The passing of Air National Guard Flight Nurse Edith Mildred (Kretschman) Filosa, Class of  1946

Birthdate: 5 Jun 1928

Parents: George C, Anna

Siblings: George C

Marriage: Alexander Filosa 1950

Death: 25 Sep 2025 West Islip

Military: Air National Guard: Flight Nurse

We are saddened today to learn of the passing of Edith Mildred (Kretschman) Filosa, Class of 1946.  During this very challenging time, our hearts go out to her family, friends, and classmates. 

An obituary was published by Fredrick J. Chapey & Sons Funeral Home, Inc., 1225 Montauk Hwy,  West Islip, NY 11795(link below), which is copied here for your convenience;

Edith Mildred Kretschman Filosa (Major)

“She was born June 5, 1928 (the day before d-day) and raised on Long Island and loved living here. After getting her Nursing degree and working in hospitals and public health. She joined the Air national guard as a flight nurse during the Cuban missile crisis. After that worked in the Brentwood School district as a Nurse/teacher at Sondling High School. She worked there for over 30 years, retiring in 1989. I was lucky to go to the same school she worked at graduating in 1984. By the way I way, perfect attendance in high school. Some of my fondest memories were of mom watching out for the varsity football team. 8t period most of them had off so we would go to her office and do our homework, steal her wheelchair and yes have wheelchair races. Fun times (yes, we did get yelled)

Mom became the unofficial mother of the team. She helped one of my teammates with getting his driver’s license. She watched out for me and helped my best friend get a job that led to a great career for him. I was able to follow in her footsteps and become a teacher. I am not saying everything was great. Mom was stubborn and wanted things done her way but that was mom.

She loved to travel and after my father passed away in 2007, her granddaughter Helen became her travel partner. She took her on two cruises to Bermuda, London, Ireland, Paris, and an Alaskan cruise for her graduation.

Mom touched many lives in her 97 years. When I was going to college in West Virginia I met someone who was from Brentwood and he knew mom and remembered that she helped him with his working papers.

Lynn found among moms papers a history project that our nephew Michael McCarron had done in 2008. Question #4 was ‘Do you remember any major historical events in your lifetime’. Here was her answer…

Hindenburg, Pearl Harbor, WWII, Death of FDR, Atomic Bomb, Peace!, First TV set in Neighborhood, McCarthy hearings – Red scare, Cold War, Missile Crisis in Cuba, Assassination of JFK, RFK, Man on the Moon, Korean War, Vietnam.

Truly a life like no other. The greatest generation

Thank you Mom, it has been a privilege give dad a big hug for me”

Source: https://www.chapeyfamily.com/obituaries/Edith-M-Filosa?obId=45558126

A memorial page has been created in Edith’s honor, and the Sayville Alumni Association will remember Edith annually on her birthday, June 5th.  We hope this remembrance will provide solace to those who knew and loved him. 

Thank you to Erick Baumeister of our Historians Committee for alerting us to Edith’s passing.