The passing of Gail Muriel (Smith) Rampolla, Class of 1964
It is with sadness that we share the passing of Gail Muriel (Smith) Rampolla, Sayville High School Class of 1964.
Gail was born on May 26, 1946, the daughter of Albert and Virginia Smith of Sayville. She was one of five siblings in the Smith family, growing up alongside Walter, Albert, Virginia (Naugles), and Lance.
For those who knew Gail during her Sayville High School years, she was part of a special generation of Golden Flashes whose friendships, accomplishments, and memories would remain a part of their lives for decades to come.
A Scholar and a Sayville Graduate
Gail’s accomplishments as a student were recognized by her community. In 1964, during her senior year at Sayville High School, she was selected as one of that year’s recipients of a Sayville Teachers’ Association scholarship.
A December 24, 1964, article in The Suffolk County News featured Gail with fellow scholarship recipient Susan Brown, as they met with Charles Carpenter, chairman of the Sayville Teachers’ Association scholarship committee. The article noted that Gail was attending State University College at New Paltz, while Susan was attending Stony Brook.
The scholarship was supported by fundraising efforts of the Sayville Teachers’ Association, including a special exhibition by the Springfield College gymnastics team held at the Sayville High School gymnasium. It is a wonderful piece of Sayville history and an especially meaningful reminder that Gail’s academic promise was recognized by her hometown and her high school community more than six decades ago.
A New Chapter
Gail’s story continued beyond Sayville High School. While attending New Paltz, another chapter of her life was announced in the pages of The Suffolk County News. On November 30, 1967, the newspaper reported the engagement of Miss Gail Smith, daughter of Albert D. and Virginia Smith of Lincoln Avenue in Sayville, to Mario Rampolla, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Rampolla of Astoria. The announcement noted that Gail was a graduate of Sayville High School and was then completing her studies at the State University College at New Paltz. Her fiancé, Mario, was a graduate of Marist College in Poughkeepsie and a member of the New York City Police Department.
From the pages of our 1960s hometown newspaper, we catch a brief but beautiful glimpse of a young Gail; first as a promising Sayville High School graduate receiving a scholarship, and a few years later as a young woman beginning a new chapter of her life. Those little pieces of history are precious. They help us remember that behind every name in our alumni records is a real person, with a family, dreams, accomplishments, friendships, and a story of their own.
Remembering Gail
Gail’s passing was sometime between April 2024 and December 2025. Her name appeared on a parish prayer list in April 2024, while the December 2025 obituary of her brother, Lance, noted that Gail had predeceased him. We remember Gail today not simply as a name in a Class of 1964 roster, but as a daughter of Sayville, a graduate of Sayville High School, a scholarship recipient, a college student, a wife, a sister, and a member of a Sayville family whose roots run deep in our community. The Sayville High School Alumni Association extends its sincere condolences to Gail’s family, friends, classmates, and all those whose lives she touched. May she rest in peace.
Gail Muriel (Smith) Rampolla
May 26, 1946 – 2024/2025
Sayville High School — Class of 1964
View Gail Muriel Rampolla’s Memorial on Find a Grave
Once again, our very special thanks to SAA historian Erick Baumeister for his diligent research.
