Former Southold resident Paula Susan Westbury died peacefully Jan. 22, 2014, in Santa Barbara, Calif. She was 70.

Born May 24, 1943, Paula was the first daughter of Paul E. and Fay N. Westbury. Growing up in Santa Barbara, she excelled in school and was active in many organizations. She went on to attend and graduate from the University of California, Berkeley, where she met her future husband.

Shortly after graduation, she and her husband moved to Southold and had a son, Matthew. She worked for 16 years as a social worker at the Suffolk County Department of Social Services, protecting children from familial abuse.

In the early 1990s, Paula made significant life changes, separating from her husband and beginning an extensive journey of self-discovery. She returned to Santa Barbara, where she studied massage, energy healing, art, folk dance and yoga. She was vocal and passionate about preserving the historic architecture of Santa Barbara and spent much of her time hiking and exploring its natural beauty. She had a lifelong love of horses and a great admiration of the native Chumash people and their history. Paula was also an appreciative member of the Unitarian and Unity churches. A loving and devoted mother and grandmother, Paula wished upon everyone she met “much love and happiness.”

Paula was predeceased by her parents, with whom she was very close. She leaves behind her family in New York: her son, Matt Kurek, his wife, Maggie, and her grandsons, Galen and Zinn, all of whom she loved dearly; and her sisters, Marsha Cutler and Lynette Baird, both of California.

This is a paid notice.

Ronald J. Ekster of New Suffolk died at his home Feb. 10, 2014. He was 61.

He was born July 30, 1952, in Greenport to Frank Arthur and Mary Magdaline (Sawicki) Ekster. Raised in New Suffolk, he attended Sacred Heart School and Southold High School and then served in the U.S. Air Force from 1971 to 1975.

For 25 years, he was employed as an auto mechanic at Otis Ford in Quogue.
In his spare time, he enjoyed boating and tinkering.

Surviving are his wife, Diane (née Hardison; his children, Joseph Ekster of Laurel, Sara Raynor of South Jamesport and David Raynor IV of Port Jefferson; his mother, Mary, of New Suffolk; and his sister, Diane Surozenski, and brother, Larry, both of Cutchogue.

The family will receive friends Thursday, Feb. 13, 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 Friday, Feb. 14, at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Ostrabrama R.C. Church in Cutchogue. Interment, with U.S. Air Force honors, will follow at Calverton National Cemetery.

Memorial donations to East End Hospice would be appreciated.

This is a paid notice.

Louis A. Darin died Feb. 5, 2014, at his Mattituck home. He was 92.

Born in Litchfield, Conn., Dec. 28, 1921, to Pio and Teresa (Ballarin) Darin, he was a proud World War II Navy veteran who served honorably in both the Pacific and Atlantic theaters.

Formerly of Whitestone, he had been a service installer for Con Edison.

Mr. Darin is survived by his wife of 68 years, Gloria (née Moss); his children, Robert and Gloria; a grandson, Gabe (Teresa); and his great-grandchildren, Anthony, Alyssandra and Robert.

The family received visitors Feb. 9 at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck, where wake prayers were conducted by Deacon Jeff Sykes. The Liturgy of Christian Burial was celebrated Feb. 10 at Our Lady of Good Counsel R.C. Church in Mattituck by Monsignor Joseph W. Staudt. Interment, with U.S. Navy honors, took place at Sacred Heart R.C. Cemetery in Cutchogue.

Memorial donations to East End Hospice or Mattituck Fire Department would be appreciated.

This is a paid notice.

M. Catherine Clark of Southold died Feb. 10 at Stony Brook University Hospital. She was 91.

Funeral arrangements, incomplete at presstime, are being handled by DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Homes.

A complete obituary will appear in a future edition of The Suffolk Times.

Former Cutchogue resident John N. Fabian of Riverhead died Feb. 9 at Peconic Bay Medical Center. He was 75.

He was born Feb. 19, 1938, in Manhattan to Nicholas and Margaret Fabian. He served in the U.S. Army as a military police officer from 1956 to 1959. On May 6, 1961, he married Joan Goyda in Astoria, Queens.

He worked for 35 years at General Motors, where he was a manager. He was a past president of Stoneleigh Woods Homeowners Association and was a current deputy grand knight and past grand knight with Knights of Columbus Marian Council in Cutchogue. Family members said he loved American history, traveling and fishing.

Mr. Fabian is survived by his wife, of Riverhead; his sons, John, of Glen Head, and George, of Lindenhurst; and one grandchild.

The family will receive visitors Tuesday, Feb. 11, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Coster-Heppner Funeral Home in Cutchogue. A funeral service will take place Wednesday, Feb. 12, at noon at St. John the Evangelist R.C. Church, followed by interment at Calverton National Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to Peconic Bay Palliative Care or St. John the Evangelist R.C. Church.

Henry P. Smith of Southold, known to many as “Peconic Henry,” died Feb. 9, 2014. He was 73.

He was born in Greenport, June 17, 1940, to Henry J. and Stella (Orlowski) Smith.

A past owner of Henry J. Smith & Son Plumbing & Heating in Southold, he had been a member and former president of the Southold Town Trustees, a past president of the Kiwanis Club, a 50-plus-year member of Southold Fire Department and a member of the Mattituck Gun and Chinese Yacht clubs. He was also a sponsor of Ducks Unlimited and found great enjoyment in hunting, boating and fishing.

Surviving are his wife Vera (“Eleanor,” née Schelin); his son, Henry P. Smith Jr.; a daughter-in-law, Michelle Smith; grandchildren Sarah Smith, Shannon Smith, Samantha Berry and Brittany Berry; a great-grandson, Bennett; his aunt, Jessie Verostek; and beautiful sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews and many friends.

The family will receive visitors Wednesday, Feb. 12, from 4 to 9 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold, where firematic services will take place at 7:30 p.m. The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated Thursday, Feb. 13, at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Ostrabrama R.C. Church in Cutchogue. Interment will be at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Cutchogue.

Memorial donations made to Southold Fire Department, Ducks Unlimited, Eastern Long Island Hospital or San Simeon by the Sound would be appreciated.

This is a paid notice.

David I. DeFriest, a 74-year resident of Southold, passed away in Flagler Beach, Fla., Feb. 6, 2014. He was 97.

He was born Sept. 1, 1916, in Riverhead, the son of Irad B. and Elizabeth Glover DeFriest. He attended Riverhead and Bay Shore schools and prep school at Northfield Mount Hermon in Gill, Mass. He attended Renouard School for Funeral Service in New York City and acquired his funeral director’s license.

Mr. DeFriest established DeFriest Funeral Home in a rented house — where Agway is currently located — in Southold in 1940. In 1941 he acquired the home on Main Road where the funeral home has been located for the past 73 years. In later years, he established locations in Cutchogue, Mattituck and Shelter Island. Mr. DeFriest also owned and operated DeFriest Ambulance Service from 1950 to 1980. He also ran a flower shop and greenhouse behind the Southold funeral home managed by the late Bill Rusch during the 1950s and 1960s.

Mr. DeFriest was a past president of the Metropolitan Funeral Directors Association and a past member of the New York State Funeral Directors Association. He was the last active charter member of the Southold Rotary Club, a 50-year member of Southold Fire Department, a 50-year member of Peconic Lodge 349 Free and Accepted Masons, a longtime member of the Chinese Yacht Club and a past member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He was also president of Willow Hill Cemetery Association.

His personal interests included family gatherings, boating, community affairs, spending winters in Florida and small-game hunting. He was also interested in NASCAR stock car racing, and owned several stock cars over the years that competed at Riverhead Raceway.

Mr. DeFriest was predeceased by his beloved wife, Marguerite Albertson DeFriest, in 1998. He is survived by his longtime companion, Norma Miller; his children, Shirley (Paul) Danowski of Riverhead and David E. (Vickie) DeFriest of Southold; six grandchildren, Darlene Grattan (Tom) Ferris, Diana (Luke) Curry, Kelly (Scott) Tocci, Steven DeFriest, Renee (Michael) Harvey and Garrett DeFriest; three step-grandchildren, Jared (Jeanette) Born, Vivian (Bradley) Gardner and Bradford (Sabrina) Born; nine great-grandchildren; five step-great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; four nieces, Elizabeth Leahy, Margery Connor, Linda Ehrlich and Mary Hoch; and one nephew, Robert DeFriest. He was predeceased by his brother, Irad Robert DeFriest, and a sister, Thelma DeFriest Pfutzner.

The family received visitors Feb. 10 and 11 at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold, where funeral services will be held Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 11 a.m., the Rev. Dr. Peter Kelley officiating. Interment will follow at Southold Presbyterian Cemetery.

Memorial donations to the Southold Rotary Club, Southold Fire Department or a charity of the donor’s choosing would be appreciated.

This is a paid notice.

Patricia Aas of Southold died Feb. 12. She was 84.

Ms. Aas is survived by her sons, Christopher and Timothy Aas.

The family will receive visitors Sunday, Feb. 16, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport. A funeral Mass will take place Monday, Feb. 17, at 10 a.m. at St. Agnes R. C. Church in Greenport. Cremation will be private. Interment will take place at a future date at Calverton National Cemetery, where Ms. Aas will be interred with her husband, Albert.

Memorial donations may be made to North Fork Animal Welfare League, PO Box 297, Southold, NY  11971.

Edward T. Berkoski of Mattituck died Feb. 12. He was 98. The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated Monday, Feb. 17 at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Ostrabrama R.C. Church in Cutchogue. Interment will follow at Sacred Heart R.C. Cemetery, also in Cutchogue.

Arrangements were handled by DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck.

Memorial donations to the Mattituck or Cutchogue fire department rescue squads would be appreciated.

A complete obituary will follow.

Southold resident Frank Locrotondo Jr. died overnight Sunday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was 56.

The family will receive visitors Sunday, Feb. 23, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold, with firematic services being held at 7:30 p.m. A funeral Mass will take place Monday, Feb. 24, at 10 a.m. St. Patrick’s R.C. Church in Southold. Interment will take place at the church cemetery.

A complete obituary will follow.

Former Greenport resident Gerald (Jerry) Albert Foster of Port St. Lucie, Fla., died Jan. 19, 2014, at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Fla., due to an extended illness. He was 62.

Jerry was born Feb. 25, 1951, in Greenport, to Leroy T. and Kathleen (Denzler) Foster. Upon graduating from Greenport High School, he enlisted in the U.S. military and was deployed to Vietnam shortly thereafter.

While stationed in the Philippines, Jerry married Lucita Teston, and they were happily married for 41 years. Jerry served for 21 years in the U.S. Air Force and was highly decorated as a security police officer. He retired from the military in 1991.

In 2006, Jerry retired from the Martin County Correctional Institute in Stuart, Fla., after serving 15 years as a Florida state certified correctional officer. He chose to retire in Port St. Lucie to be closer to his family.

Jerry was predeceased by his mother, Kathleen Denzler Foster, his father, Leroy T. Foster Sr., and his brother LeRoy T. (Tom) Foster II. He is survived by his spouse, Lucita, and sons Steven and Jerry, all of Port St. Lucie, and his son Brian and his spouse, Shanyn, of Atlanta, Ga.; three grandchildren, Abigail Foster and Brian Foster Jr., both of Atlanta, and Lyla Claire Lucita Foster of Naples, Fla.; his brother John, of Cocoa, Fla.; and his sisters, Kathy Schumann of Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Sally Borodemos of Port St. Lucie.

This is a paid notice.

Mary Catherine Clark, a 66-year resident of Southold, passed away Feb. 10 at Stony Brook University Hospital. She was 91. 

If a life is judged to be successful by the love that surrounds one, then Cathy’s was a shining light.

Mary Catherine Chace was born in Sturbridge, Mass., Oct. 31, 1922, to Anna and Percy Chace. She graduated in 1939 from Mary E. Wells High School in Southbridge, Mass. Cathy was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate in 1943 of New Jersey College for Women in New Brunswick and later did post-graduate studies at C.W. Post College in New York.

A career teacher with a love of learning, Cathy had her first teaching job in a small school in Weare, N.H., followed by a position at Woodstock Academy, in Woodstock, Conn. She then taught English and French to a multitude of children — sometimes two generations from the same family — at Southold School from 1948 to 1977. For a portion of her career at Southold School, Cathy also worked as the librarian.

Cathy was happiest with her hands in a garden or her nose in a book. She enjoyed knitting and loved shell collecting along the beaches of Florida where she, with her husband, spent many retirement winters.

From 1958, Cathy was very active in Southold United Methodist Church, where for many years she was secretary of the United Methodist Women’s organization, and she spent hundreds of hours volunteering in the church thrift shop.

Cathy is survived by her husband, Lloyd Hubbard Clark, of Southold. They were married for 64 years. Other living relatives are her three sons, Richard L., of East Marion, Robert C. (wife Darice), of Greenport, and Roger H. (wife Colleen), of Southold, and her daughter, Ann E. Martin (husband Billy) of Bonn, Germany. Her grandchildren are G. Gregory Heuschele (wife Jessica) of Gales Ferry, Conn., Michael L. Heuschele of Cutchogue, Kelly A. Utz (husband Mark) of Cape Coral, Fla., Erin E. Clark of Groton, Conn., and Abbey L. Clark of Boston, Mass.

A memorial service will be held Sunday, Feb. 23, at 11:30 a.m. at Southold United Methodist Church. The family asks that memorial donations be made to the Southold Fire Department Rescue Squad, 55135 Route 25, Southold, NY 11971. Internment will be private.

Funeral arrangements were handled by DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Homes.

This is a paid notice.

Edward Thomas Berkoski of Mattituck passed away Feb. 12, 2014, at his home. He was 98.

Edward was born Nov. 12, 1915, in Peconic to Antone and Josephine (Deerkoski) Berkoski. He attended Braniff Airlines School of Mechanics in Dallas, Texas, in the late 1930s and graduated from Faust Aircraft Sheetmetal Training School in Jericho in 1940. He was employed by EDO Aircraft Corporation in College Point until 1943 and then returned to the North Fork to co-manage his family’s farm.

An owner/grower, wholesaler, distributor and general manager, his calling and career was farming, which he pursued well into his 80s.

Edward is survived by his sister, Theresa (Mitchell Wilcenski); his daughters, Diane (Thomas Sparks) and Susan; his son Antone (Geraldine Brush); and six grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his siblings Mary, Stanley, Helen and Sophie and his wife, Tess (née Pisarewicz).

A funeral Mass was held Feb. 17 at Our Lady of Ostrabrama R.C. Church in Cutchogue, the Rev. Stanislaw Wadowski officiating. Burial took place at Sacred Heart R.C. Cemetery in Cutchogue.

Memorial donations may be made to the Mattituck or Cutchogue fire department rescue squads.

Funeral arrangements were entrusted to DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Homes.

This is a paid notice.

Gerard M. McCavera, a longtime resident of Southold and Media, Pa., died Feb. 8 in Pennsylvania. He was 83.

He was born Jan. 28, 1931, in St. Albans, N.Y., to James and Susan (Kelly) McCavera and attended Hofstra University. He married Virginia Calland Sept. 14, 1957, at St. Joseph R.C. Church in Garden City.

Mr. McCavera was the founder of and a lecturer for Flags Unfurled in Media, Pa., for 25 years. He was also a member of the North American Vexilloligist Association. He spoke often about flags, their history and the evolution of the American flag at schools, retirement villages, scouting and veterans’ meetings and on cruise ships. Family members said he was a dog lover and enjoyed motorcycles, vegetable gardening, the New York Yankees and American history.

Predeceased by his brothers James and Thomas, Mr. McCavera is survived by his wife, Virginia; his daughter Virginia Mary, of Garden City; his son Michael and his wife, Kim, of Basking Ridge, N.J.; his daughter Maura and her husband, Walter Mandel, of Chester, N.Y.; his son Jeremy, of Allentown, Pa.; his brother Joe and his wife, Jenny, of Citrus Springs, Fla.; four grandchildren, Angela, Emily, Jeremy Michael and Maximilian; and 13 nieces and nephews.

The family will receive visitors Thursday, Feb. 20, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport. A funeral Mass will take place Friday, Feb. 21, at 10 a.m. at St. Agnes R.C. Church in Greenport, Father Thomas Murray officiating. Interment will be at the church cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Agnes R.C. Church, 523 Front St., Greenport, NY 11944.

This is a paid notice.

Richard G. Reilly of Southold died Feb. 17. He was 90.

Funeral arrangements, incomplete at presstime, are in care of DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Homes.

A complete obituary will follow.

Patricia Aas of Southold died Feb. 12. She was 84.

Ms. Aas is survived by her sons, Christopher and Timothy.

The family received visitors Feb. 16 at Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport. A funeral Mass took place Feb. 17 at St. Agnes R. C. Church in Greenport. Cremation was private. Ms. Aas will be interred at a future date with her husband, Albert.

Memorial donations may be made to North Fork Animal Welfare League, P.O. Box 297, Southold, NY 11971.

A complete obituary will appear in a future edition of The Suffolk Times.

Former Cutchogue resident Betty J. Wells of East Marion died Feb. 18. She was 80.

The family will receive visitors Thursday, Feb. 20, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold. The funeral procession will leave the funeral home Friday, Feb. 21, at 9:30 a.m. for interment at Calverton National Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to Suffolk County Historical Society, East End Hospice or Eastern Long Island Hospital.

A complete obituary will appear in a future edition of The Suffolk Times.

Frank Locrotondo Jr. of Southold died Feb. 16 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was 56.

The family will receive visitors Sunday, Feb. 23, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold, where firematic services will take place at 7:30 p.m.

A funeral Mass will be held Monday, Feb. 24, at 10 a.m. at St Patrick R.C. Church in Southold. Interment will follow at the church cemetery.

A complete obituary will appear in a future edition of The Suffolk Times.

Rita P. Stewart of Laurel died Feb. 19, 2014. She was 95.

The family will receive visitors Sunday, Feb. 23, from 2 to 5 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck. The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated Monday, Feb. 24, at noon at Our Lady of Ostrabrama R.C. Church in Cutchogue. Interment will be at Calverton National Cemetery.

Memorial donations to the Mattituck Fire Department would be appreciated.

A complete obituary will follow.

Mary Ann Farley of Southold died Feb. 21, 2014. She was 72.

Ms. Farley worked as a teacher at PS 71 in Ridgewood, Queens for more than 30 years.

The family will receive visitors Monday, Feb. 24, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Coster-Heppner Funeral Home in Cutchogue. A funeral service will take place 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Greenport. Interment will take place at the church cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center or St. Agnes Catholic Church would be appreciated.

A complete obituary will follow.

Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.

A complete obituary will follow.