Lee Drucker was a long-ime resident and realtor in Glen Cove. He was 82 when he died of a heart attack in Seattle on Oct. 24, 2001 where he had moved in March of this year to be near his son, Robert and daughter-in-law, Lydia. Lee served as a photographer in WWII, stationed in Canada. He graduated from NYU after the war.

Although many of his dearest friends died before him, he continued to make new friends. The Creative Writing class at the Senior Center was one where his writings delighted his classmates with his wit and humor. He joined a book club in town and added his thoughtful perceptions of the literature being discussed. The "letters to the editor of our local papers will be recalled by many residents ... even after he moved to Seattle. The following is an excerpt from an essay which he wrote recently:

"Aging has, I now recognize, mellowed me, made me more tolerant, has washed my blackboard clean. Past unhappiness is indeed past and I'm more appreciative of my luck, of what and whom I've experienced, loved and enjoyed. Writing gives me intense pleasure without delusions of 'genius' and with no urgent need for seeing my computer hackery in print. I live each day, one by one, sucking up pleasures without enough time for all of them, while trying my small best to imprint my ideals for a better world, here and far, upon neighbors and friends. Life's been bittersweet but, in the main, good. I know full well that there are many less fortunate than I."

Donations to the National Yiddish Book Center, 1021 West St., Amherst, MA 01002 in Lee's name. A memorial meeting is being planned shortly for Lee's friends.

Jay W. Luster, 42, of Ronkonkoma, originally from Glen Head, died suddently on Oct. 30, 2001. Husband of Rosemary (Bartley). Father of Jasmine and Jayson. Son of Ruth and Jack. Brother of Wayne, Jimmy and Ronnie. Uncle and friend to many.

Ruth Aileen Brunner, of Glen Cove, died on Nov. 1, 2001. Peg, as she was known in the community, was a longtime resident of Glen Cove where she actively served on many boards and committees during her lifetime. She was a former three times Regent of the DAR, Oyster Bay Chapter. Peg was also past president of the PTA and active for many years in the NC Girl Scouts. In addition, she was involved as a fund raiser for the Morgan Par Concert Series as well as charity work for the Variety Club of NY. At her church, she was a moderator for the Presbyterian Women. Peg utilized her musical talents by playing the piano and entertaining groups including senior citizens at the former Presbyterian Home. For more than a decade Peg was secretary to the Glen Cove School Board. Peg loved writing and created many speeches and promotional pieces for organizations. During the 1970s she also wrote Peg's Column for the Record Pilot.

Peg Brunner is survived by her husband, Edward; and their children, Richard (Lois) of Long Beach, IN, Robert (Cheryl) of Roanoke, VA, Douglas (Christina) of Longmeadow, MA and Conni (Donald) of Woodland Hills, CA. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Tanya, Stanton, Steven, Joey and Hannah.

A memorial service will be held on Nov. 11 at 2 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Glen Cove. Arrangements were made by the Dodge-Thomas Funeral Home, Glen Cove. Donations in memory of Peg Brunner can be made to the First Presbyterian Church, 7 North Ln., Glen Cove, NY 11542.

Alice A. Luchsinger, 76, of Glen Cove, died on Nov. 2, 2001. She was a primary school teacher for the Glen Cove Public School System for many years. Wife of Charles R. Mother of William B. (Elizabeth), Robert E. (Gloria), Victoria M. Pagano (Kenneth) and James F. (Amy). Sister of Margaret Harvey. Grandmother of 12. Also survived by many nieces and nephews. Arrangements were made by the Dodge-Thomas Funeral Home, Glen Cove. Donations in memory of Alice may be made to the LI Alzheimer's Foundation, 5 Channel Dr., Port Washington, NY 11050.

Ralph A. Alexander, of Glen Head, died on Nov. 2, 2001. He was a combat veteran of WWII, serving in the Pacific theater as a staff sergeant with the US Army. Husband of Emilie. Father of David (Carol) and Richard (Loretta). Grandfather and great-grandfather. Arrangements were made by the Whitting Funeral Home, Glen Head. Funeral service. Interment VA National Cemetery, Calverton.

Aavo Arulaid, of Glen Cove, died on Nov. 2, 2001. Husband of Maret (nee Bernstein). Father of Heldi Steck, Mari Arulaid and Kaarel. Sister of Anna. Grandmother of 12. Great-grandmother of six. Arrangements were made by the McLaughlin Kramer Megiel Funeral Home, Glen Cove. Religious services officiated by Rev. Thomas Vaga of the EELK of St. Paul in NY. Interment Pinelawn Memorial Park.

Fatima Gaziz Dimsuyu was born on April 16, 1905 in Irkutsk in the Lake Baikal region of Siberia. A child of a farmer and shopkeeper, she grew up there with several brothers and sisters and lived there until she was 15, at which time, she, her parents and siblings escaped from Siberia's increasingly oppressive communism. Fatima and her family endured a complicated journey, fording numerous rivers and hiking many miles across the Siberian and Manchurian backcountry until arriving at a small settlement in northern Manchuria where they decided to stay. In Manchuria, Fatima married Din with whom she had three children and adopted one: Celal Din of White Plains, Mustakim Dimsuyu of Queens, Sadiye Dudin of Littlefork, MN (1927-2000) and Emir Dimsuyu of Queens. After Din's death, Fatima married Maki Gaziz with whom she had three more children, Safuk Dimsuyu of Glen Head, Dibinur Sayeed of Roslyn Harbor and Devlet Gaziz of Queens. The communists took her husband Maki away in 1945 and Fatima never remarried after this. To support the large family, she milked cows, picked crops and ran errands for her neighboring Manchurians. As a result of increasing communist oppression in 1957, Fatima escaped with her seven children from Manchuria to Turkey for the promise of freedom. She and her family remained there for four years. In 1961, Fatima decided to move with her children to the US with the hopes of achieving the American dream. She lived in Queens from 1961 to 1976 and moved to LI in 1976 where she lived with her daughter Bibinur in Roslyn Harbor until her death on Nov. 2, 2001. Neighbors and friends always remember her as the smiling, friendly but quiet lady who would sit for many hours on the bench on her daughter's property enjoying the scenery and sounds of nature. Fatima leaves behind 11 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. She helped to raise her grandson Sameer A. Sayeed of Roslyn Heights with whom she lived and could frequently be seen riding around with in her favorite Cadillac around the various towns and villages of the North Shore. Fatima will be dearly missed. Her death also marks the end of an era as Fatima was one of the last of the early 20th Century Siberian Tatars who left Siberia and managed to make it to the US. The Siberian Tatars are part of the greater ethnic group known as the Tatars who controlled much of Russian and Eastern Europe from the 1500s to the 1800s. Prayer vigil was held at the Islamic Association of LI, Selden. Interment was a Washington Memorial Park, Mt. Sinai. Arrangements were made by the Whitting Funeral Home, Glen Head.

Kenneth C. Stengal, of Glen Cove, died suddenly on Nov. 4, 2001. Son of Beatrice and the late Casey. Brother of Valerie Chmela and Dave Clare. Brother-in-law of William Chmela. Cousin of Al (Lia) and Alicia. Arrangements were made by the Whitting Funeral Home, Glen Head. Funeral Mass at St. Boniface Martyr Church. Interment Locust Valley Cemetery.

Helen Feely (nee Doyle) died on Nov. 5, 2001. Wife of the late Francis. Mother of June and Anthony D'Angelo, Dennis and Marnie Feeley. Grandmother of Diana, Robert, Michael, Bryan, Sean and John. Arrangements were made by the McLaughlin Kramer Megiel Funeral Home, Glen Cove. Funeral Mass at St. Patrick's Church. Cremation private.