“Endless Waves”

Profiles of Sayville High School Alumni; an ongoing stream of exceptional lives.

“Endless Waves”

Our history series "Endless Waves" authors & page preparers include;
Dr. Virginia Lussier, '1959, Carolyn (Griffiths) Mioduski, '59, Thomas McMahon, '70, Chris Horn, '73, Dr. James Bertsch, '88, Erick Baumeister, a descendant of several Sayville Alumni, Hal G. Brown, '72.
Special Features

Family Feature with video intro.: The Whalen’s of Sayville. Late 1800’s – early 1900’s

First Sayville High team to win a state championship

Short video history of Sayville Schools (source: 1940 yearbook)

50th Anniversary! 1971 State Champions! Sayville High Cross Country Team

Isaac Henry “Ike” Green, Architect of “Old 88”

1908 — Sayville Alumni Association Banquet

Greaves stationary store and family 

Growing up in the Griffiths Boarding House

Miss Lilly – Greene Ave 1st grade teacher and her students 1957-1958

Sayville High Principals (List)

The Four Fanning siblings from England.

Jacob Ockers; “Oyster King”. A Sayville Village Schools pupil before old “88”.

Mary Louise (Foster) Forsslund; Sayville Schools 1889; the most famous Sayville resident in the early 20th century.

Henry Edward Asmus, Jr. Sayville Schools Class of 1889.

Roscoe Clinton Clock, Class of 1899.

Lewis Woodhull Raynor, Class of 1900

Rev. Patrick J. Manton, Class of 1901

Gertrude Ada (Herring) Silliman, Class of 1908.

Margaret Pauline “Maggie” Tucker, class of 1909.

Percy Oliver LeCluse, Class of 1910. His Death “Takes A Heavy Toll”.

Percy Pattinson Sawyer, Class of 1910

Lillian Sylvia (Griffing) Van Hala, Class of 1913.

Frank James Yonda, Sr., Class of 1916.

Theodore Edward Jedlicka, Class of 1919.

Anthony Henry “Tony” Yonda, Sr., Class of 1920.

Dr. Isabelle Lucy “Belle” Otto Talbot, Class of 1921.

Eileen Dorothy (Vunck) Masin, Class of 1921.

Henry Frank Rogers, Class of 1922 and 40-year SHS Teacher.

Lillian S. “Lily” (Zdenek) Lussier, Class of 1923.  Lily lived to be 105!

Robert Edwards Thornhill, Class of 1923.

Elizabeth “Betty” (Hoek) Lehman, Class of 1926.

Bernard Winfield “Big Ben” Gaiser, Class of 1926

Ira Wallace Levy, Class of 1928.

Esther Jane Vail, Class of 1929.

Josephine Victoria (Martin) La Fountaine, Class of 1930.

Lifespans of the Sayville High School Class of 1930:  A Statistical Analysis of Mortality and Longevity.  Part A.

CDR Joseph Francis Acker Jr., USN, Class of 1931.

James V. “Jim” Fallon, Sr., Class of 1933.

PFC Eugene George F. Sauer, Class of 1933. Killed in Action WWII, 1945.

Harry W. Zajicek, Class of 1934. A tragic death in 1935.

Shirlee Munkelwitz & William Nugent, Class of 1934. Sayville High School sweethearts who married.

William J. “Bill” Luce, Class of 1935.

2d Lt. Florence Berniece (Logan) Evans”, Class of 1935. It was her destiny to be an American hero.

Graham Potter Covert, Class of 1935, World War II , Tragedy and death at Sea in 1942.

Ruth Mae Kwaak, Class of 1936.  AKA “Joyce Stanton”, professional fashion model and NYC Stage Production Dancer.

George Lawrence Cervenka, Class of 1936. WWII, Korean War, Bohemia Grocer.

Ensign Daniel Basil O’Connor, Class of 1938. US Navy & Major John Joseph O’Connor Jr., Class of 1936. US Army.

Stanley Henry Klug, Class of 1938. Took part in D-Day at Utah Beach. Helped liberate Cherbourg, St. Lo, and Liege.

Madlyn H. (Fitzgerald) Eleazer, Class of 1938. Town of Islip honored her as first Black nurse in our town.

Alice M. Robinson, Class of 1938. Nationally renowned nursing editor, writer, speaker, and seminar leader.

Grace Adelia Ibbotson, Class of 1938. Popular young lady who tragically died one year after SHS graduation.

Richard Charles Souhrada”, Class of 1939. Killed in action, WWII in Italy.

Nota Nellie (Almand) Julian”, Class of 1939. Career nurse. Always served in local nursing homes.

Kenneth Frank Stein, Sr., Class of 1939. Stein’s Boat Yard and Sayville Ferry Company.

Mary Jane (Pagels) Silliman Folsom Boggs”, Class of 1939.  Concert pianist. Performed at Carnegie Hall. 

Dr. George John Candreva, Class of 1940. “His mission in life was service to mankind”.

Marjorie Jean MacDonell Kuhn-Murphy, Class of 1940. Staff Sergeant & Military Police WWII.

Frances May Munsell, Class of 1940.  Pioneer woman business owner in Sayville.

James Martin Mullen, Class of 1940. US Navy gunner in South Pacific. Banker, post-WWII.

Lt. Alton Alfred Burton, Class of 1941. WWII Tuskegee Airman.  Chief Engineer of NYC Twin Towers. 

Margaret Jane Thompson (Perry) Policastro, Class of 1941.  “Margie the Ice-Cream Lady”

Anese Merri (Anderson) Ash, Class of 1941. Exec. Director, Rockland NY Historical Society.

Jacqueline Joan “Jackie” (Schiavoni) Illingworth, class of 1942. US Navy WAVE. Sang w/Navy Band & Paul Whiteman Orchestra.

Enid (Burton) Jones, Class of 1942. High-ranking Black, Female civilian employee with the U.S. Air Force. She beat the challenges racial segregation.

Marjorie Ann (O’Grady) Feeney, Class of 1943.

David Bialer, Class of 1943. Sayville Mens Shop.

Robert Dewitt “Bobby” (Munkelwitz) Munnell, Class of 1943. Fought at Omaha Beach on July 7, 1944. Wounded later in 1944. Combat Infantry Badge, Purple Heart, three Battle Stars, Good Conduct Medal, Presidential Citation with cluster.

Richard George “Dick” Kleever, Class of 1944.  Islip Town and Suffolk County Policeman for over 35 years.

Northam Warren Collins, Class of 1945. died while serving his country on April 9, 1948 at age 21.

George De Piazzy, Jr., Class of 1946.  Gave his life attempting an ocean rescue 1977.

John George Nagy, Class of 1948. Police Detective, Hollywood, Fl. Helped solve notorious 1968 Broward Co. “Catch Me Killer” case.

Capt. Augustine Edward “Gus” Hubal, Jr.  Class of 1948.  A Sayville hero at age 12.

Peter John McKernan, Class of 1949. USMC.  Marine Corp. Helicopter stunt pilot, Hollywood actor; Airwolf & Magnum, PI.

Robert Milton Ritter, Class of 1949. US Army. MIA in North Korea in 1950.

John Hughes Stevenson, Class of 1951.  West Point Graduate.

William Bernard “Bill” Thieben, Class of 1952. Professional Basketball Player for the Detroit Pistons.

Frederick Fisher Hammond, Class of 1954. Knighted by the Italian government.

Class of 1957 Commencement Exercises

John William “Shorty” Sunderland, Class of 1957.  A mentor and a pillar of the community.

Wayne Preston Brown, Class of 1958. Drowned during rescue attampt at West Sayville Dock.

Bruce Wallace, Class of 1959.  Lawyer.  Awarded Bronze Star for distinguished service in Viet Nam War.

Dr. Warren Robert Koutnik, Class of 1963

Warren Edward Hagenkotter, Class of 1961.  Railroad Engineer

George Daniel Miller, Class of 1964.  Tragically died in Viet Nam, in Navy’s biggest combat disaster since World War II.

Willard Spencer Lund, Class of 1964.  Helicopter Pilot, tragically died in Viet Nam.

Thomas Daniel McCarthy, Class of 1965. US Coast Guard-Viet Nam.  Police Chief several places ie. Fort Lauderdale, FL. 

James Patrick Buckman, Class of 1966. US Army. Amazing recovery for near-fatal battle wounds in Viet Nam. 

Jennifer B. Kost, Class of 1967.  remarkable young lady.  Tragic, fatal auto acciddent right after college graduation.

Sanford Philip “Sandy” Santoli, Class of 1967.  Taught and coached in Alabama for 42 years, spending 40 of those years.  His teams won 16 state championships.

Terence Odell Jackson, Class of 1968. Amazing life of family, sports, love of music, dance, military service, and hard work.

Gerald Arthur Horton, Class of 1969. Homicide Victim.

Patricia Ann “Patty” Kubelle, Class of 1970.  The choir above needed to add a beautiful soprano; they got so much more.

David Cornell Jackson, Class of 1973. “One of the greatest runners in Sayville history”

William John “Billy” Slavik, Jr., Class of 1975  Tragic sudden death at age 21 in a karate tournament.

John G. Butler, Class of 1976.  Renowned Martial Artist.

Jeffrey J. MacGregor, Class of 1979.  Homicide Victim.

Barbara (Verspoor) Burns, Class of 1979. Used her deafness handicap to help others in the deaf community.

John E. Derubeis, Class of 1979.  Class President and Sayville community advocate tragically killed in plane crash.

Dr. Calvin George Seerveld, Class of 1948.  Educator, Author

Anthony Henry “Tony” Yonda, Jr., class of 1950 and Marguerite M. “Marge” Bauernfeind, class of 1952.  A love story.

Dr. Virginia Lee “Ginny” Lussier. Class of 1959. Fulbright Scholar, Educator, Author.

Tove Hassleriiss Abrams, class of 1961.  Artist, Photographer.

Miriam (Citron) Burhans, Class of 1965. Psychiatric Social Worker. A families amazing story of survival during the Holocost.

Penelope “Penny” Gregory, Class of 1967.

Sheila Carpenter, LMSW, Class of 1972. An angel on earth…

Hal G. Brown, Class of 1972.

Gregg S. Smith, Class of 1977

Scott Robert Giambattista, Class of 1978. US Secret Service Agent; A legacy of service.

Brigadier General (Retired) Richard K. Sele. SHS Class of 1979.

Michael Eric Buck, Class of 1985. Played in the NFL.

Carol Paukner, Class of 1981. “We’re Not Leaving.” NYPD Officer, September 11, 2001”

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Sayville Alumni Association, Inc.