would be the boss. But no, they work together, collaborating as a team on every project. 

“John does keep us on track. He’s the quality control guy. And he brings us the donuts, which is very important!” Mr. Higbee said.

“These men know tools, old and new, how to use them, how to fix them when they malfunction, and how best to solve a particular problem with a particular tool,” he said. “They also have a vast knowledge of building materials, how best they can be used and the specifications necessary to order particular materials for a particular job.” Mr. Anderson is the “list keeper” and to date, that extensive list includes multiple projects at Hallockville Museum Farm in Riverhead, Mattituck-Laurel Historical Society, North Fork Community Theatre in Mattituck and the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center in Quogue.

At the party, Mr. Anderson’s daughter, Karen Renna of Westbury, said her dad has always had a curiosity for life. “He’s a dynamic force, has a lot of stamina and is fiercely independent,” she said. “He still reads books and The New York Times and does his own food shopping, too.” She said she worries about him every day, and that it’s only in the last few years that he stopped going up ladders. 

“He’s one of a kind. There are not many people like John who is an inspiration to all of us,” said his friend of 13 years, Ben Zukosky of Baiting Hollow. The two met in 2010 building several homes for Habitat for Humanity. 

“John is the heart and soul of the Tuesday Crew. We’re all ‘other’ oriented — what we do for our community is altruistic,” said Willie Martin of Riverhead.

At the dinner table, Mr. Anderson read the birthday card from his crew members aloud. “You are resilient and an inspiration to us. … We’ve picked up many tips from you,” and “We thank you for so many years of service.” As Mr. Anderson started opening his presents, his son-in-law, Joseph Renna, joked that “maybe one of the gifts is a box of donuts!” 

But that box contained a plaque that read, “For 30 years of leadership and dedication.” Mr. Anderson teared up and said, “This is beautiful. It really knocks me out … I always say at the end of the day that we did some good. We did it for nothing and we did it well.”