Nancy Clarke passed away on Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at the age of 85. Beloved Wife of the late William E. Clarke. Loving Mother of Laureen Clarke. Also survived by many loving nieces, nephews and cousins. Mass of Christian Burial offered at St. Mary’s Church on Saturday, June 4, 2022 9:00 AM. Interment followed at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, NY under the direction of Papavero Funeral Home, 72-27 Grand Avenue, Maspeth NY 11378.
Gladys Miranda passed away on Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at the age of 91. Beloved Wife of the late Gilberto Miranda. Loving Mother of Linda, Emily, Gilberto Jr., Virginia, Carolyn, Jose, Mariluz and the late Dee Dee. Cherished Grandmother of 20 grandchildren and Great-Grandmother of 8 Great-Grandchildren. Funeral Services held at Papavero Funeral Home on Saturday, June 4, 2022 from 8:30 – 10:30 AM. Interment followed at Calvary Cemetery, Woodside, NY under the direction of Papavero Funeral Home, 72-27 Grand Avenue, Maspeth NY 11378.
Tom Philipose with Mayim Bialik, guest host of “Jeopardy!”
Tom Philipose of Forest Hills made a national TV appearance last night on America’s favorite quiz show, “Jeopardy!”
The 18-year Forest Hills resident and writing professor at CUNY Guttman Community College is no stranger to TV quiz shows, as he’s also starred on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and “Cash Cab” in the past.
Philipose has taken stabs at “Jeopardy!’s” extensive audition process of interviews and tests in the past, and was excited to be invited to the show this time around.
He said that his job as a college professor and knowing a ton of trivial facts throughout his life is what helped him during his “Jeopardy!” experience.
“I always remind students that you want to be intellectually curious, you want to know things, you don’t want to act like you got it all figured out, and that you’ve got nothing left to learn. We should keep our minds open to new things,” Philipose said.
“I’m daily in that practice of practicing what I preach, because it’s good to know what’s up and what’s going on in the world,” he continued. “So I think I’ve been prepared for this experience.”
Since “Jeopardy!” tapes multiple shows in one day, Philipose knew he would be up against reigning champion Ryan Long, who is one of four players from this season alone to make the show’s Hall of Fame list with the most consecutive games won.
Philipose gave Long a run for his money in the first round, buzzing in with multiple correct responses in a row and finding the Daily Double, where he scored an additional $1,000. He finished the first round $200 ahead of Long.
“It was a real whirlwind rewatching the episode. I was watching and thinking, ‘I don’t know this answer,’ and then I saw myself buzzing in and getting it right,” Philipose said.
“I remembered that I didn’t get any questions wrong except for Final Jeopardy, but I just did not remember buzzing in and knowing some of them yesterday. It was really weird.”
In the Double Jeopardy round, Long’s performance picked up along with the help of a Daily Double, and Philipose went into Final Jeopardy just $4,000 behind.
The question in the final category, “UNESCO World Heritage Sites,” stumped all three contestants.
Philipose shockingly wagered all of his earnings, leaving him with nothing.
“I did that because I was down by a few thousand dollars, and I didn’t want to have any regrets. I told myself ‘This guy [Long] knows a lot and I didn’t like the category at all, but let me go all out,’” he said.
“I think for me, it was the right move, because I know that it didn’t matter what I bet because if I got it wrong, he was going to win anyway. All of my family and friends told me that they were glad I went all in.”
Although Philipose did not leave “Jeopardy!” a winner in the traditional sense, he is victorious in other ways.
During the show’s interview portion, Philipose discussed the time where he signed up for the bone marrow registry, and eventually donated bone marrow to a child who was dying.
“I was a copycat. My brother joined the registry first. We were told there were not enough or a lot of people of color on the bone marrow registry,” he said on “Jeopardy!”
“A few years passed, and we both got matched to children that we did not know and we were able to donate and help them out. I would recommend anybody join the registry because it’s a really easy way to save a life.”
The show’s guest host, Mayim Bialik, described his good deed as “unbelievable,” and the moment earned him a round of applause from the studio audience.
Philipose said that the interview portion of the show is the part he was most excited about.
“Regardless of what happened, I was at least able to get the word out about a really easy way to save people’s lives. The champion, Ryan, actually tweeted out some stuff about the bone marrow registry and gave me a shoutout, and that’s getting a lot of attention in a nice way like I was hoping for,” Philipose said.
When he’s not educating college students or starring on quiz shows, Philipose enjoys hanging out at all the staples in the neighborhood such as Nick’s Pizza, Forest Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, and Forest Hills Gardens.
“The diversity is what I love most about Queens. Here we have real people. We hear 50 different languages every time we walk on a sidewalk … I feel comfortable and at home in a place like that,” he said. “They call it the ‘World’s Borough’ for a reason, and it’s got everything I’m looking for.”
Last Monday, community residents, leaders, family, and friends gathered at 114th Street and 85th Avenue in Kew Gardens to honor the life and legacy of Ivan Mrakovcic with a co-street renaming.
Mrakovcic, who died in 2020 after battling brain cancer, is remembered for his contributions to the community; he was an architect, preservationist, community leader, historian, activist, and the co-founder and president of The Richmond Hill Historical Society.
He also served as treasurer for the Forest Park Trust, chairperson of Community Board 9 for five years, and as a founding board member of the Friends of QueensWay Park advocacy group.
Arranged by Councilwoman Lynn Schulman, the street where his wife, Laura, and their two daughters, Hannah and Emma, still live was co-named ‘Ivan Mrakovcic Way.’
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz reflected on her time as Queens Borough President and her interactions with Mrakovcic.
“When Ivan came into Community Board 9, we were very happy to have someone show leadership, who understood the community, was able to negotiate and sit down at the table and get things done for the community,” Katz said.
“We didn’t agree on everything. We had our debates and our issues, but at the end of the day, we always supported each other,” she continued. “Ivan cared about the historic neighborhood of Richmond Hill and the history of our community.”
Mrakovcic’s preservation efforts and advocacy led to the establishment of the Historic District in North Richmond Hill on the New York State and National Historic registers in 2019.
In his honor, William Gati, an architect, Richmond Hill Historical Society member, former Community Board 9 member, and one of Mrakovcic’s closest friends, started the
Ivan Mrakovcic Scholarship Fund at the High School For Construction Trades, Engineering And Architecture in Ozone Park.
He did so to pay homage to his friend, and give back to local youth in a way he knows Mrakovcic would have loved if he were still alive.
(Photos By Jessica Meditz)
“It’s all really bittersweet; I wish he were here instead of the street being named after him,” Gati said.
“The reason this is so special is the people that came and were a part of his life, and how he touched their lives,” he continued. “Ivan was very kind, and he didn’t rule with a heavy fist, he ruled with kindness.”
Sherry Algredo, chairperson of Community Board 9, also remembers Mrakovcic for his kind and welcoming personality, and assisted in making the street co-naming happen along with Faiuze Ali, CB9’s Transportation & Traffic chairperson.
“When I first came to the board, Ivan was one of the first people to greet me and make me feel welcome. When he told me about the chicken coop he kept in his yard, I identified with that, coming here from Trinidad and Tobago,” Algredo said. “It resonated with me then, and means a lot to me now as chair of Community Board 9.”
Regina Schaefer Santoro, a real estate agent who works with Mrakovcic’s wife, Laura, said that he will not only be remembered for his contributions to the community and kind personality, but also for how unique and quirky he always was.
“One day, he put a tinfoil cap on his head in the middle of a thunderstorm. We toasted s’mores over it because we lost power while we were away on vacation,” she said.
“He was a crazy, quirky guy; he was the first one to be at a party, and the last to leave,” she continued. “He also always wore the craziest, funniest costumes on holidays. And of course, he was known for his chickens. He was in it to make people laugh.”
Four young men from Troop 45 of Woodside have recently joined the four percent of Boy Scouts in the U.S. to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout.
Massimo Accardo, Eamonn Dobey, Aidan Haran, and Oisin Haran — all natives of Maspeth and Middle Village — have climbed the necessary ranks throughout their scouting careers to achieve this ranking.
Prior to planning their Eagle Scout projects, all of which serve local communities, they earned six rank advancements and a minimum of 21 merit badges.
The scouts were also responsible for finding, planning, and coordinating the entirety of their projects, as well as raising funds and purchasing all supplies needed.
Accardo and the troop worked to revamp some dilapidated conditions in Forest Park, Queens.
Accardo and Dobey devoted their projects to the upkeep and preservation of Forest Park.
Accardo, who’s been involved with the Boy Scouts for 12 years, got the idea for his project by reaching out to NYC Councilman Robert Holden, who referred him to Joseph Block, who is responsible for managing and overseeing the operations, inspections, and maintenance of Forest Park.
During a tour of the park, Accardo decided to work on an overpass on Myrtle Avenue which cuts through the park that hadn’t had any work done on it for nearly 10 years.
“If you look at my before pictures, there was foundation exposed, a lot of mold and rusting, and concrete that was crumbling. There was also a lot of dirt on the sides of the manmade trails that were not safe and very steep,” he said. “So our plan was to resurface the surface itself.”
Accardo and other members of the troop took ample time to scrape off old paint and mold, test for lead, and repaint the surface of the overpass.
They also added cribbing to the neighboring man made walking trail, which involves wooden planks embedded in the ground to use as steps for safer navigation.
Accardo said that this was the troop’s first project during the pandemic, which caused a lot of challenges, including mask mandates and social distancing. However, he is proud of the end result.
“We decided to resurface the entire wall itself, so both sides of the overpass had contrasting colors,” he explained.
“It made it not just look like a project, but like a detailed job, which is what I’m really proud of because it looked professional.”
Dobey took inspiration for his project in a similar fashion, and decided to restore a dilapidated trail in Forest Park.
He said that the path was hazardous for park goers, and was full of potholes, cracks, raised concrete, overgrown thorn bushes, and litter.
He added that the steps that lead to the trail were completely unsafe, with missing parts and slabs that had come off the foundation.
“We repaved all the slabs and filled in the cracks by recementing the whole thing,” he said. “For the trail, we cut back the overgrown bush, shoveled out the soil and added wood chips and mulch, and picked up the garbage that made it unusable.”
Dobey takes pride in the finished product, and said that the project aligns with the overall mission of the Boy Scouts because it focused on cleaning up the community and making it a pleasant place for people to enjoy.
Haran dedicated his project to making repairs to St. Mel’s in Flushing.
Oisin Haran also kept his project local by helping St. Mel’s Catholic Academy in Flushing prepare for the school year.
“The project was to repaint the outside fence into the playground, paint the vents on the lockers inside the classrooms, build a new wooden fence to surround the garbage area, and modify the iron railing leading down to the basement to make it safer for children,” he said.
He explained that the outside gate was rusted and needed to be repainted, as well as the bike racks that were damaged by being hit by a car at one point.
He feared that the schoolchildren could get injured as a result of these conditions, which is what inspired him to take on the project.
Haran feels immense gratitude for his fellow scouts and troop leaders including Scoutmaster TJ Kerins, COR Fred Coltrinari, and Anthony Chorzepa, who is a retired carpenter.
His twin brother, Aidan Haran, ventured out into Bonitas Youth Service in the East Village for his project, which he completed in November 2021.
Bonitas Youth Services is a student hostel that houses young people from around the world, and Haran discovered that its backyard needed intense restoration.
“The yard was all old bluestone set in dirt, which was uneven. There was also a lot of garbage that needed to be cleaned up,” he said.
“The project included digging up the old backyard, putting in poppies and a drywall for drainage, making raised flower beds, and leveling the backyard to place new patio blocks that made it safe to walk on and suitable to hold events,” he continued.
In fact, the new patio blocks that were put into the yard came via a job in the city, from Martha Stewart’s roof.
Haran made extensive renovations to the backyard of Bonitas Youth Service, which houses young people from all over the world.
To honor the heritage of Father Patrick Moloney, an Irish priest who resides there, Haran arranged for the patio blocks to be engraved with symbols like St. Brigid’s Cross and the ichthys symbol.
To honor their hard work, the four scouts will be recognized during their Eagle Court of Honor on June 17.
Accardo is excited to finally partake in his ceremony, and says that they are “long overdue” as a result of delays from the pandemic.
“An Eagle is made through their actions in their leadership, depending on what they can do to a group and with a group. As for accomplishing it itself, a big part of it is attributed to the leaders,” he said.
“They put in a lot of time, effort, and volunteer hours, and they’ve been like parents to us. They’ve had to deal with a lot of crap from kids who are just stubborn a lot of time, and it takes a lot of patience,” he continued. “So a big part of it is to respect those who have done so much for us.”
Residents of Queens lined the 34th Ave Open Street in Jackson Heights this past weekend, angered over gun violence that led to the death of two adults and 19 children in Uvalde, Texas.
The rally-goers marched 21 blocks for the 21 victims, saying a victim’s name out loud after every block walked, and passing by seven city public schools that also line 34th Avenue.
City Councilman Shekar Krishnan said he was sickened and turned nauseous upon hearing the news last Tuesday, as an 18-year-old gunman killed 19 third and fourth grade students in their classroom at Robb Elementary School.
“I know that so many of us here, as parents, neighbors and grandparents, are absolutely angry and fed up with what is happening in this country,” Krishnan said. “This is an utter embarrassment to the rest of the world that our elected leadership does not have the courage to stand up to the gun lobby, to stand up to the NRA, to protect our children and our teachers.”
Krishnan, a parent of two young children, noted that only in America does this level of senseless gun violence seem to happen. Just months before the 10 year mark of Sandy Hook, where 20 school-aged children died by gunfire, parents and their young children plead for action at the federal level to curb gun violence.
Moe Chan, a parent from Elmhurst, pushed one of his two children in a stroller among the pack of marchers. He says he felt numb when hearing the news last week, knowing that kids have been shot and killed in their own classroom before, with little legislative action following it.
“This is beyond horrendous. These leaders are not responsible enough, that’s why we’re out here with our kids,” Chan said. “We don’t know what’s going to come next. It could be in our town, our city, at their school. We don’t know what’s going to happen next. But we want them to be aware of what’s going on.”
Krishnan, along with parents, were visibly upset when details emerged about the timeline of events, with up to 19 police officers in the school’s hallway for over 40 minutes before Border Patrol agents breached the classroom and took out the shooter.
“Especially as more and more stories come forward of what happened in Texas and what was not done by our law enforcement to protect and save the lives of our children,” Krishnan said. “We are failing. We are failing our children.”
Krishnan was also upset that it took a number of mass shooting events for the State of New York to finally consider raising the age on buying the same kind of rifle used in both Sandy Hook and Uvalde, the AR-15.
It would be just days after the latest mass shooting in Uvalde when Governor Kathy Hochul said that she would like to propose legislation to raise the legal purchasing age of an assault rifle to 21.
Councilman Krishnan leads the charge against gun violence.
However, Krishnan was hesitant to say that would change anything.
“How is it possible that only now after Texas are we talking at the state level about raising the age on buying an AR-15, from 18 to 21?,” Krishnan said. “That’s not going to solve anything either. But how is it possible that only now has that conversation started?”
Jackson Heights residents Rich and Candi Lindeman, both in their late 70’s, put on their sneakers and joined the Saturday morning march
The retirees have an American flag hanging on their door, but after hearing about the shooting, have been considering hanging it upside down, to signal distress, according to the U.S. Flag Code.
“We’re sick and tired of Republicans who don’t care,” Rich Lindeman said. “They don’t want to do anything.”
His wife continued, “They just want their position in the job.”
“My husband tells me to calm down, or I’m going to have a heart attack, but it makes you angry,” Candi Lindeman added. “We are in distress, and nothing is being done.”
The couple says they have only turned their American flag upside down only once before, they say, which was after learning the results of the 2016 Presidential election.
“The children are dying and nobody seems to care,” she said.
People filled the street along Metropolitan Avenue on Sunday for the annual Forest Hills Memorial Day Parade. This year’s event was the community’s first in two years, due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Veterans, community groups, elected officials, and local residents gathered to honor and remember the soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen and coast guard who died in service to their country.
Parade-goers with the Richmond Hill Historical Society get dressed up for the annual Memorial Day Parade in Forest HIlls
“The invasion of Ukraine by a tyrant is a stark reminder of why we need a strong national defense,” Michael Arcati, commander of American Legion Continental Post No. 1424 in Forest Hills, said. “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance and you see the eternal vigilance here today as the veterans of this American Legion, those of us still on active duty, and the Naval Sea Cadets who may one day raise their right hand and take the oath to defend this country.”
In an opening ceremony, The Legion Post recognized this year’s Grand Marshals, Patrick Conley, a U.S. army veteran who served from 1978 to 1981, and Timothy Ducey, a Glendale resident and community advocate who owns Acey Ducey’s and Tap House pubs in Forest Hills.
Also celebrated at the ceremony were NYPD Sergeant Christopher Fulgieri with the 2022 Forest Hills American Legion Law & Order Award, retired Engine 235 firefighter Lois Mungay with the 2022 Forest Hills American Legion First Responder Award, and Louie Suljovic, an Army veteran and hero who saved an elderly woman from a knife attack outside Louie’s Pizzeria and Restaurant on Baxter Ave. in Elmhurst.
Several local elected officials came out to show their support, including Congresswoman Grace Meng, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, New York State
Senator Joseph Addabbo, NYS Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, and Councilwoman Lynn Schulman.
Many of them took the time to remind the crowd the true meaning of the holiday.
“Memorial Day is not about barbecues, hamburgers, or beaches. It’s a dedicated day for honoring our military personnel who paid the ultimate sacrifice to afford us the freedoms we take for granted every day,” said Schulman, whose great aunt served in the Women’s Army Corps., uncle fought in WWII, and father was a soldier in the Korean War. “We also owe the Gold Star families our gratitude for their sacrifice, as it is never easy losing a loved one, and I hope they know their loss will never be forgotten.”
Rudy Markard, a Queens resident who served as a sailor in Vietnam from 1965 to 1966, has taken part in Memorial Day parades for several years.
He takes pride in showing off his rebuilt military Jeep and letting children interact with the vehicle.
“It takes me back 50 years when I had little kids, so it’s a connection with life. It’s just wonderful,” Markard said.
Long Island Jewish Forest Hills join in the Memorial Day Parade 2022
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz
The Richmond Hill Historical Society at the Forest Hills Memorial Day Parade 2022
The All-City High School Marching Band
Forest Hills-Rego Park CERT
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Members of the community wave their flags and watch as the parade marches by.
Rudy Markard and a young resident share a bonding moment at the end of the parade.
(Photos By Jessica Meditz)
Residents of Ridgewood, Glendale, and neighboring communities showed up for the long awaited 84th annual Ridgewood/Glendale Memorial Day Parade on Monday.
Veterans, active military personnel, community groups, elected officials, and locals alike gathered to honor and remember the men and women who died in service to their country.
“Today, we remember those that gave their lives in service to this country. This is not the day to be barbecuing and going to sales, you can do that any time,” Russell Goeller, parade chairman and committee member, said.
“This is the day where everyone who had a loved one has been touched by loss in any of these great wars in places some of us haven’t even heard of ,” he continued. “We have to remember them.”
He honored the men in Marine Corps uniforms who led the parade, thanking them, and encouraging each individual in attendance to do the same.
The group also celebrated this year’s Grand Marshal, Paul J. Schottenhamel, who served in the Vietnam War, and is a member of the Joseph B. Garity Post No. 562, American Legion.
Assembly Candidate Brent O’Leary at the Glendale/Ridgewood Memorial Day Parade
Several local elected officials shared words of support and gratitude, including Congresswoman Grace Meng, Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan, Glenda Garcia, deputy commissioner at the NYC Department of Veterans Services, NY State Senator Joseph Addabbo, and City Councilman Robert Holden. State Assembly hopeful, Brent O’Leary, also made an appearance at the parade.
“Memorial Day is one of the most important days in American culture, as we celebrate the people who paid the ultimate sacrifice to enjoy the freedoms that our country gives,” O’Leary said. “My father was in the Navy in World War II, and thankfully he came home. But I know every day that even if you look at what’s happening in the Ukraine, if it wasn’t without these people who are willing to sacrifice, we would not have the country that we are in.”
Glendale Kiwanis marched in the annual Memorial Day Parade.
Ridgewood Property Owners Association at the parade.
US Marines marching in the parade.
(Photos by Jessica Meditz)
By Juan Arturo Trillo
At Kissena Park in Flushing, a group of veterans, families, community leaders, and elected officials joined together on Friday afternoon to honor those whose lives were taken in the line of service. The inaugural Flushing Memorial Day Observance was hosted by City Councilwoman Sandra Ung and co-sponsored by the Kissena Park Civic Association, Holly Civic Association, Fujian Association, and the Youth Orchestra, which provided live music for the ceremony.
The service commenced with the presentation of the national colors, and followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, Star Spangled Banner, and speeches from Flushing’s leaders and politicians. Speakers included Councilwoman Ung, Congresswoman Grace Meng, Assemblywoman Nily Rozic, and others.
Photo: Emil Cohen
“I know that Memorial Day weekend is often about backyard barbecues and spending time with friends and family,” Ung said. “So, I want to thank everyone who joined us to take time to start the weekend by honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation.”
U.S. Rep. Meng added, “As our world becomes full of distractions, it is so important that we still come together to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country.”
Afterwards, everyone placed a flower at the foot of the Korean War Memorial.
Thomas Oliva, candidate for Queens Civil Court, asks people to “have a moment of silence, a moment of remembrance as to why and what we’re really celebrating on this three-day weekend.” Three of Oliva’s uncles served in the Korean War.
Johnny Kelly, president of the Kissena Park Civic Association, said that Ung “helped bring our community together and have a moment of silent reflection for the souls of those people who died for us.”
He added that “the real question is—they gave their lives for us—what are we doing for our country?” Kelly said, “if we want this country to move forward, we have to fight, like these people fought. We have to fight for our democracy.”
The observance was attended by the Korean Vietnam War Association of New York, Korean War Veterans Association of Greater New York, and the Queensboro Hill Post of the VFW. Cadets from the Francis Lewis High School JROTC led the Presentation of Colors.
Assemblywoman Rozic said she hopes the inaugural event is the start of a newfound tradition in Flushing.
“As someone who has seen what this community has gone through the last couple of years, it is heartening to see everyone from all walks of life coming together for this Memorial Day in what will hopefully be a tradition for many years to come,” Rozic said.
Residents of Jamaica Estates joined elected officials and community members to honor the neighborhood’s fallen soldiers with a somber Memorial Day ceremony this past weekend.
The ceremony featured City Councilman James Gennaro, New York State Assemblyman David Weprin, along with Jamaica Estates Association and Community Board 8 chair Martha Taylor, a trumpeter, a saxophonist, Queens College’s Color Guard, the Eagle Scouts Troop 96 and the youth from the NYPD’s Law Enforcement Explorers.
“This is about the local community coming together to remember those that came before us and gave the ultimate sacrifice, so that we could be brave, and that our children and grandchildren could be brave and enjoy the life that we have,” Weprin said.
Weprin’s father, Saul, served in the United States Coast Guard in 1945 during WWII, before becoming the Democratic leader of the 24th Assembly District and later the speaker of the New York State Assembly.
Weprin praised the current Democratic district leader for the 24th Assembly District, Martha Taylor, with restarting the in-person Memorial Day ceremonies at Jamaica Estates.
“So many local boys fought in World War II,” Weprin said, standing in front of the memorial plaque, with the names of 10 men from Jamaica Estates who died in the line of service during World War II.
The ten names on the memorial plaque are John Adikes Jr., Sigmund Gillmore, Kenneth S. Kinnes, John B. Lovely, Paul W. Olson, Norman H. Puff, Peter P. Renzo, Joseph A. Scheibel, Donald J. Schneider and Charles J. Yodice.
Seymour Schwartz, a World War II veteran and Briarwood resident, recalled what it was like to serve in the Army and then on loan to the Navy.
“You have to remember that those of us who are still alive were witnesses to a lot of death and a lot of pain,” Schwartz said. “So I think of the bodies floating in the Pacific on the beach, with the blood flowing out. You think of the guys lying dead with their intestines exposed and I think of burying them, including buddies. Like one who was shot by a sniper right next to me.
Schwartz continued, “So these are things you never tell anybody. And for most veterans, you’d come home and you don’t want to talk about these things. You want to get a job and raise a family. And you don’t even think about being a veteran back then. But as you get older it has a lot more meaning and you do a lot more thinking.”
Schwartz was assigned to the Joint Command, Commander in Chief of the Pacific, and the 5th Amphibious Force. Upon being discharged and arriving back home in March 1946, he devoted his life to serving his neighborhood of Briarwood, later becoming the President of the Briarwood Community Association for over two decades.
Andrew DeNicola, a saxophonist and a Master’s student at Queens College, played the saxophone during the service while Sean Miller, a trumpeter and a sophomore at St. John’s University played taps to close out the Memorial Day ceremony.
