Maria Argentina DeLagneau of Mattituck and Brooklyn died Jan. 11, 2014, at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. She was 78.

She was born Aug. 25, 1935, in Nicaragua to Leopoldo and Julia DeLagneau and worked as a beautician.

She is survived by her daughter, Maria DeLagneau-Cianfrogna of Mattituck; her son, Andrew DeLagneau-Corredor of Brooklyn; her sister, Blanca, of California; her brothers, Chester, Roger and Leopoldo; and two grandchildren.

The family will receive visitors Friday, Jan. 17, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Coster-Heppner Funeral Home in Cutchogue. A funeral service will take place Saturday, Jan. 18, at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Mattituck. Interment will follow at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Cutchogue.

Rose Roth of Mattituck passed away Jan. 6, 2014. She was 88.

Rose was born in Brooklyn May 18, 1925, to Salvatore and Celia Salvati. She married Alfred Roth June 5, 1948, and was married for 65 years. Together they raised their children in Franklin Square before moving to Mattituck, where they lived for over 40 years. She had a wonderful life and loved Mattituck and the North Fork.

Rose is survived by her husband, Alfred; three children, Kathryn Brewer of Cutchogue, Laura Weber of Hicksville and Michael, of California; a brother, Alex Salvati of South Carolina; five grandchildren, William Brewer, Jeffrey Brewer, Michael Weber, Anthony Weber and Stephen Weber; and two great-grandchildren, Ainsley Brewer and Sidney Brewer.

The family received friends Jan. 8 at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck. The Liturgy of Christian Burial was celebrated Jan. 9 at Our Lady of Ostrabrama R.C. Church in Cutchogue, Father Peter Narkiewicz officiating. Interment was at Cutchogue Cemetery.

Memorial donations in Rose’s memory may be made to San Simeon by the Sound Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, 61700 Route 48, Greenport, NY 11944.

This is a paid notice.

Margarete E. Wegener of Riverhead died Jan. 13, 2014, at Riverhead Care Center. She was 79.

She was born in Germany May 26, 1934, to Alfred and Helen (Runska) Pinkus. She had been employed by Additive Products in Aquebogue as an inspector.

Ms. Wegener is survived by her husband, William; her sons, William Jr., of Kings Park, Robert, of Washington, D.C., and Richard, of Brooklyn; and one grandchild.

The family will receive visitors Wednesday, Jan. 15, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Reginald H. Tuthill Funeral Home in Riverhead, where a funeral service will take place Thursday, Jan. 16, at 10 a.m. Interment will be at Calverton National Cemetery.

Former Riverhead resident John Leroy Graff of Lyons, Ga., died Jan. 3, 2014, at Meadows Regional Medical Center in Vidalia, Ga., after a sudden illness. He was 55.

John Leroy Graff

Mr. Graff was a 1976 Riverhead High School graduate and attended the BOCES auto body program in his senior year. He worked for Blackman Plumbing in New York and Trane in Georgia. Family members said he enjoyed cooking and having parties for family and friends, and he loved his Labrador, Shelby.

Predeceased by his parents, Leroy and Ellen Graff, Mr. Graff is survived by his fiancée, Cindy Bashlor; a sister, Barbara Wooten of Riverhead; three nieces; and many other family members.

Private services were held in Georgia.

Memorial donations may be made to Kent Animal Shelter, 2259 River Road, Calverton, NY 11933 or the Animal Protection Society, P.O. Box 210, Vidalia, GA 30475.

Flanders resident Richard H. Morrison died Jan. 14, 2014, at his home. He was 73.

Born Sept. 7, 1940, to Herbert and Anna Morrison, he served in the U.S. Army and worked for 40 years as a produce clerk at King Kullen in Riverhead. He was also a member of Loyal Order of Moose. Family members said he loved doing word search puzzles.

Mr. Morrison was predeceased by his sister, Helen Kruk and his brother William and is survived by his brother Frank, of Seattle, Wash.; two nieces; and four great-nieces.

The family will receive visitors Thursday, Jan. 16, from 7 to 9 p.m. at McLaughlin Heppner Funeral Home in Riverhead, where a funeral service will be held Friday, Jan. 17, at 10 a.m. Interment will be at Calverton National Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to American Cancer Society.

Richard O. May of Riverhead died Jan. 14. He was 81.

The family will receive visitors Sunday, Jan. 19, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Visiting hours will  continue Monday, Jan. 20, from 9 to 10 a.m. at Reginald H. Tuthill Funeral Home in Riverhead, where a funeral service will take place at 10 a.m. Interment will take place at Calverton National Cemetery.

A complete obituary will follow.

Funeral arrangements have been made for Barbara Tocci, the 47-year-old Hampton Bays woman who was killed in a two-car accident in Flanders Thursday morning.

Visting hours for Ms. Tocci will be held this Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Services will be held on Monday at 10 a.m. at the McLaughlin Heppner Funeral Home with burial to follow at Flanders Cemetery.

Ms. Tocci worked as a title examiner at SCTIC in Riverhead, according to the funeral home.

Ms. Tocci is survived by her partner, Kent Brace, her two sons, her father Phillip, her mother Hope, her brother Phillip, Paul and Scott and her sisters Tammy, Nancy and Susan, according to the funeral home.

Donations in her memory may be made to Camp Good Grief at East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach.

Janice Rae Mackey of Riverhead died Jan. 18 at Peconic Bay Medical Center. She was 64.

Ms. Mackey taught in the Riverhead School District for over 30 years.

The family will receive visitors Tuesday, Jan. 21, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at J. Ronald Scott Funeral Home in Hampton Bays. A parish prayer service will be conducted at the funeral home at 3 p.m. by clergy of the Basilica Parish of Sacred Heart Church of Jesus and Mary. A funeral mass will take place at the church, conducted by Father Michael.

Cremation was private.

A complete obituary will follow.

Olga Gancarz of Riverhead died Jan. 14 at Southampton Hospital. She was 82.

The family will receive visitors Tuesday, Jan. 21, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Reginald H. Tuthill Funeral Home in Riverhead. A funeral Mass will be held Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 9:30 a.m. at St. Isidore R.C. Church in Riverhead. Interment will take place in the church cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978.

Frank T. Ricciardi of Riverhead died at his home Jan. 14. He was 86.

The family will receive visitors Monday, Jan. 20, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Reginald H. Tuthill Funeral Home in Riverhead. A funeral service will take place Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 11 a.m. at St. Isidore R.C. Church, also in Riverhead. Interment will take place at Calverton National Cemetery.

A complete obituary will follow.

Ruth Martin Heidtmann of Southold died peacefully in her home Jan. 13, 2014. She was 97 years old.

She was born Oct. 12, 1916, in Brooklyn to John and Minnie Martin. When Ruth was 5, the family moved to Floral Park, where she attended John Lewis Childs elementary school and Sewanhaka High School. She worked for JCPenney in New York City until her marriage to Henry G. Heidtmann in 1935.

Together they raised four children and were members of Floral Park United Methodist Church, Brookville Country Club and Garden City Country Club. Ruth was also a lifelong member of Floral Park Chapter 726 Order of the Eastern Star.

They had a home in Jamesport for 30 years before moving to their retirement home in Southold in 1981. They joined the North Fork Country Club and Ruth volunteered at Eastern Long Island Hospital and its Opportunity Shop. Her greatest joy was working in her garden.

Predeceased by her husband, Henry, and her brother, John, Ruth is survived by her children, Carol (Ted) Gault of Fort Myers, Fla., Henry Jr. (Susan), of Goshen, Conn., Kathleen (John) Einstman of Floral Park, and Glenn (Pamela), of Southold; 18 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; and 12 great-great-grandchildren.

A service will be held at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold Saturday, Jan. 25, at 11 a.m., the Rev. Jeffrey Kolbo officiating. Burial will follow immediately at Southold Presbyterian Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to San Simeon by the Sound Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Greenport.

This is a paid notice.

Jamesport resident Jim Callaghan, formerly of Ridge, died Jan. 16. He was 49.

Born Nov. 23, 1964, in Bay Shore to George and Anne Callaghan, he married Jennifer Garrett Sept. 22, 2012, in Aquebogue.

Mr. Callaghan attended Copiague High School and Adelphi University in Garden City. He was employed as a business consultant for Side by Side Child Care in Southampton.

Family members said Mr. Callaghan participated in many sports, including running, golf, softball, bowling and tennis, and was involved in the Selden Hills Warriors and Great Long Island running clubs. He also served with Ridge Fire Department and volunteered for Maureen’s Haven.

Predeceased by his parents, Mr. Callaghan is survived by his wife, of Jamesport; his children, Katherine, Jesse-Lyn, Erin and Thomas; and his brother, Thomas.

Arrangements were handled by McLaughlin Heppner Funeral Home in Riverhead. Cremation was private.

Memorial donations may be made to Maureen’s Haven or Angela’s House.

Former Riverhead resident Barbara A. Tocci of Hampton Bays died Jan. 16 following injuries sustained in a car accident. She was 47.

She was born Feb. 23, 1966, in Riverhead to Philip Sr. and Hope (Harden) Tocci. She attended Riverhead schools and worked as a title examiner for SCTIC Inc. in Riverhead.

She is survived by her partner, Kent Brace of Hampton Bays; her sons, Thomas, of Reading, Calif., and Anthony, of Anderson, Calif.; her father, of Flanders; her mother, Hope Shields; her brothers, Philip Jr., Scott and Paul, all of Flanders; her sisters, Nancy, of New Hampshire, and Susan and Tammy, of Flanders; and three grandchildren.

The family received visitors Jan. 19 at McLaughlin Heppner Funeral Home in Riverhead, where a funeral service was held Jan. 20. Interment took place at Flanders Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to Camp Good Grief, c/o East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978.

Richard O. May of Riverhead died Jan. 14. He was 81.

He was born July 10, 1932, in Queens to Otto and Olive (Gelwicks) May. He served in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954 during the Korean conflict and was employed as a Transportation Security Administration officer in Islip.

Family members said he was involved in many organizations, including the Riverhead Moose Lodge, Riverhead Elks Lodge, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans and Riverhead American Legion Post.

Mr. May was predeceased by his wife, Edith, in 2013 and his son James Harder in 2011. He is survived by his sons Allan and Donald; his daughters, Laureen, Inge Peters and Edith Sanchez; his sister, Carol Gardner; 11 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

The family received visitors Jan. 19 and 20 at Reginald H. Tuthill Funeral Home in Riverhead. Interment took place at Calverton National Cemetery.

COURTESY PHOTO | Family said Barbara Tocci helped others without asking for anything in return.

You couldn’t meet a better person than Barbara Tocci, her brother Scott said.

“She was the strength of the family,” he said. “She took care of everybody. That’s how she was … If there’s any person that would make me strive to be a better person, it was Barbara.”

The beloved 47-year-old grandmother was killed in a two-car accident in Flanders Thursday morning, when a utility truck crossed into her lane and struck her vehicle about 8 a.m., police said.

The driver of the truck suffered non life-threatening injuries in the accident.

Barbara, a Riverhead High School graduate living in Hampton Bays with her partner Kent, had strong ties to the Flanders area. She worked as a title examiner at SCTIC Inc. in Riverhead, and always went out of her way to help family, friends, or neighbors in need.

Barbara never asked for credit, her sister Susan Tocci said.

“She just did things without people knowing,” Susan said.

Barbara’s father Phil said Barbara, who had two sons, helped him raise her six siblings.

“She was the one that always knew the birthdays, the holidays,” Mr. Tocci said. “She was the one that was always there, always taking care of everybody.”

Barbara — whom he affectionately called “Barbara Doll” — even helped her grandmother in her final years, going to her house to care for her after work, Mr. Tocci said. She was buried next to her grandmother in Flanders Cemetery Monday morning.

Mr. Tocci said he believes potholes along Flanders Road in Flanders caused of the accident that took his daughter’s life.

“If those freaking potholes had been fixed this accident probably would never have happened,” he said, choking back tears.

Police said the cause of the crash is still under investigation and wouldn’t comment on whether potholes played a role in the fatal accident. State Department of Transportation workers were called to the scene Thursday to repair damage to the road after the crash, police said.

Mr. Tocci said seeing things around the house, like presents they jokingly exchanged over the holidays, reminds him of how much he misses her already. Barbara’s visitation in Riverhead on Sunday was the hardest.

But Mr. Tocci was surprised by the long line of people stretching out of the funeral home and down the street who all came to pay their respects. The funeral home ran out of mass cards and the guest book filled with names.

It was a testament to how many lives Barbara touched, Mr. Tocci said.

“It makes you feel a little better inside that so many people loved your daughter just like you do,” he said.

psquire@timesreview.com

Robert (Bob) Fletcher Ketcham of East Marion died Jan. 14, 2014, at Riverhead Care Center. He was 86 years old.

He was born Sept. 9, 1927, in Greenport to Robert Fletcher and Erna (Howell) Ketcham. He graduated from Greenport High School and attended the Art Students League of New York. Known by many as “Long John,” he worked locally as a sign painter and was a gifted artist. He loved music and was an avid reader and an accomplished cook.

He was predeceased by his wife, Lois Sanford Ketcham, and his sister, Barbara Cook.

He is survived by his sister-in-law, Linda Shriefer of Southold; his nieces, Shelly Walker of Riverhead, Kimberly Zevits of Montville, N.J., and Judith Cook Palmer of Germantown, Tenn.; and his nephews, Dayne Baldwin of Mattituck, Michael Cook of Alameda, Calif., and Walter Cook of East Hampton.

Interment took place at East Marion Cemetery. A memorial service will be held at a future date.
Funeral arrangements were entrusted to DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold.

This is a paid notice.

Frederick Ligon of Aquebogue, known as “Spider,” died Jan. 14 at Peconic Bay Medical Center. He was 76.

He was born in Riverhead April 10, 1937, to Frederick and Lucille (Brown) Ligon.

He served in the National Guard and was employed as a rigger at Brookhaven National Lab. He was also a member of the Riverhead Elks Lodge. Family members said Mr. Ligon enjoyed softball, racing and bowling.

Predeceased by his brothers John and Allen, Mr. Ligon is survived by his lifelong companion, Brenda Pothier; his sons, Frederick, of Riverhead, Michael, of Georgia, and Mark, of Riverhead; his brother Richard, of Riverhead; his sisters, Rita Rose Watson of Florida and Shirley Lucille Ligon of Georgia; nine grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Visiting hours will take place Wednesday, Jan. 22, from 6 to 9 p.m. at McLaughlin Heppner Funeral Home in Riverhead. A funeral service will be held Thursday, Jan. 23, at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Riverhead. Interment will be at Riverhead Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to Riverhead Move the Animal Shelter.

PIKE FAMILY COURTESY PHOTO | A recent photo of Otis Pike playing a banjo at a family party.

Longtime East End Congressman Otis Pike died in Vero Beach, Fla., Monday. He was 92.

Mr. Pike, a Democrat in a largely Republican area, represented the First District in Congress for 18 years, starting at a time when the district covered all of Suffolk County and part of Nassau County, said his daughter, Lois Pike Eyre of Riverhead.

He also was a Riverhead Town Councilman/Justice for seven years before being elected to Congress. (The councilmen served a dual role as justices of the peace at that time.)

Mr. Pike spent 20 years as a syndicated newspaper columnist for Newhouse Newspapers after leaving Congress.

Before getting into politics, Mr. Pike was a decorated Marine pilot during World War II, where he flew dive bombers and night fighters in the Pacific, Ms. Pike Eyre said.

“He was proud of that,” she recalled. “He earned a Silver Star.”

Ms. Pike Eyre said her father was involved in politics almost as long as she can remember.

“I was five when he was elected as justice of the peace in Riverhead, and he was still in Congress long after I graduated college,” Ms. Pike Eyre recalled.

Mr. Pike was the First District Congressman from 1961 to Jan. 3, 1979. He lost an election for the congressional seat in 1958, but then never lost another one, having chosen not to seek reelection in 1978.

(Scroll down for more.)

NEWS-REVIEW ARCHIVES | Otis Pike announced in February 1978 he wouldn’t be seeking reelection.

“He was sort of a bigger than life guy,” said a longtime friend, Irene Pendzick of Riverhead. “You thought of him as a people’s congressman. When he was home from Congress, he would be working on his boat on the Peconic River. You’d never know he was a congressman. Dressed in these paint-stained pants and an old shirt.”

Mr. Pendzick said Mr. Pike was an environmentalist before it was fashionable.

“He saved thousands and thousands of acres,” she said.

“I feel like an era has passed when somebody like him Otis dies,” she added. “He was in elected office at a time when it was a public service. Not this stuff we have today.”

Land next to the Enterprise Park at Calverton is called the Otis G. Pike Preserve, and he also has a preserve named for him on Fire Island, his daughter said.

Ms. Pike Eyre said her father was famous for wearing a bow tie, and he loved music.

“He used to play the ukelele when he was campaigning and he would write songs about political situations that were appropriate to the occasion. They were very funny,” she said.

Mr. Pike also played the banjo and encouraged all of his children to play instruments, she said.

He moved to Florida shortly after his retirement from Congress, his daughter said.

When family members went down to Florida to visit him at Christmas, they all brought their instruments — her husband, John Eyre, even purchased a used keyboard from a Florida store — and they played music for the neighbors, Ms. Pike Eyre said.

Mr. Pike married Doris Orth in 1946 and the couple stayed married until her death in 1996. In addition to Ms. Pike Eyre, they had two sons, Douglas Pike of Paoli, Pa., and Robert Pike of Riverhead, himself a former town councilman, who died in 2010.

Mr. Pike’s second wife, Barbe Bonjour Pike, is a former Riverhead Free Library director whom he  married in June 2003, Mr. Pike Eyre said.

Mr. Pike had been ill in recent years, and was in a hospice facility toward the end of his life, his daughter said.

A memorial service for him will be announced at a future date, she said.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Planned Parenthood, the Riverhead Free Library, the Nature Conservancy or a local public television or public radio station, Ms. Pike Eyre said.

tgannon@timesreview.com

UNITED STATES CONGRESS | Otis Pike

Beverly B. McKavish-Flynn of Riverhead died at her home Jan. 22. She was 75.

The family will receive visitors Friday, Jan. 24, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Reginald H. Tuthill Funeral Home in Riverhead. A funeral service will take place Saturday, Jan. 25, at 10 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist R.C. Church in Riverhead. Interment will take place at 11 a.m at the church cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978.

A complete obituary will follow.

Jerome J. Giordano of Riverhead died Jan. 21 at Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead. He was 58.

The family will receive visitors Saturday, Jan. 25 and Sunday, Jan. 26, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Reginald H. Tuthill Funeral Home in Riverhead. A funeral service will take place Monday, Jan. 27, at 9:30 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist R.C. Church in Riverhead, officiated by the Rev. Larry Duncklee. Interment will take place at the church cemetery.

A complete obituary will follow.