Ethel Jessup of Cutchogue died Oct. 1 at Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport. She was 92. 

The daughter of William and Rose (Landgraf) Lawrence, she was born May 25, 1924, in Hempstead.

Ms. Jessup was a homemaker, who family members said was “a vital part of the North Fork community,” as a volunteer at San Simeon by the Sound and Eastern Long Island Hospital and a member of the Marian Council Columbiettes, the Fleets Neck Homeowners Association and the Sacred Heart Parish.

Family members also said she was a “beloved friend and mentor” who enjoyed birds and playing bridge with her bridge club.

Predeceased by her husband, Jack, in 2005, Ms. Jessup is survived by her children, Diane Kosciusko of Cutchogue, Pat Carroll of Freeport, Nancy Annonio of Farmingville, John III of Oyster Bay, Tim, of New Jersey and Paul, of West Islip; eight grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

The family will receive visitors Thursday, Oct. 6, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Coster-Heppner Funeral Home in Cutchogue. A funeral service will take place at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 7, at Our Lady of Good Counsel R.C. Church in Mattituck. Interment will follow at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Cutchogue.

Memorial donations may be made to Cutchogue Fire Department Rescue Squad.

James R. Foster of Greenport died Oct. 2 at his home. He was 62.

The family will receive visitors  Saturday, Oct. 15, from 7 to 9 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold.

Memorial donations to North Fork Animal Welfare League would be appreciated. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.

A complete obituary will follow.

Edward P. Holobigian of Southold and Garden City died Oct. 1. He was 93. 

Mr. Holobigian was born Sept. 5, 1923. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1940 to 1945.

He is survived by his wife, Rita; his sister, Shaque Tarjan and his children, Eve Voelker, and Mark and Paul Holobigian.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 7, at The Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs in Bayside.

Donations may be made to the Armenian General Benevolent Union, 55 East 59th St., New York, NY 10022 or donate.agbu.org/tribute-donation. 

Brian Harvey McMahon, 61, of Basking Ridge, NJ died Oct. 3, 2016. The son of Harvey Victor McMahon and Marlene Steinruck McMahon, he was born on Nov. 26, 1954.

Brian graduated from Ridge High School and was certified as a network security administrator by the Chubb Institute. He held a variety of positions in his field, most notably at Verizon, from which he retired in 2009.

Brian spent all the summers of his youth, and as much time as he could as an adult, on the North Fork of Long Island. He loved boating and particularly enjoyed sailing and sailboat racing. He was a member of the Peconic Bay Sailing Association for several years.

He also loved traveling to St. Maarten, where he married his wife, Debbie Brown McMahon. All who knew Brian can attest to his love for his SXM “Coconut Dogs,” Polly and Stanley, who were his constant companions and gave him much pleasure.

In addition to his parents, Brian is survived by his wife Debbie of Phillipsburg, N.J.; his brother, David, of Warren, N.J. and sister, Leslie M. Frank (Michael), of Sanbornton, N.H.; nieces, Kimberley Salmon and Melissa Jackson (Jonathan) and nephew, Andrew Salmon; stepchildren, Tracy Brown, Jimmy Brown, and Jason Brown and several grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12, at St Patrick R.C Church in Southold, followed by a graveside service at the church cemetery and a gathering of family and friends at the family home.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Kearns Funeral Home in Whitehouse, N.J. and Coster-Heppner Funeral Home in Cutchogue.

The family requests contributions to a smoking cessation program of your choice.

For more information or to send condolences please visit kearnsfuneralhome.com.

This is a paid notice. 

Harold DeRonde Mellas of Southold died Oct. 5 at his home. He was 84.

The family will receive visitors Saturday, Oct. 8, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold. A funeral service will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, at First Presbyterian Church in Southold, officiated by the Rev. Dr. Peter Kelley. Interment will follow at the church cemetery.

Memorial donations to First Presbyterian Church of Southold or St. Jude Children’s Hospital would be appreciated.

A complete obituary will follow.

Arthur E. “Artie” Nichols, 76, of Crystal River, FL, passed away Tues., Oct. 4, 2016, at Hospice of Citrus and the Nature Coast Hospice House in Lecanto, Fla.

A native of Greenport, he was born May 24, 1940, to Arthur K. and Mary (Stepnoski) Nichols; one of three children.

Mr. Nichols’ professional working life held two facets. He retired from Plum Island Animal Disease Laboratory in New York, a position he held for over 25 years. Artie, as he was known to many, as a young man also attended the Culinary Institute of America in New Haven, Conn. and from that experience he became a gifted chef at Claudio’s Restaurant in Greenport. Mr. Nichols also held that position for equally as many years, working nights and weekends, fulfilling his passion for food.

Artie moved to Crystal River, Fla. in 1998 from his native Greenport and was an active parishioner of St. Benedict Catholic Church in Crystal River. He is survived by his wife, Andrea Nichols and daughters Colette Nichols-Watson and Noreen Minhas, all of Crystal River; his son,, Andy Nichols and his wife, Shakoya, of Wilmington, N.C.; grandchildren, Elijah Nichols, Craig Wilson, twins, Ally and April Vincent, Cecilia Watson and great-grandchildren, Hailey and Hunter Robbins. Artie was preceded in death by his siblings, Joseph Nichols and Evelyn Quayle.

Friends were received Oct. 7 at Wilder Funeral Home in Homosassa, Fla. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Oct. 8 at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Crystal River, with Father Richard Stradomski, Celebrant. Interment was private.

In lieu of flowers, Artie’s family suggests donations be made to Hospice of Citrus and the Nature Coast or a charity of their choice. wilderfuneral.com

Former Greenport resident Richie F. D’Ambrosio of Aquebogue died Oct. 5.

The family will receive visitors Saturday, Oct. 8 from 10-11 a.m. at Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport. An 11:30 a.m. funeral Mass will follow at St. Agnes R. C. Church in Greenport. Interment will take place at the church cemetery.

A complete obituary will follow.

Pastor Raymond H. Birkel, 85, of Southold passed away peacefully Sept. 22, 2016, at the Center for Hope Hospice in Scotch Plains, N.J., after his battle with pancreatic cancer.

He was born in Queens, graduated from Gettysburg College, served in the U.S. Air Force and upon graduation from Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, was ordained as a Lutheran pastor in 1961, serving for over 55 years. Raymond founded Abiding Presence Lutheran Church in 1963 and serviced the local community and surrounding Long Island area until his retirement in 1993, when he and his wife, Mary, retired to Southold.

Raymond is survived by his three children, Jonathan, Timothy and Mary Elizabeth, and his beloved eight grandchildren.

A memorial service and committal will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at Abiding Presence Lutheran Church, 4 Trescott Path, in Fort Salonga.

Memorial donations in his name may be made to Abiding Presence Lutheran Church, or to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Ave., New York, NY 10065.

This is a paid notice. 

John Beck Jr.

John T. Beck Jr., 56, of Lancaster, Pa., passed away unexpectedly Friday, Oct. 7, 2016.

He was the husband of Patricia E. Sullivan Beck, with whom he shared 33 years of marriage this past Jan. 14. Born in Jamaica, Queens, he was the son of Marilyn Kennedy Beck of Lancaster and the late John T. Beck Sr.

John had worked as a mechanic for the past two years for Spartan ERV of Ephrata. Prior to that, he had worked as a mechanic in New York for various companies.

Having a great sense of humor, John was known as a jokester and was always willing to help out someone in need. He enjoyed using his computer, gardening — especially vegetables — and loved his cat, Angel. His greatest love was for his family.

In addition to his wife and mother, he is survived by his son, Kevin W. Beck, of Ohio; his sisters, Barbara Karmolowicz of Rebuck, Pa., Deborah Donahue of Lancaster and Cheryl Chaput of Florida; and his brother, Kenneth Beck, of Tennessee.

Friends were received Oct. 12 at Charles F. Snyder Jr. Funeral Home & Crematory in Lititz, Pa., where a funeral service followed at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, please make contributions in John’s memory to the American Cancer Society, 314 Good Drive, Lancaster, PA 17603. To send an online condolence, please visit SnyderFuneralHome.com.

This is a paid notice. 

Greenport resident Frances Pakula Kozlowsky, formerly of Peconic and East Meadow, died Oct. 9 at San Simeon by the Sound in Greenport. She was 87.

The daughter of Vincent and Josephine Kurkulones Pakula, she was born April 2, 1929, in Hempstead.

Ms. Kozlowsky received a Bachelor of Arts in 1966 and a Master of Arts in 1971 from Hofstra University. She was a former paralegal for the Village of Hempstead and a faculty member of East Meadow High School.

She was a member and former officer of the North Fork Audubon Society, a member of Southold Historical Society and the Southold-Peconic Seniors Club and a former member of the Association of University Women, League of Women Voters and the St. Ladislaus Christian Mothers Society in Hempstead.

Predeceased by her husband, Alex, in 2004 and her children Kathleen Schoemaker and Paul, Ms. Kozlowsky is survived by her daughter Terese Fernandez of Spain; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

The family will receive visitors Thursday, Oct. 13, from 2 to 5 p.m. at Coster-Heppner Funeral Home in Cutchogue. A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 14, at Our Lady of Ostrabrama R.C. Church in Cutchogue. Burial will follow at Calverton National Cemetery.

Edward Tomaszewski of Riverhead died Oct. 9 at the Kanas Center for Hospice in Quiogue. He was 92. 

The son of Stanley and Stella Tomaszewski, he was born July 29, 1924, in Cutchogue.

Mr. Tomaszewski was a farmer. Family members said he enjoyed yard work and took great pride in his garden. His love of outdoor work began with his early farming years.

In addition to farming, Mr. Tomaszewski worked for Riverhead Central School District at Riley Avenue School. He was a past president of the Riverhead Polish Hall.

Predeceased by his wife, Louise, in 2006, Mr. Tomaszewski is survived by his children, Tom, of Laurel and Kathy Vlacci of Riverhead; his brother, Lewis, of Jamesport; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

The family will receive visitors Tuesday, Oct. 11, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at McLaughlin Heppner Funeral Home in Riverhead. A funeral service will take place at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12, at the funeral home. Interment will follow at the St. Isidore R.C. Church Cemetery in Riverhead.

Memorial donations may be made to East End Hospice.

This is a paid notice. 

Lifelong Cutchogue resident Nancy A. Pester passed away Oct. 11, 2016, at her home.

Born in Greenport Nov. 25, 1955, she was the daughter of William S. Midgley Jr. and Jean (Dickerson) Midgley. Nancy graduated from Southold High School in 1973 and SUNY/Farmingdale, Phi Theta Kappa, in 1977.

Nancy worked for 15 years for Roy H. Reeve Insurance Agency, two years for Riverhead Building Supply AP department, eight years for Burt’s Reliable and Suffolk Security, and then entered what she called her “dream job” with the NYS-DOCCS as a correction officer.

Nancy was a member of the Mattituck Gun Club, Southold Griswold Terry Post American Legion auxiliary, the Town of Southold Affordable Housing Advisory Committee and the Greenport Skateboard Project.

Nancy opened her first martial arts school in 1981. The school moved several times until it found a home in Southold. Nancy had been promoted to the rank of Shihan (seventh-degree black belt), the highest rank you can achieve in the United States. She was nominated into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame and the Martial Arts Hall of Honor.

Nancy was an avid horseback trail rider, target shooter, dirt bike trail rider, bird hunter, Adirondack High Peaks mountain climber and gardener.

Nancy is survived by her husband, Walter E. Pester; her children, Clifford Bodenstein of Cutchogue and Danielle Nuhfer of Peconic; her granddaughter, Julie Starr Bodenstein; and her sister, Dorothy (Charles) Baxter of West Danville, Vt.

Visiting hours will be held Saturday, Oct. 15, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Coster-Heppner Funeral Home in Cutchogue followed by a service at 11 a.m. Burial will follow at First Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Southold.

Memorial donations may be made to the Southold American Legion Scholarship Fund or the Cutchogue Fire Department Scholarship Fund.

This is a paid notice. 

Anna K. Cummings of Cutchogue died Oct. 9 at Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead. She was 78. 

The family will receive visitors Thursday, Oct. 13, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Coster-Heppner Funeral Home in Cutchogue. A funeral Mass will take place at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 14, at St. Patrick R.C. Church in Southold. Cremation will be private.

Memorial contributions to Birthright of Southold, the Marian Council Columbiettes in Cutchogue or St. Patrick R.C. Church would be appreciated.

A complete obituary will follow.

A Celebration of Life for Captain Theodore “Ted” Reiter, formerly of Greenport, will be held Sunday, Oct. 23, from 2 to 5 p.m. at Island’s End Golf and Country Club in Greenport.

Mr. Reiter died July 15, 2016, in North Carolina at the age of 91.

Ekaterini Sakarellos of Greenport died Oct. 9 at San Simeon by the Sound in Greenport. She was 88. 

The daughter of John and Elizabeth (Pappadopoulou) Pedtridis, she was born March 6, 1928, in Russia.

Family members said Ms. Sakarellos was a homemaker and a devoted wife and mother who enjoyed cooking.

Predeceased by her husband, Georgios in 2015, Ms. Sakarellos is survived by her son, Konstantino, of Queens and her daughter, Elizabeth, of Greenport and two daughters.

Cremation was private, with internment following at East Marion Cemetery.

Arrangements were in the care of Coster-Heppner Funeral Home in Cutchogue.

Memorial donations may be made to jw.org.

Lifelong Southold resident Kenneth Lee “Soup” Dickerson died at his home on Oct. 15, 2016. He was 88.

He was born Aug. 25, 1928, in Southold to Kenneth Orneau and Rhoda Jeanette (Foster) Dickerson.

During the Korean Conflict, “Soup” served for three years in the U.S. Army. He was honorably discharged as a private first class

“Soup” was the owner/operator of K.L. Dickerson Excavating for 40 years and enjoyed membership in the Mattituck Gun Club, Southold American Legion Post 803 and Southold Fire Department. He was also a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Southold.

Predeceased by his wife Shirley Elizabeth (née Worthington), he is survived by his children: Kenneth Lee Dickerson Jr. (Janet Doherty Dickerson) of Cutchogue, Susan Elizabeth Dickerson of Fredericksburg, Va. and Thomas Mark Dickerson of Southold and two grandchildren, Julie and Samuel Dickerson. He was also predeceased by his brother: Earl Orneau Dickerson.

The family will receive visitors Wednesday, Oct. 19, from 5 to 8 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold. American Legion services will be held at 5:15, Southold Fire Department services at 6:45 and religious services at 7 p.m. conducted by the Rev. Peter J. Kelley. Interment will be private at Calverton National Cemetery.

Memorial donations to Southold Fire Department or Southold American Legion Scholarship Fund would be appreciated.

This is a paid notice. 

William R. Killian, retired U.S. Air Force chief master sergeant, passed away Oct. 14, 2016, with his family by his side.

He was born in Brooklyn Dec. 4, 1921, to William and Mary (Terney) Killian.

Chief Killian entered military service in August 1942 and retired in 1981 after serving for 40 years. Among his awards and decorations, he was the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, Airman’s Medal, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Prisoner of War Medal and many more.

In 1944, while serving in World War II as a radio operator/aerial gunner, his B-24 Liberator was shot down over enemy territory. Two days later, he was captured by the Germans and became a POW at Stalag Luft IV. He participated in the 86-day, 488-mile forced march before he was liberated on April 26, 1945.

On May 18, 1946, he married the former Margaret M. Joyce. Together they made their home in East Meadow before moving to the North Fork in 1971.

Predeceased by his wife of 70 years on July 3, 2016, he is survived by his children, Bill Killian Jr. of Mattituck, Peggy Killian of Southold and Charlie Killian of East Quogue; a sister, Mary; three grandchildren, Krista Maldonado, Heather Killian and Courtney Killian; and a great-granddaughter, Michaela. He was also predeceased by his brothers, Frank and Paul Killian.

The family will receive visitors Tuesday, Oct. 18, from 4 to 7 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold. Graveside services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19, at Sacred Heart R.C. Cemetery in Cutchogue.

Donations to Mattituck or Southold fire department rescue squads would be appreciated.

This is a paid notice. 

Isabella Wilson of Cutchogue died Oct. 15, 2016. She was 84.

The family will receive visitors Thursday, October 20, from 5 to 8 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck. Homegoing services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 21, at the funeral home, officiated by the Rev. Marvin Dozier. Interment will follow at Cutchogue Cemetery.

A complete obituary will follow.