William Heppenheimer
When William Christian Heppenheimer III served as an East Hampton Village Board member, he was known for, among other things, his “traditional summer garb — Bermuda shorts, a favorite plum-hued Shetland sweater, and boat shoes,” according to The East Hampton Star. Mr. Heppenheimer, who was 86, died at home on Dec. 20.
At Mr. Heppenheimer’s retirement from the board in 2000, after 17 years of service, Mayor Paul Rickenbach summoned him to the podium, and Mr. Heppenheimer asked if he was going to receive a bouquet. Instead, he heard kind words about his “sound business sense and good humor” as well as his dedication as commissioner of police and public works. He also received a commemorative plaque and a gavel.
Mr. Heppenheimer also served on the board of Southampton Hospital for 11 years and was its president from 1982 to 1987. His family said he was also instrumental in helping open the East Hampton Healthcare Center as well as the new Urgent Care Center in East Hampton.
He was president of the Maidstone Club from 1973 to 1979, during a period when it needed to recover from two fires and a flood. He was also a member of the Union Club and the Society of Mayflower Descendants.
Mr. Heppenheimer, who was known to his friends as Billy or Hepp, was born on April 16, 1923, in New York City to the former Frances Ruxton and William C. Heppenheimer Jr. His grandfather William C. Heppenheimer founded the Trust Company of New Jersey and served as the speaker of the New Jersey State Assembly. Mr. Heppenheimer graduated from the Ashville School in North Carolina and was in Yale University’s graduating class of 1945.
During World War II, he served in the Pacific Theater on the U.S.S. L.S.T. 880 in the Navy. On June 11, 1953, he married Emmeline Sands of New York City and Newport, R.I.
Although his connection to East Hampton dated back to the 18th century and the Miller family, his own house was built by Louise and Wallace C. Chauncey, his aunt and uncle, as a wedding present. The Chaunceys ran Cove Hollow Farm in East Hampton for many years until Mr. Chauncey’s death, when Mr. Heppenheimer took it over in his retirement in 1978.
In the intervening years, he had a career at the Morgan Guaranty Trust Company and at Interchemical, which was later known as Inmont and is now part of BASF.
His family said he was known for his generosity and contributed to many charities and good works. They described him as a man “with a gruff exterior” and “a heart of gold who would be the first to come to your aid in a crisis.” He was a devoted family man and dedicated worker, they said.
He had a passion for fly fishing that he had developed as a child when he made frequent trips to Canada with his father and uncle. He eventually became a member of the Silver Tip fishing ranch in Montana and built a cabin in Montana where he spent a few weeks every year. He had also enjoyed skiing, tennis, golf, duck hunting, and paddle tennis.
Mr. Heppenheimer is survived by his wife of 56 years and by his sister, Faith D. Chase of East Hampton. He also leaves a son, William S. Heppenheimer of Sag Harbor, a daughter, Anita Holmes of Wainscott, and four grandchildren. Memorial contributions were suggested to the Southampton Hospital Foundation, 240 Meeting House Lane, Southampton 11968.
Roy Kaufman, 91
Roy Kaufman of Talmage Lane, East Hampton, died at home on Dec. 21 after a brief illness, his family said. He was 91.
Mr. Kaufman retired in 1985 from Western Electric in Allentown, Pa., where he had a long career in the electronics industry. He held several patents, including one related to the first trans-Atlantic telephone cable.
He was the author of many technical articles and presentations, including a series, “Engineering Case Studies,” that was distributed to 825 colleges and universities.
Mr. Kaufman was the editor in chief of the Western Electric Silicon Integrated Circuits Catalog, published in 1971 and 1972. He was a registered professional engineer and a member of the Lehigh Valley Engineering Society and the Allentown-Lehigh Chamber of Commerce.
He was born during a blizzard in Brooklyn on Jan. 13, 1918, to Harry Kaufman and the former Henrietta Goldfisher. He grew up in the borough, then attended the City College of New York, graduating with a degree in chemistry and physics. During World War II, with eyesight that disqualified him from military service, he worked as a welder, making aircraft wings.
In a recent appearance as a guest speaker at the Tuesday Club in Southampton, he spoke about his experiences in the electronics field, which evolved rapidly during the postwar period. He described how he, as the manager of engineering and manufacturing at Western Electric’s Allenton Works, helped introduce semiconductor technology in Korea and Japan. He recalled how he and his Korean colleagues celebrated the manufacture of the first semiconductor devices in that country.
After his retirement, Mr. Kaufman worked as a consultant in the electronics industry for a decade. After that, he devoted himself to reading, photography, tennis, working out at a gym, gardening, travel, and the company of his wife and family at his houses in East Hampton and Boca Raton, Fla. He was married to his childhood love, Gert Sweet, who survives, for 68 years.
Mr. Kaufman is also survived by a son, Mike Kaufman of East Hampton and Boca Raton, a daughter, Caren Kaufman Quay of Albany, Calif., and a sister, Rosalind Silver of Lauderhill, Fla. Four grandchildren and two grandchildren by marriage also survive.
A memorial service for Mr. Kaufman was held on Sunday at the Gates of the Grove sanctuary at the Jewish Center of the Hamptons, Rabbi Sheldon Zimmerman officiating.
The family has suggested memorial donations to the Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore 21230.
Alice Gail Fithian
Alice Gail Fithian, who lived in Springs for most of her life, died near her home in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Dec. 20. The 76-year-old had recently been hospitalized with heart problems.
Ms. Fithian, who preferred to be called Gail, was born on Dec. 9, 1933, in Springs to the former Alice Fitzgerald and Jesse T. Scott. She grew up on Fort Pond Boulevard, attended the Springs School, and, in 1952, graduated from East Hampton High School.
She and her husband of 56 years, David H. Fithian, were high school sweethearts. He was in the Air Force during the Korean War, and the couple were married outside Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina on March 28, 1953, before he spent time overseas.
The couple lived on Gardiner Avenue for nearly 30 years before moving to Miller Lane East. Ms. Fithian was a homemaker, and her husband is a retired police officer.
They very much enjoyed sailing together on their boat, Jazz. Gardiner’s Bay was a favorite spot. In their retirement, they took several trips up and down the East Coast, stopping in the Florida Keys and the Bahamas. Daytona Beach, where they moved in 2003, was a favorite stop.
“Over the years, sailing down here, we sort of made it a second home,” her husband said. “We developed a network of friends within the boating community.”
Mr. Fithian, who described his wife as “a very outgoing person,” said that cards and bingo were also favorite pastimes for her. She had enjoyed her membership in the South Fork Country Club in Amagansett, where she played golf.
She is survived by four children: Sarah Browne of Wappingers Falls, N.Y., Charles Fithian of Bellmore, and Scott and James Fithian, both of East Hampton. Seven grandchildren and a great-granddaughter also survive. A brother, Jesse T. Scott Jr., and a son, David H. Fithian Jr., died before her.
According to her wishes, Ms. Fithian was cremated, and a service and burial are to take place in East Hampton at a later date. Her family suggested donations in her memory to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City 73123-1718.
Mary Grace Knipe
Mary Grace Knipe, a resident of New York City and East Hampton who worked for McCall’s magazine and Ladies’ Home Journal as well as Condé Nast Publications, died in New York City on Saturday following a long illness. She was 89.
She was born in New York City on April 25, 1920, a daughter of Victor Harris and the former Catherine Richardson. She grew up in the city, where she attended the Dalton School, and spent summers in East Hampton and New Milford, Conn. She continued her education at Smith College in Massachusetts and graduated in 1941 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
In 1955, she began her career in publishing with the Merchandising Group, which published McCall’s and Ladies’ Home Journal. She later joined the Condé Nast organization for many years, working primarily with Brides magazine. She was a member of the Colony Club in New York as well as of the Maidstone Club in East Hampton.
In 1966, she married Timothy W. Knipe, who died in 2003. She was previously married to Alan Gilchrist and Stuyvesant Wainwright II. She was a member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in East Hampton, and also belonged to the East Hampton Garden Club. She was a supporter of the East Hampton Library, the Ladies Village Improvement Society, and East Hampton Meals on Wheels.
Her daughter Patsy G. Howard said she loved to travel and to spend time on the links. She also enjoyed music and bridge.
Four siblings, Victor Harris, David T. Harris, Cecilia Williams, and Catherine Harris, died before her. She is survived by her children, Ms. Howard of Greenwich, Conn., and East Hampton, Shep Gilchrist of Portland, Ore., and Anne Gilchrist Hall of New York City and Wainscott. She also leaves five grandchildren and as many great-grandchildren.
The Rev. Canon Denis Brunelle will officiate at a service at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Burial will follow at South End Burying Cemetery in East Hampton.
Memorial contributions were suggested to the Ladies Village Improvement Society, 95 Main Street, East Hampton.
Carl Darenberg Sr.
Carl Darenberg Sr., a pioneer of Montauk sportfishing and owner of the Montauk Marine Basin, died at home in Montauk early Monday morning. He was 84.
Friends and family will gather at the Yardley and Pino Funeral Home on Pantigo Road in East Hampton on Monday for visiting from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. A funeral service will be held at the Montauk Community Church on Tuesday at 10 a.m., with burial to follow at Cedar Lawn Cemetery in East Hampton.
A full obituary will appear in a future issue of The East Hampton Star.
Maria M. Guzman
Maria M. Guzman, a maintenance manager at the Ross School, died at home in East Hampton on Monday. She was 45 and had been ill with breast cancer for several years.
Ms. Guzman immigrated to Brooklyn from Cuenca, Ecuador, 22 years ago with her husband, Manuel Guerrero. Before leaving, she attended college in Ecuador and graduated from a business management program. In Brooklyn Ms. Guzman worked as a manager for Sares International, a knitware manufacturer.
After living in that borough for 15 years, Ms. Guzman and Mr. Guerrero moved to East Hampton, settling on Amagansett Drive East. She started working at the Ross School six years ago.
Mr. Guerrero described his wife as hard-working and devoted to her family and faith. “She was a very responsible employee,” he said yesterday. Though she studied business management, her passion was interior design, he said.
Ms. Guzman was born in Cuenca on April 23, 1964, to Manuel and Leonor Abril Guzman.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by a daughter, Daisy Guerrero, and a granddaughter, Jozlyn Metz. Two brothers also survive, Martin Guzman of North Carolina and Ivan Guzman of Brooklyn, as do three sisters, Monica Guzman of East Hampton and Graciela Guzman and Gladiz Guzman, both of Ecuador.
A wake was held at the Yardley and Pino Funeral Home in East Hampton on Tuesday, the day Ms. Guzman and Mr. Guerrero were to have celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary. A funeral service will be held tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in East Hampton.
Another funeral service will be held in Cuenca, with burial to follow at Campo Santo Cemetery there.
Memorial donations can be made to the family at P.O. Box 995, East Hampton 11937.
Robert E. Fatigate
Robert E. Fatigate of Stuart, Fla., a former resident of Montauk, died of a heart attack on Monday in Madison, Wis. He was 61. A full obituary with funeral arrangements will appear in a future issue.