Leonhardt L. Rauscher

    Leonhardt L. Rauscher, East Hampton’s first aviation mechanic, died on Nov. 4 in North Carolina at the age of 90.

    He was well known for his contributions to the East Hampton business world and to the broader community, his family said. Mr. Rauscher had served on East Hampton’s original zoning commission in 1957 and was a member of the zoning board of appeals as well as a president of the East Hampton Lions Club. In 1985, he mounted an unsuccessful campaign for town supervisor against Judith Hope.

    Born on Jan. 13, 1918, in Mattituck to Francis Xavier Rauscher and the former Elsie Bennett, he moved to his mother’s hometown of East Hampton after his father died in 1925 of typhoid fever. Mr. Rauscher stayed with his maternal grandparents, William and Martha Bennett, on their farm on Barnes Hole Road in Springs until he was 11.

    He was reunited with his mother when she married David Griffiths Sr. They lived in a small house on Cedar Street in East Hampton, then built a house on Miller Lane West.

    During the Great Depression, when he was just 15, Mr. Rauscher left school to work in the farm fields to help provide for his family.

    Even as a teenager, he had an impressive mechanical ability, his family said. When he was 15, he built a sharpie and headed out to Three Mile Harbor to supplement his income clamming, eeling, and scalloping. Later in his teens, he parlayed his mechanical skills into a job at I.Y. Halsey’s Garage in East Hampton, where he performed all aspects of automobile repair and service.

    Mr. Rauscher joined the East Hampton Fire Department and became a member of its award-winning ladder-climbing team.

    In September of 1940 he enlisted in the Marine Corps and was sent to Parris Island, S.C., for basic training. One of three men chosen out of 72 to join the Marine Corps Aviation Division, he was sent to California, Illinois, Nevada, Florida, and New Jersey to learn about the aviation equipment used in the war, then was trained to instruct other Marine Corps mechanics on highly specialized aspects of fighter plane engines.

    Mr. Rauscher obtained a license to repair planes, and was a propeller specialist in the Philippine Islands. He received a special commendation at the end of the war for his innovation of special tooling that could straighten damaged propellers.

    He left the Marine Corps in 1946. He had saved $3,000 and used it to build an Esso station and machine shop on Long Lane in East Hampton with Sid Fields, a friend and fellow World War II veteran. They salvaged the building materials, from framing timbers to shingles, from a dilapidated blacksmith shop on Gay Lane. The T-shaped building still stands on the corner of Long and Robert’s Lanes.

    They did welding and brazing, sold and repaired lawn mowers, sold custom-built boats, and serviced and repaired airplanes, which could take off and land at an airfield just north of the shop. At the time, Mr. Rauscher was the only one on the East End who was licensed to repair airplanes.

    He did repairs for Mel Lamb, who leased the East Hampton Airport, flew passengers to and from larger regional airports in New York and Connecticut, and also flew supplies to Gardiner’s Island from time to time.

    When he needed a part for a job, he either fabricated it himself or got in his plane to fetch it. He and Mr. Fields were ahead of their time, but demand for airplane repairs was not great enough in the 1940s to make the business work.

    Mr. Rauscher was married to Kathryn Hedges on May 23, 1949. They had two sons, Arthur and Lee.

    In 1951, Mr. Rauscher purchased a triangular piece of land in Wainscott created when Montauk Highway was built through the hamlet. He built another Esso gas station with two garage bays, a car wash, and space for the sale and service of all types of power equipment.

    He later constructed another commercial building on his land and started Hampton Marine Center, a boat and motor business. Around the same time, he built the East Hampton Marina at the head of Three Mile Harbor.

    A real estate developer and investor, he also owned Leon Rauscher Real Estate. Mr. Rauscher added yet another building to his Wainscott property in 1970 and opened a Honda motorcycle franchise, one of the earliest Honda dealers in the United States.

    In his free time, Mr. Rauscher enjoyed golfing, participating in many local tournaments and often finishing in the top. “He shot seven eagles, which, as any golfer knows, is quite a feat,” his family wrote in his obituary.

    Mr. Rauscher also owned large tracts of land in northern Vermont and had houses in North Carolina and Florida. He led an active life until the end, sometimes making the 720-mile trip between his houses in Boca Raton, Fla., and North Carolina with barely a stop.

    “Most notable of all was Leon’s optimistic attitude, no matter how bleak the situation, his unending generosity and love for his family, and his revered reputation as a man who could always be counted on,” his family said.

    Mr. Rauscher’s wife died in 2006. He is survived by his sons, Arthur Rauscher of East Hampton and Lee Rauscher of Etowah, N.C., and four grandchildren.

    A date for his funeral had not been set as of yesterday. His family has suggested memorial contributions to East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach 11978.}

William Scheerer II

    William Scheerer II, a lifelong East Hampton Village summer resident, died on Nov. 4 at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City surrounded by family. He was 85.

    Mr. Scheerer was one of the last remaining residents of his generation on the West End Road section of Georgica Beach. An enthusiastic tennis player and ocean swimmer, he used to exclaim that his little sliver of paradise was “the best beach in the world” and that “we have the best house in East Hampton!”

    That sort of hyperbole was his charm, his family said. Despite a successful career on Wall Street, he never felt the need to keep up with ever-changing East Hampton. Even as mega-houses went up all around, with high hedges, gates, and security systems, his shingle “cottage” and simple garden remained virtually unchanged since his parents bought the property in 1945.

    Since he was a young man, Mr. Scheerer spent every summer on West End Road and cherished every minute, his family said.

    As an adult, he took tremendous pride in filling his East Hampton home with three generations of family and friends, and enlivened years of parties and celebrations with his breezy, improvisational jazz piano playing and dependable good cheer.

    Mr. Scheerer was born in Orange, N.J., on June 8, 1923, to Joseph and Jane Scheerer. He attended the Hill School in Pottstown, Pa., graduating in 1941, and Princeton University, graduating in the class of 1945. He served as a first lieutenant in the 78th Signal Heavy Construction Battalion in Totsuka, Japan, in World War II.

    After the war, he started work at his family’s dairy, the Newark Milk and Cream Company in Newark. He subsequently pursued a career on Wall Street, where he was a vice president at Fred Alger and Company from 1967 to 1982 and, eventually, an investment adviser at Legg Mason Wood Walker before he retired in the early 1990s.

    Beginning as a teenager, Mr. Scheerer studied and played the piano. It remained a passion, and for a time in the 1980s and ’90s he performed at piano bars in New York after getting off work on Wall Street.

    Among his many pleasures were travel and food. He relished a great meal at a good price and a bottle of Barolo for under $10, back when that was possible. He would recall meals years later and describe them in detail to whoever would listen.

    In East Hampton he was a lifelong member of the Maidstone Club. He was also a member of the Union Club in New York City.

    Mr. Scheerer is survived by his brother, Joseph Scheerer of Amagansett, his wife, Idoline Scheerer, a son, Thomas Scheerer of New York City, three daughters, Jane Parkes of New York City, Laura Whitney of Ojai, Calif., and Idoline Duke of Stowe, Vt., and six grandchildren.

    A gathering in his honor will be held for family and friends at 15 West End Road on Nov. 28 at 4 p.m. His family has suggested memorial contributions to the Hill Fund, 717 East High Street, Pottstown, Pa. 19464.

Randers Halvard Heimer

    Randers (Randy) Halvard Heimer, who lived in Wainscott and New York City, died of prostate cancer on Nov. 4 at Southampton Hospital. He was 73.

     Mr. Heimer worked in advertising from 1957 to 1986. He was an account executive and supervisor at several firms, including Creamer Colarossi, Palmer Advertising, Wilson, G.M. Basford Company, and Benton and Bowles, where he supervised the Texaco account and worked with Bob Hope and Luciano Pavarotti, according to his family.

    Born on Dec. 26, 1934, to Halvard and Ingrid Heimer, in Brooklyn, Mr. Heimer graduated from Phillips Andover Academy in Andover, Mass., where he was a star athlete. He was a quarterback of the football team, captain of the basketball team, and a pitcher on the baseball team. He went on to play baseball at Yale University, which he attended from 1953 to 1956.

    A year later, he graduated from the University of California at Berkeley. Mr. Heimer continued to play sports after college. He was a senior league squash player, a golfer, tennis player, and surfcaster. He was also loved dogs, his family said.

    Mr. Heimer and his wife came to Wainscott in 1983, where they owned two homes. They would spend summers and weekends here. From 1987 to 1990, he sold real estate for Bill McCoy in Wainscott.

    Over the past five years, Mr. Heimer also served as class secretary of the Phillips Andover Academy’s class of 1953. He was responsible for writing all of the alumni notes.

    Mr. Heimer is survived by his wife of 37 years, Judith Nolte, and his sister, Nita Ireland of New York City and Greenport. Memorial contributions have been suggested to Phillips Andover Academy, 180 Main Street, Andover, Mass. 01810.

Patrick Richard Lane

    Patrick Richard Lane, a psychologist who was a pioneer in providing psychological services to AIDS patients and their partners, died on Nov. 2 of a massive coronary at Bellevue Hospital Center in New York. He was 69 years old, and had lived in New York City and East Hampton.

    “He was an extraordinary psychologist who was deeply dedicated to the well-being of his patients,” his family said. Mr. Lane was known for his wisdom, sense of humor, and generous spirit. “His love for his dogs and his work with abused animals were hallmarks of his expansive nature,” the family said.

    Mr. Lane and his twin brother, Dr. Peter B. Lane of Denton, Tex., were born in Brooklyn on June 22, 1939, the sons of Marjorie and Thomas Lane. The family lived in Queens Village and then in Manasquan, N.J.

    After graduating from Manasquan High School, Mr. Lane attended Seton Hall, Monmouth University, and then Fordham and New York Universities.

    He served as the assistant director of the child-adolescent service at Maimonides Mental Health Center in Brooklyn, and as clinical supervisor at Bellevue Hospital Center.

    Dr. Lane also served as president and vice president of the Psychoanalytic Society of New York City postdoctoral program in psychoanalysis, and was a member of its senate.

    A member of the original board of directors of the New York State Psychologist Association task force on AIDS, Dr. Lane was director of the association’s referral service, which oversaw and connected hundreds of AIDS patients to low-fee psychotherapy.

    Dr. Lane was also a co-author of “Hip Reader I and II,” an innovative phonics approach to teaching inner-city adolescents how to read.

    Dr. Lane built a house in Northwest Woods in the 1970s and quickly became part of East Hampton’s thriving gay community, but also of the broader East Hampton community. “There was a whole group of people that used to meet down at the beach practically every day to sun and gossip,” said Raphael Sullivan, his partner of 12 years. “They would go out dancing, to restaurants, all that sort of stuff, and then drive back to New York together on Sunday night.”

    Dr. Lane, who had played football in high school and always loved the game, became a huge fan of the Bonackers football team. “He loved them,” Mr. Sullivan said. “In the fall, he would go out of his way to arrange his visits out there around the football schedule. He just loved to support the team.”

    In addition to Mr. Sullivan, Dr. Lane is survived by his twin brother and a number of nieces, nephews, and grand-nieces and nephews. An older brother, Thomas J. Lane, predeceased him.

    A wake was held last Thursday at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home on Madison Avenue in Manhattan. A service followed. Dr. Lane was cremated.

    Donations in his honor have been suggested to any animal rescue organization.

James Walton Davis, 80

    James Walton Davis Jr., who lived in East Hampton and New York City for almost 30 years, died in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Sept. 13. He was 80.

    A decorated Korean War veteran, Mr. Davis graduated with a master’s degree in science from Long Island University after earning a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University. He volunteered for active duty during the Korean War and was assigned to the 73rd Tank Battalion, where he served as a senior staff sergeant and was awarded a Bronze Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal, and the United Nations Service Medal.

    The youngest of 12 children, Mr. Davis was born Aug. 21, 1928, in Jayton, Tex., to Annie Davis and James Walton Davis Sr. He lived in East Hampton and New York between 1970 and 1998, then moved to Fort Lauderdale.

    Mr. Davis enjoyed volleyball, tennis, and bridge. He is survived by his friend of 50 years, Gene Duval, who lives in Florida.

    He was cremated, and a funeral Mass was said at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Fort Lauderdale on Oct. 22.

Robert E. Becker

    Robert Eugene Becker, a recently retired lawyer who lived part time at the Landing on West Lake Drive in Montauk, died on Nov. 2 in Carmel, N.Y. He was 79 and had long-term heart ailments, his family said.

    Mr. Becker retired in 2006 after 40 years as an attorney at the Curry Group in Scarsdale, N.Y., an automotive dealership corporation. His law degree was from Fordham University in the Bronx.

    “He was a very bright guy,” his wife, Mary T. Becker, said. “He would rather talk to you about legal things than joke around. He was just that kind of guy.”

    He was born in the Bronx on Oct. 18, 1929, the son of Adam J. Becker and the former Marion C. Henke. He graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School there and earned an undergraduate degree from Fordham College.

    Mr. Becker served in the Army during the Korean War, from 1951 to 1953. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

    On Sept. 4, 1954, he married his high school sweetheart, Mary T. Carroll, at St. Barnabas Church in the Bronx.

    The couple first started visiting the Landing about 22 years ago, Mrs. Becker said, buying a unit a few years after that. They kept their Egg Harbor 35, which they called the Mary B IV, at a slip there. Mr. Becker enjoyed recreational fishing, and his time in Montauk was about the “love of the Landing, the love of the boat, the love of the fishing,” his wife said. The couple would travel to Montauk at almost any time of the year, she said.

    Though heart problems plagued him much of his adult life, even when sick he never neglected his clients, she said. “Even when he was in the hospital, he worked. He was right there, sick or not.”

    “He did everything 100 percent. He was just great,” she said.

    He was active in legal matters outside of his job at the Curry Group. He was a founder of the Vails Grove Cooperative in Brewster, N.Y., where he lived with his wife. He also was a founder of the Pietsch Gardens cooperative and did work for the Bloomerside Cooperative. He was a member of the New York Bar Association.

    His last project was an extensive effort to get a water treatment plant for the upstate area where he lived, Mrs. Becker said.

    In addition to his wife, Mr. Becker is survived by a son, Robert J. Becker of Rochelle Park, N.J., and three daughters, Christine A. Foley of Plano, Tex., Patricia J. Becker-Goor of Brewster, and Susan E. Becker of Wappingers Falls, N.Y. He is also survived by a sister, Joan Kump of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and seven grandchildren.

    A Mass was said for him at St. Lawrence O’Toole Catholic Church in Brewster, where he had been a member. Burial followed in the church cemetery.

    The family has suggested contributions to the American Heart Association, 1 Union Street, Robbinsville, N.J. 08691-4183, Putnam Hospital, 670 Stoneleigh Avenue, Carmel, N.Y. 10512, or Vassar Brothers Medical Center, 45 Reade Place, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 12601.

Ronald L. Adams, 67

    Ronald L. Adams worked a number of jobs, including in fishing and plumbing, but it was his 25-year-career with the East Hampton Town Police Department of which he was particularly proud.

    Graduating with the East Hampton High School class of ’59, Mr. Adams was hired as an officer the following December at the age of 19. He was well liked by his colleagues, including Chief Todd Sarris, who joined the department when Mr. Adams was a lieutenant.

    “He was a fine man and a very good mentor,” Chief Sarris said yesterday. “I learned a lot from Ronnie while he was on the force, and he became a personal friend after he retired” in January of 1984.

    Mr. Adams, who was 67 and had had respiratory problems for years, died at the White Plains Hospital Center on Nov. 5. He had surgery to remove lung cancer about two months ago and had been hospitalized for three weeks at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

    His longtime partner, Fayette Parsons of Springs, and his daughters, Sheri Brady of Crofton, Md., and Tracy Helbing of Sag Harbor, were holding hands and at his side when he died, his family said.

    After his retirement from the police force, Mr. Adams lived in New Hampshire for a short time while he worked at a ball bearing factory. He and Ms. Parsons also had a second home, where they would spend winters, in Ellenton, Fla.

    “Ron really enjoyed being away from the cold weather in East Hampton and being with Fayette,” his family wrote. The couple lived on Fort Pond Boulevard in Springs; Mr. Adams had also lived on Maidstone Avenue in East Hampton.

    His mother’s ancestors were among the first settlers here in the 1600s. Mr. Adams was born on Nov. 30, 1940, to Carroll (Bud) Adams of East Hampton and the former Phyllis Miller of Amagansett. He grew up on Abraham’s Path and was a member of the Lost Tribe of Accabonac, as his mother was an 11th-generation Miller.

    He was married to Judith Bedell of Southampton for a number of years. The marriage ended in divorce.

    He enlisted as a reservist in the Army National Guard in 1958 and was discharged in 1961. He also was a member of the East Hampton Town Benevolent Association, the Blue Knights motorcycle group, and the Sons of the East Hampton Post of the American Legion, having joined through his father, his mother said.

    His family said he had “a tremendous sense of humor and could keep his friends laughing.”

    He was a part of an informal group that gathered at 7 each morning at John Papas restaurant in East Hampton. Along with Ms. Parsons and other friends, including his first-grade teacher, the late Margaret Schneider, they would have coffee and discuss recent happenings around town.

    In addition to Ms. Parsons, his daughters, and his mother, Mr. Adams is survived by a brother, Brian Adams of West Jefferson, N.C. Three grandchildren, a niece, and an aunt also survive. His younger brother, Larry Adams of Res­ton, Va., died in 2007. His father died in 1994.

    A service was held at the Amagansett Presbyterian Church on Saturday. Burial followed at Cedar Lawn Cemetery.

    The family has suggested donations to the Amagansett Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary, P.O. Box 911, Amagansett 11930, or the Amagansett Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 764, Amagansett 11930.

Frances M. Trunzo

    Frances M. Trunzo, who worked for the Bulova watch company and later Sag Harbor Industries, died on Friday at home in Sag Harbor. She was 92.

    Frances Mendicino was born in Clarksburg, W.V., on Jan. 16, 1916, the daughter of Horis Mendicino and the former Chilomena DeCiccio. She grew up in Sag Harbor and graduated from Pierson High School with the class of 1933.

    She later married Jack Trunzo, who died in 1988. She was a member of the Sag Harbor Fire Department Auxiliary.

    Mrs. Trunzo is survived by two daughters, Rosemary Mitchell and Phyllis Ann Kleinsmith, both of Sag Harbor. A third daughter, Fran Stafford, died 10 years ago. She also leaves seven grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and nine nieces and nephews.

    A funeral Mass was said at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Sag Harbor on Monday, followed by burial in the church cemetery. Memorial contributions were suggested to East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach 11978, or the Cormaria Retreat House, P.O. Box 1993, Sag Harbor 11963.

Alexander Buchman

    Alexander Buchman, 93, a summer resident of Amagansett, died on Oct. 5 at home in Larchmont, N.Y. A complete obituary will appear in a future issue.

A Correction

    An obituary that appeared on Oct. 23 for Frederic M. Kimball misidentified the preparatory school he attended. It was Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., not Phillips Exeter Academy.