William Mailander died Oct. 27 at the Acadia Center in Riverhead. He was 93.

He was born in Cristobal, Panama, Oct. 19, 1925, to Lorenza (Raven) and William Mailander.

A high school graduate, he served in the U.S. Navy and worked as a registered nurse at Nassau County Medical Center in East Meadow.

Predeceased by his wife, Paula, and his nephew John, Mr. Mailander is survived by his sisters, Martha, Marcella and Joanne; his brother, Neil; his nephew Salvatore (Roxanne) Tavano III and their children, Salvatore IV, Michael and Rose; his niece Elwanda and her sons, Robbie and Tom; his nephew William (Nancy) and their children, Hope and Will; his niece Diane; his nephew Joe (Byron); his nephew Mark (Linda) and their children, Levi and Leanne; and Karen and Jamie, children of his late nephew, John; and five great-grandnieces and -nephews.

Visiting hours took place Oct. 29 at Tuthill-Mangano Funeral Home in Riverhead. A funeral service was held Oct. 30 at St. John the Evangelist R.C. Church in Riverhead. Interment followed at Calverton National Cemetery.

This is a paid notice.

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Frank Everett Benjamin, 79, of Galena, Md., passed away Oct. 28, 2018, at Compass Regional Hospice Center, Centreville, Md.

Mr. Benjamin was born in Southampton, N.Y., son of the late C. Dewitt and Eleanor Sherman Benjamin.

Frank Everett attended Aquebogue Elementary School and graduated from Riverhead High School in 1957. He was a U.S. Army veteran. He loved teaching, not retiring until he was 78 years old. Mr. Benjamin was a science teacher at Owego Central School in New York for 13 years. In 1982 he won the title of Eastern Regional Geology Teacher of the Year.

He also taught in Germany for 10 years and Japan for seven years for the Department of Defense Dependent Schools before returning to the States in 2000, when he taught physical science at Anne Arundel, Chesapeake and Cecil community colleges. He was very interested in genealogy and enjoyed traveling.

Frank Everett is survived by his wife of 46 years, Suzanne; daughters, Cathleen, Maria, Caroline and Diana; two brothers, Barry (Margaret) of Pittsboro, N.C., and Wayne (Lynn) of Chestertown, Md.; and seven grandchildren, Hanna, Matthew, Benjamin, Kylie, Skylar, Alana and Aubrey.

A visitation will be held Nov. 9 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Galena Funeral Home of Stephen L. Schaech, 118 W. Cross St., Galena, Md., and Nov. 10 from 10 to 11 a.m. at First United Methodist Church, 105 N. Mill St., Chestertown, where a funeral service will begin at 11 a.m.

Burial will be held by family in Galena Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be offered to Compass Regional Hospice, 160 Coursevall Dr., Centreville, MD 21617 or Humane Society of Kent County, P.O. Box 352, Chestertown, MD 21620.

This is a paid notice.

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Joan Rut of Calverton died Nov. 1 at East End Hospice Kanas Center in Westhampton Beach. She was 75.

She was born in the Bronx Oct. 11, 1943, to Herman and Elizabeth Vagts.

Ms. Rut attended Yonkers High School. She married Charles Rut on Oct. 18, 1986, at Middle Island Country Club.

She was an administrative clerk for the Social Security Administration for 42 years.

Family members said she loved to garden and was a car enthusiast.

Ms. Rut is survived by her husband, Charles; her daughter, Kathleen Yellin of Pennsylvania; her sister, Margaret Vitaliano of Shirley; and two grandchildren.

The family will receive visitors at McLaughlin Heppner Funeral Home in Riverhead Sunday, Nov. 4, from 2 to 6 p.m. A funeral service will be held the same day at 5:30 p.m.

Burial will take place at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 5, at Calverton National Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

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Frederick F. Kreussling of Riverhead, formerly of North Massapequa, died Oct. 15, 2018. He was 95.

He was born June 9, 1923, in Ridgewood to Lucille (Haeberle) and Frederick A. Kreussling.

He earned a doctorate in electrical engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn and served in the U.S. Army from Nov. 20, 1942, until April 15, 1946, achieving the rank of corporal. He married Dorothy Opel on June 21, 1952.

Mr. Kreussling worked as an electrical engineer at Sperry Corporation and, in his spare time, enjoyed golf, classical music and mathematics.

Predeceased by his wife, Dorothy, in 2014, he is survived by his daughters, Mary Cholodenko and Nancy (Keith) Keating; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

The family received visitors Oct. 17 at Tuthill-Mangano Funeral Home in Riverhead. A funeral service was held Oct. 18 at Trinity Lutheran Church. Interment followed at Calverton National Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to East End Hospice.

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Frank A. Rutkowski

Frank A. Rutkowski, age 89, of Middletown, Del., passed away peacefully at home Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018.

Frank was born on Long Island, N.Y., on Feb. 10, 1929, to Felix J. and Mary F. Rutkowski. He met his wife on Long Island and married her in January 1954. In 1957, they moved to a farm in Middletown, Del., where they resided until his wife’s passing in 2016.

Although primarily a potato farmer, Frank was well known for his strawberries, grown on his farm and sold at his roadside stand. In addition, Frank was devoted to his family and church.

Frank was also devoted to his country, having proudly served in the Korean War. Corporal Rutkowski received the Bronze Star Medal for meritorious service in Korea with Battery C, 1st Field Artillery Observation Battalion. Frank was awarded the decoration for his outstanding performance of duty during the period Aug. 11, 1951, to May 18, 1952. His citation reads, in part: “As operations chief, Corporal Rutkowski directed the firing of seven artillery battalions upon the enemy … and the other requirements of a normal battalion operation section. Working closely with corps artillery counter battery intelligence officers, he devised a unique system of plotting suspected enemy gun locations. Corporal Rutkowski constantly exhibited a devotion to duty and a desire for perfection that achieved superior results. Corporal Rutkowski’s achievements reflect great credit upon himself and the military service.”

In addition to his parents, Frank was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Helen Victoria; his daughter Helen Bernadette; and four siblings, Felix, Mary, William and Tommy.

He is survived by his children Frank (Karen), of Indianapolis, Ind., and Peter, Mary and Michael, all of Middletown, Del.; his grandchildren, Johnathan, Jennifer and Michael; and two siblings, Joseph and John.

Viewing was held Nov. 5 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Middletown, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial. Interment was at Old Bohemia Cemetery.

To send online condolences, visit daniels-hutchison.com.

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Paul Podlas of Riverhead died Nov. 7. He was 88.

The family will receive visitors Friday, Nov. 9, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at McLaughlin Heppner Funeral Home in Riverhead.

A funeral Mass will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, at St. Isidore R.C. Church in Riverhead.

Burial with military honors will follow at St. Isidore Cemetery.

Donations in Mr. Podlas’ name may be made to St. Isidore Church.

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Dominick Saccente of Riverhead died Nov. 6 at Peconic Bay Medical Center. He was 82.

Mr. Saccente was born Oct. 2, 1936, in Brooklyn to Joseph and Julia (Splendocio) Saccente.

His wife, Julia, predeceased him, and he was the last surviving of nine siblings.

He is survived by two sons, Ken and Gregory, and a granddaughter, Nicole.

Graveside services will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10, at St. Charles Cemetery in East Farmingdale.

Arrangements were in the care of Tuthill-Mangano Funeral Home in Riverhead.

Online condolences may be offered at tuthillfh.com.

This is a paid notice.

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Rodney W. Miles of Riverhead died Nov. 4. He was 38.

He was born March 4, 1980, in Riverhead to Rodney Fitzgerald and Sheila Miles.

Mr. Miles was disabled, and family members said he enjoyed music and writing poems.

Predeceased by his father, he is survived by his mother; his son, Tavien Miles of North Carolina; his brothers, John, Rodney Timothy, Rodney James and Rodney A.; and his sisters, Angel Miles-Brown of Coram and Verna Miles-Birt of Mastic Beach.

Visiting hours will take place Monday, Nov. 12, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Galilee Church of God in Christ in Riverhead. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 11 a.m. at the church. Cremation will be private.

Arrangements were in the care of McLaughlin Heppner Funeral Home in Riverhead.

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Paul F. Podlas, 88, died Wednesday, Nov. 7, at his Riverhead home.

Paul was born June 13, 1930, in Harrison, N.J., to Frank and Florence Podlas. Paul moved to Riverhead when he was 9 months old.

In 1948, Paul graduated from Riverhead High School. He then served in the Army during the Korean War.

A building contractor by trade, Paul built many homes locally and in the Hamptons area. He was a fine craftsman who enjoyed building cabinetry and furniture. Paul was a member of the American Legion and Polish Town Civic Association, where he also served as president.

Paul is survived by his wife, Dorothy (Okula) Podlas; two sons and daughters-in-law, Richard and Anne Marie Podlas and Peter and Geralyn Podlas; four grandchildren, Melinda Lafferty, Katie Parrish, Lauren White and Mark Podlas; and three great-grandchildren, Austin and Abigail Lafferty and Dylan Parrish.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Dolores Corwin, and his son Steven Podlas.

The family received visitors at McLaughlin Heppner Funeral Home in Riverhead. A Mass was held at St. Isidore R.C. Church, followed by interment with military honors at St. Isidore Cemetery in Riverhead.

Donations in Mr. Podlas’ name may be made to St. Isidore Church.

This is a paid notice.

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Florence E. Drexel of Flanders died Nov. 12 at Acadia Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Riverhead. She was 85.

Born March 29, 1933, in Southampton, she was the daughter of George and Flora (Boles) Fox. She was a homemaker and a member of Flanders United Methodist Church. Her husband, Lawrence, died in 1987.

She is survived by her children, Lawrence Jr., Wayne, Robert and Rose, all of Flanders; brothers, Robert, David and Thomas Fox; a sister, Patricia Fox; nine grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

The family will receive visitors from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16, at McLaughlin Heppner Funeral Home in Riverhead. A funeral service will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, followed by interment at Riverhead Cemetery.

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Victoria Concepción of Riverhead died Nov. 7 at East End Hospice Kanas Center for Hospice Care in Quiogue. She was 60.

She was born Feb. 8, 1958, in Puerto Rico to Elias Concepción and Carmen Rodriguez. She was employed as a dental assistant.

She was predeceased by her parents and two sisters, Jennifer Kaye and Lisa Concepción.

Ms. Concepción is survived by her husband, Ronald Prophete; a sister, Sandra Ayala; a brother, Elias Concepción Jr.; and nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 24, at Robertaccio Funeral Home in Pat­chogue.

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Sally Scotto died Nov. 13 at her home in Laurel. She was 95.

The family will receive visitors Thursday, Nov. 15, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck.

The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 16, at Our Lady of Good Counsel R.C. Church in Mattituck, with Msgr. Joseph Staudt officiating. Interment will follow at Calverton National Cemetery.

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Harriet S. Zdunko-Upton of Acworth, Ga., died Oct. 6 at Cape Coral (Fla.) Hospice Center. She was 63.

Born Oct. 12, 1954, in Riverhead to Elaine and Edward Zdunko, she grew up there and attended local schools until transferring to the Mattituck school district in 1965. She left high school at age 16 but later returned to receive her GED.

According to family, Ms. Zdunko-Upton was a “bright, energetic and fun-loving person and generous to the core.” She worked at the Mercy High School cafeteria in Riverhead, Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport and the Ida Baker High School cafeteria in Cape Coral.

She was predeceased by her husband, Vietnam veteran Thomas Upton; her parents; a sister, Christine Hall; and lifelong friend Bob Baker.

She is survived by her son, Robert Loseto of Cape Coral; her daughter, Stacy Losat of Ridge; her sister, Dorothy MacDonald of Acworth; her brother, Stephen Dayton of Waldoboro, Maine; and two grandchildren.

A memorial service is planned for a later date at Tuthill-Mangano Funeral Home in Riverhead, followed by interment at Calverton National Cemetery.

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Bertha G. Thompson of Cutchogue peacefully left this world Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018. She was 93.

Bertha was born May 16, 1925, to Magdalena (Rychlinski) and Frank Elak. She made her home and raised her family in Cutchogue with her husband, Elwood “Tommy” Thompson.

Bertha loved working at her Elak family Manor Hill Farm for many years. Her love of flowers and gardening made no chore of the work she also did for the Plantage and Trimble’s. Bertha was also very active in any club related to Our Lady of Ostrabrama, Cutchogue Fire Department and Southold American Legion. She was a kind soul and will be remembered by all she touched.

Bertha leaves behind a son, Thomas, of Mattituck; three daughters, Dorothy and her husband, Fred, of Cutchogue, Jeanne and her husband, Scott, of East Hampton and Terry and her husband, John, of East Marion; eight grandchildren: Stephen, Keith, Michael, Katherine, Kristin, Dylan, Jacquie and Rachel; and eight great-grandchildren: Jaden, Aniah, Reese, Travis Jr., Ethan, Gavin, Alexander and Hannah. She was predeceased by her husband in 1996 and her grandson Travis in 2017.

The family received friends Nov. 18 at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck. The Liturgy of Christian Burial was celebrated a Nov. 19 at Our Lady of Ostrabrama R.C. Church in Cut-chogue, officiated by Father Mariusz Gorazd. Interment followed at Sacred Heart Cemetery.

Donations to the Long Island Alzheimer’s Foundation, 1025 Old Country Road, Suite 115, Westbury, NY 11590 or Cutchogue Fire Department, 260 New Suffolk Road, Cutchogue, NY 11935 would be appreciated.

This is a paid notice.

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Ruth Ann Buckley of Aquebogue died Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018, at Kanas Center for Hospice Care in Quiogue from complications due to spinocerebellar ataxia. She was 50.Born in Greenport Aug. 10, 1968, to Fred A. and Barbara (Betic) Kaffke, she was a 1986 graduate of Riverhead High School and a 1990 graduate of SUNY/Cortland.

In October 1994 she married Timothy F. Buckley of Wading River at First Parish Church in Northville.

A lifelong East End resident, she moved to Myrtle Beach, S.C., in 2011 and returned to the North Fork in 2017 upon the sudden death of her husband on Sept. 29, 2016.

Ruth worked briefly for New York State as a court officer before starting her family. She had been a communicant of St. Isidore R.C. Church in Riverhead and a volunteer member of the Riverhead Town Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

She is survived by her daughters, Kaitlin Buckley of Conway, S.C., and Bridget and Elizabeth “Lizzie” Buckley, both of Aquebogue; and her sister and brother-in-law, Nancy and York Blank of South Jamesport.

Other relatives include her uncle John Betic of California; mother-in-law, Florence Buckley (the late John F. Buckley Jr.); brother- and sister-in-law, John and Sharon Buckley of Ronkonkoma; nieces and nephews, Christian Blank of South Jamesport and Rachel Blank of Pennsylvania, Conor Buckley of Stamford, Conn., Ryan Buckley of Ronkonkoma, Alicia Knopp of Baiting Hollow, Peter and Eric Knopp of Arizona and Danielle Kaffke Riegal of Washington.

She was predeceased by her parents; her brother, Fred A. Kaffke Jr. and her sister Susan A. Kaffke Knopp.

The family will receive friends Tuesday, Nov. 20, at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 21, at the funeral home with Deacon Michael Bonocore of St. Isidore R.C. Church officiating. Interment will be at Calverton National Cemetery.

Those wishing to remember Ruth in a special way can make a donation to the National Ataxia Foundation, 600 Highway 169 South, Suite 1725, Minneapolis, MN 55426 or East End Hospice-Kanas Center, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978.

This is a paid notice.

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Theresa Ann Linder, 78, of Jamesport, N.Y., passed away peacefully Nov. 18 after a brief illness.

Born Theresa Ann Pellicane in Brooklyn, N.Y., Sept. 18, 1940, she was the daughter of Antoinette (Freedman) and Gaspare Pellicane.

Theresa married Joseph Schlosser and they had three children, Kelly, Joseph and Kim. She later married New York police officer Thomas Linder, who predeceased her.

After raising her three children in Queens, Theresa brought her organizational skills to office work, which she greatly enjoyed. When the kids were grown, she and Tom built their dream home in Jamesport on eastern Long Island. Theresa got a job she loved at North Fork Bank, later Capital One, from which she retired in 2012.

In her spare time, Theresa volunteered at Hallockville Museum Farm, her church and Peconic Bay Medical Center. She got great joy from her garden, her home and spending time with her friends and family. She loved walking and going to Iron Pier, Jamesport and Mattituck beaches with her friends. Most of all, she adored being a grandmother. She was loved dearly by her children and grandchildren, who will miss her terribly.

Theresa is survived by her children Kelly (Andrew) Baio, Joseph (Josienne) Schlosser, and Kim (Suzanne Cecala) Schlosser; her grandchildren Andrew, Sarah and Juliana; and her brother, William.

The family will receive friends Tuesday, Nov. 20, from 3 to 8 p.m. at Seneca Chapels in Ridgewood, Queens, where a funeral service will take place at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 21. Theresa will be buried next to Tom at Calverton National Cemetery in Riverhead.

Memorial donations can be made to Calvary Hospital.

This is a paid notice.

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Grace Elizabeth Gergela, 82, passed away Nov. 14, 2018, at Aston Gardens at the Courtyards in Sun City Center, Fla.

Grace, affectionately known as Betty, was born to Elizur and Grace Hills and raised in the Bronx, where she attended the prestigious Hunter College High School in Manhattan before moving to Riverhead when she was 16 years old. Betty graduated from Riverhead High School in 1953, married her spouse, Joseph, shortly after, and raised five children while working very hard alongside her husband on the family potato and vegetable farm.

After the farm was sold, Betty worked at Eastern Suffolk BOCES as an account clerk until retirement.

In 2010 Betty relocated to sunny Florida, where she met many new friends. She loved traveling, and connected easily with others. Betty was extremely talented and had many interests, including gardening, cooking, scrapbooking, attending plays, reading, and arts and crafts, including mosaics and stained glass.

Predeceased by her husband, Joseph Gergela, and her daughter, Joanne Smith, and her siblings, Edith and Larry, she is survived by her sons, Joseph (Donna) of Boynton Beach, Fla.; Douglas (Theresa) of Palm Coast, Fla.; and John (Debora) of Middle Island; her daughter, Cynthia (John Kistner) of Morrill, Maine; her grandchildren, Jessica, Elizabeth, Jonathan, and Joanna; and her great-grandchildren, Ben, Jack, Nathan, Grayson and Cayden. She also leaves two siblings, Edward Hills and Virginia O’Rourke, as well as several nieces and nephews.

The family would like to extend a heartfelt “Thank you” to the staff at Aston Gardens and Lifepath Hospice.

Betty was cremated and, at her request, her ashes will be buried alongside her husband and her daughter in St. John the Evangelist Cemetery in Riverhead.

This is a paid notice.

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Maxine Minardi, born on March 10, 1921, on the family farm in Morris, Minn., during a winter blizzard, died Nov. 20 at Island Nursing and Rehab Center in Holtsville.

She was the first of five children born to Rose and Arthur. She was predeceased by her loving husband, Arthur Minardi Sr.

Maxine and her husband lived and raised their family in the same home in Ridge for over 70 years, with many fond memories.

She is survived by her children, Charles Sr. (Marie), Gail (Dave), Judith, Arthur Jr. (Patricia) and James. She is also survived by her sister Nancy.

She was loved and cherished by her entire family. A loving mother and grandmother, she was blessed with 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held at Michael J. Grant Funeral Homes in Coram.

Maxine was laid to rest at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Coram.

This is a paid notice.

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Margaret Eckart of Riverhead died Nov. 25 at Acadia Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation. She was 88.

She was born April 27, 1930, in New Haven, Conn., to William and Mary Dillon.

Ms. Eckart was predeceased by her husband, Jack.

Visiting hours will be held Tuesday, Dec. 4, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at McLaughlin Heppner Funeral Home in Riverhead. Funeral services will take place at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, at St. Isidore R.C. Church. Interment will be at Calverton National Cemetery.

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Barbara Stopinski, 79, formerly of Aquebogue, passed away peacefully Nov. 10, 2018, in Greer, S.C.

Barbara was born to Mike and Jennie Sczepanik in Yonkers and spent her summers visiting family on the North Fork.

It was in Mattituck where she met her husband, Vincent, on a blind date set up by her Aunt Polly, with whom he worked at Mattituck Plumbing Supply. She fondly recalled the time he waved goodbye to her at the Cut-chogue train stop as she headed back to the city, only to find him standing on the platform at the next stop in Mattituck, waving as the train pulled in. They wed in 1960 and raised their family in Riverhead and Aquebogue.

Starting in the mid-1970s, Barbara worked in the library at Riverhead Junior High School for approximately 20 years before retiring with her husband to Greenville, S.C.

She was predeceased by her husband in 1998 and is survived by her children, Jim Stopinski of Walterboro, S.C., Ken Stopinski of Alexandria, Va., and Mary Scheidly of Greenville; nine grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held at Thomas McAfee Funeral Homes in Greenville and she was laid to rest alongside her husband at Woodlawn Memorial Park.

This is a paid notice.

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