Community Corner

Remembering Those We Lost in 2012

From legendary screenwriter Nora Ephron to Lisa de Kooning to teenagers who died tragic deaths, let's take a moment to remember those lost in 2012.

The East Hampton community mourned many who passed away during this past year. Tragically, we lost teenagers in horrific ways. Our older community members, like Andy Neidnig, a nonagenarian runner from Sag Harbor, and prominent jazz musician Hal McKusick bid farewell. No matter their ages or circumstances, their passings brought us all great sadness and tears.

This list is by no means complete. East Hampton Patch's forum allows readers to post death notices and obituaries. The following are ones that appeared on the site this year. If the name of your loved one is missing, please remember them in the comments below.

Let's take a moment to remember each and everyone as we head into 2013. Their names appear in alphabetical order by last name.

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• Jeffrey Ahn: A 17-year-old rising senior at the Trinity School in New York City, Jeffrey was struck and killed while he was walking along Old Stone Highway in Amagansett, on his way to his family's house with friends on June 23.

• Anne Aspinall: One of the founders of the Hampton Classic Horse Show and a leading figure in the horseback riding community on the East End, Aspinall died Feb. 16 following a long battle with cancer.

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• David Hernandez Barros: An East Hampton High School junior, David's death sparked serious discussions about bullying and the need for more support for gay teenagers on the East End.

• William Bauer: The 78-year-old man was killed in a fire at Cozy Cabins in Wainscott on Feb. 10.

• Emilio Padilla-Berrezueta: A junior who was in the midst of transferring from Southampton High School to East Hampton High School, Emilio died on Nov. 26.

• Don Brinkley and Marge Brinkley: The parents of supermodel Christie Brinkley died just months apart; Don Brinkley, a CBS Radio News journalist and television writer, died July 14 at the age of 91 after a long illness, while Marge Brinkley died Sept. 9. They couple had been married for 55 years.

• Anthony "Tony" Cangiolosi: Cangiolosi, 86, was a 65-year member of the East Hampton Fire Department. He died in April.

• James P. Connolly: A decorated World War II veteran, Connolly lived in Stony Brook and Sag Harbor. He died July 2 at the age of 90.

• James J. Corless: An active member of the Montauk community, Corless died on Dec. 11, while traveling between the South Fork and his home in Dobbs Ferry.

• Lisa Craine: After battling colon cancer for more than two years, Craine died at home in East Hampton on April 14. She was 51.

• : Dickinson, who was 90 and lived in Springs, died when his car plunged into Three Mile Harbor on Jan. 4.

• Wally Drobecker: A Montauk resident, he died on Sept. 1 at the age of 74.

• Lisa de Kooning: The only child of the famed artist Willem de Kooning and a Springs resident, Johanna Liesbeth ("Lisa") de Kooning died after a fall at her house on St. John on Nov. 23. She was 56.

• Rich Edelstein: The secretary of the Montauk Friends of Erin, Edelstein, 47, died on Sept. 7.

• Nora Ephron: The 71-year-old screenwriter and filmmaker behind hits like "Sleepless in Seattle" and "When Harry Met Sally" died in Manhattan on June 26. She was also an East Hampton Village homeowner.

• Helen Fitzgerald: A Springs resident since 1995, the 82-year-old died on March 14.

• Thomas E. Gaines: An East Hampton Village resident, Gaines died on April 14 at the age of 85.

• Kent F. Gaugler: Following a motorcycle accident in Springs, Gaugler died at Stony Brook University Hospital. He was 49.

• Keith Sea Greene: Schmidt's Market chef Keith Sea Greene, a well known chef on the South Fork, died on Aug. 15 in an apparent drowning in Southampton Village.

• Thomas Kravitz-Hear: A former resident of Montauk and a budding musician, he passed away suddenly in Las Vegas on Feb. 9. He was 39.

• The Rev. Charles E. Hopson: Reverend Earle, as he was affectionately known to friends and his congregation at the Calvary Baptist Church in East Hampton, passed away in his sleep on July 2.

• John Jones: Known as "Okie" to friends in Montauk, the 48-year-old was a chef for many years at Topside in Montauk. He was killed in Colorodo in a case of alleged mistaken identity.

• John Judge: The 61-year-old Amagansett resident was struck and killed in a hit-and-run accident just feet away from his home on Oct. 23.

• Tara Loper Mansir: The mother of four, Mansir fought cervical cancer since 2008. At 43, she died on Oct. 28.

• Hal McKusick: A prominent jazz musician and Ross School teacher, McKusick died in April. He was 87.

• John McWhinnie: The rare book and art dealer, 43, died in a snorkeling accident in the British Virgin Islands on Jan. 6.

• Milton Miller: A commercial fisherman and a member of one of East Hampton's oldest families, Miller died on Dec. 16 at the age of 97.

• James Moeller: A teacher for 37 years, Moeller was passionate about education and the school system, which extended into his retirement in East Hampton, where he became somewhat of a local activist. He was 73.

• Jeremy Nussbaum: An owner of the BookHampton stores and a resident of Amagansett, Nussbaum died in New York City on June 23 after a short illness. He was 70.

• Andy Neidnig: The nonagenarian runner, a fixture at East End races, died in early August. He was 93.

• Frank Pintauro: A resident of North Haven, Pintauro died at 61.

• Gregg Lee Rickards: After a long battle with cancer, the 23-year-old from Amagansett died on Aug. 31.

• Adele Ridless and Morton S. Victor: Ridless, 69, and her partner, Victor, 79, died of an apparent carbon monoxide poisoning in their West Boca Raton house on March 1, according to a report from the Sun-Sentinel. According to her death notice in The New York Times, Ridless lived in both Boca Raton and East Hampton.

• James Riley: An East Hampton resident, Riley was killed in a car crash after state police said he was driving the wrong-way on Sunrise Highway in Westhampton on New Year's Eve. He was 60.

• Charlotte Schorr: The original librarian at the Montauk Library, Schorr died on April 11 after a battle with lymphoma.

• Timothy Smith: Known as "Chick" to his friends, Smith, 51, was a volunteer with the Springs Fire Department for more than 25 years, and served as a second assistant fire chief from 1999 to 2000. He died on Nov. 30.

• Richard Threlkeld: A retired CBS news correspondent died in a car accident in Amagansett on Jan. 13. He was 74.

• John A. Ward: A former Sag Harbor Village mayor, Ward died on March 15, just 11 days after his 90th birthday. The windmill in Sag Harbor was named after him.

• Ken Wilson: The former owner of the Oceanside Beach Resort and current owner of Fisher Cottages in Montauk, died on June 23.

• Edith "Dee" Wright: A 52-year-old Montauk resident who worked at the Montauk School as a teacher's aide, Wright died on Oct. 29, a victim of Superstorm Sandy.


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