Community Corner

Mourning Those We Lost in 2012

Some of the people we miss who lived and worked in the community.

In 2012 we said goodbye to neighbors who had been active in the community and others that died tragically.

This list is by no means complete. Westhampton-Hampton Bay'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 comment section below.

Let's take a moment to remember each and everyone as we head into 2013. 

Find out what's happening in Westhampton-Hampton Bayswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Fatal Car Accident on Flanders Road Kills Shinnecock Man

A young man lost his life on icy roads in Flanders early Thursday morning.

Find out what's happening in Westhampton-Hampton Bayswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to police, Matthew D. Williams, 29, a resident of the Shinnecock Indian Reservation, died after an accident on the icy roads. He was the sole occupant of the vehicle.

Southampton Town police report that at about 1:51 a.m. on Thursday, a call was received regarding a single-car accident on Flanders Road, approximately 2 miles north of Old Riverhead Road in Hampton Bays.

20-Year-Old Injured in Car Fire Dies; Family Mourns Tragic Loss

A young man who was trapped in a burning car fire in Hampton Bays this weekend succumbed to his injuries on Sunday, leaving a heartbroken family and friends and a lifetime of dreams unrealized.

Brian A. Gutierrez-Arteaga, 20, was known as a "renaissance" man among his friends — he spoke three languages, played the ukulele, drew, and painted.

Michael Schwartz said Tuesday, Sept. 18 morning began just like any other, when he said good-bye to his wife Ruby, not knowing that he would never see her again.

"I said good-bye and gave her a kiss," he said. 

Ruby Schwartz, 43, left her Manorville home Tuesday morning to go for a jog and died after being struck by a teenage driver; the 17-year-old was not charged after the accident.

Police say the 17-year-old driver was in a 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier heading south on Chapman Boulevard when his vehicle swerved to the right and struck Schwartz, who was jogging northbound at 7:35 a.m., police said. Schwartz was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Former Town Police Officer Rick Norton Dies at 68

After becoming ill at home, former Southampton resident Richard J. Norton, of Cincinnatus, died in June at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse at the age of 68.

Norton, known as "Rick," was born in Binghamton on January 7, 1944, a son of the late Leo and Stella Norton. Prior to moving to Cincinnatus, he was a police officer for the Town of Southampton, retiring in 1985. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and a former member of South Otselic #659 F&AM.

The week of Oct. 1 marked the one year since 15-year-oldWesthampton Beach High School student Max Bramwell died after complications from a battle with leukemia, on October 6, 2011.

After his death, family, friends, and a devastated community came together in an outpouring of love to ensure that Max, and his legacy, would live forever.

Former Hampton Bays Resident Dies in Missouri Crash

Angus Maitland-Walker, formerly of Hampton Bays, was killed on Jan. 16 in a Branson, Missouri crash on Monday when his truck struck an SUV head-on, according to an article posted by Branson Tri-Lakes News.

Branson, who was a volunteer firefigher the Western Taney County Fire Protection District for the past three months, was not on duty at the time of the accident.

On television, he was known as "K-Grease," a fan favorite contestant on the second season of reality show "Hell's Kitchen" — but on the South Fork, Keith Greene was known as a selfless friend and family man who was dedicated to his craft. Greene, 35, of Hampton Bays, died in August in an apparent drowning in Southampton Village.

Westhampton Beach Loses Two Familiar Faces

Two shining lights in the Westhampton Beach firmament were forever dimmed, as residents lost two beloved community members in June.

Susan O’Rourke, the secretary to the Village of Westhampton Beach zoning board of appeals and the planning board, lost her brave battle with cancer on June 19. And on June 17, Patricia Ann Stinchi, former Westhampton Beach Deputy Clerk and ZBA member, also died after an illness.

Paula Desel

Hampton Bays resident Paula Desel, 82, who died on Friday, April 20, touched scores of young lives through her dedication to the community.

Affectionately known as “Miss Paula,” Desel was a beloved part of the fabric of Boy Scout Troop 483 in Hampton Bays, serving as a longtime committee member, merit badge counselor and religious emblem counselor. She also ran the altar service program at St. Rosalie’s R.C. Church for many years.

Ex-Chief Frank 'Buddy' Lutz

Frank 'Buddy' Lutz an ex-chief and commissioner for the East Quogue Fire Department answered his last alarm on July 13. Lutz served actively with the department for 65 years.

Former Westhampton Beach Village Deputy Mayor Mark Raynor passed away at his home on Sept. 11 after a battle with cancer. He was 57.

Raynor, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January, had served as a deputy mayor, as well as an 18-year police officer and 39-year volunteer firefighter with the Westhampton Beach Fire Department. He was also an ex-chief of the fire department. 

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