Obituaries

Susan S. Burke of Mattituck died at the Kanas Center for Hospice Care Sept. 15, 2017. She was 67.

She was born in Flushing Sept. 11, 1950, to Eileen M. (O’Keefe) and Edward R. Burke.

Raised in Bayside, she attended Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament School and Bayside High School. She later attended Grace Institute in New York City for two years.

A resident of the North Fork for the past 50 years, she enjoyed a 45-year career in banking, retiring as assistant vice president with North Fork/Capital One Bank.

Susan was a Lioness for Lions Clubs International and a member of the chamber of commerce.

Surviving are her siblings William Burke of Miami, Fla., Deborah Stasiukiewicz Burke of South Jamesport, Thomas Burke of Laurel and Robert Burke of Riverhead; five nephews; two nieces; and three great-nieces. She was predeceased by her mother in December 2004, her father in May 2012, and her brother Edward J. Burke of Quogue in December 2016.

The family will receive visitors Friday, Sept. 22, from 7 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 23, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck. Monsignor Joseph W. Staudt will conduct a prayer service at 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

Memorial donations to the Kanas Center for Hospice Care, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978 would be appreciated.

This is a paid notice. 

The Rev. Canon John E. Madden died at his home in Laurel Sept. 9, 2017, surrounded by his loved ones. He was 80. (more…)

Former Riverhead resident Fritzie Kulesa (Frances Rogers) died Sept. 14 in Naples, Fla.

Fritzie was born June 17, 1934, to Edward and Estelle (Czygier) Rogers. Upon graduating from Riverhead High School in 1951, Fritzie joined her parents in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, where she was employed by the Arabian American Oil Company.

In 1954, she and John Kulesa married and they spent 52 years together raising their two sons, Richard and Jack, and were devoted to their grandchildren, Danielle, Richard and Rachel.

John and Fritzie lived with their boys on the Kulesa farm in Calverton and enjoyed many years of farming. In later years they were proprietors of Regula’s Corner in Polish Town and also ran polka weekends in the Catskills, where over 600 people would gather each weekend to enjoy three days of polkas and fun.

In 1980, Fritzie was elected president of the Polish Town Civic Association, accepting the challenge of organizing and extending the annual street fair in Polish Town from a one-day event to a two-day affair, which remains in effect today.

In 1990, Fritzie and John moved to Florida, where John enjoyed golf and Fritzie loved the warm weather and the beach. In 2006 they moved from West Palm Beach, Fla., to Naples.

Fritzie is survived by her two sons, Richard, of Naples, Fla., and Jack, of Calverton, and three grandchildren, Danielle, Richard and Rachel. She was predeceased by her husband, John, and her brother, Richard.

This is a paid notice. 

North Fork native Marie Anne Colwell of Mooresville, N.C. passed away Sunday, Aug. 20, 2017, after a brief battle with cancer.  (more…)

Virginia R. “Ginny” Hinsch, a resident of Mattituck, died suddenly Sept. 7, 2017. She was 61. (more…)

Sophie R. Brown of Riverhead died at her home Sept. 10. She was 82.  (more…)

Former Riverhead resident Willie Childress Sr. of Medford died Sept. 7 at Brookhaven Hospital. He was 89. (more…)