Obituary: Spencer L. Davidson

Spencer L. Davidson, a former associate editor at Time Magazine and longtime resident of Manhasset, died Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn.

Mr. Davidson was a writer for Time’s Nation and Business sections and served as the magazine’s Atlanta bureau chief from 1959 through 1961. He went on to be one of Time’s most experienced Middle East specialists and spent six months as the bureau chief in Beirut in 1973. He wrote many of Time’s cover stories on that and other subjects. He also wrote for the international edition before his retirement in the early 1980s.

He was born in Baltimore, MD, on April 1, 1924, during a rare spring blizzard, the youngest child and only son of Marie P. and Spencer L. Davidson. His father, an editor at the Baltimore Sun, passed away when he was still a small boy. He attended the McDonough School outside of Baltimore when it was still a military school for boys and graduated in 1942. After serving in the U.S. Army in the artillery in the Battle of the Bulge and later as an MP in Berlin after the hostilities had ended, he returned to complete his college studies at Loyola College.

From there he went on to become a reporter at the Evening Sun in Baltimore, where he reported on municipal affairs before joining Time in 1956.

He moved with his family from Atlanta to Hunt Lane in Manhasset in 1961 and lived there ever since. He was a member of St. Mary’s Church in Manhasset for nearly 50 years. After his retirement, he devoted himself to his garden and his family. He was also an avid amateur photographer who amassed a collection of thousands of images, almost all of which were of his wife, children, and grandchildren.

The funeral Mass was celebrated Friday at 10 a.m. at St. Mary’s Church in Manhasset, where he was a communicant for nearly 50 years. His survivors include his wife of 59 years, Catherine Virginia Davidson; daughters Catherine D. Kerr (husband Christopher Kerr) of New Hope, PA; Mary V. Aldridge (husband Ronald Aldridge) of Leonia, NJ; and Laura Taieb (husband Abdallah Taieb) of Astoria; son Spencer L. Davidson (wife Linda R. Davidson) of East Meadow; and grandchildren Nicholas Kerr of Philadelphia, Brian Aldridge of Boston, Kate Kerr of New Hope, and Rebecca and Elizabeth Davidson of East Meadow.

Obituary: Donald Adams Taylor

The recent death, on May 15, 2009, of Donald A. Taylor, 66, local attorney and long-term resident of Manhasset and Sea Cliff, has created a void in lives of his many family members, friends and colleagues. His wit and humor were legendary, and will be sorely missed as evidenced by the packed memorial service held on Sunday, May 24, at the Thomas F. Dalton Funeral Home in Williston Park.

Don was well respected for his ongoing service to the community. Among leadership posts, he was a current director and past president of the Manhasset Chamber of Commerce, former president of the North Shore Kiwanis Association as well as former president and founding member of the Sea Cliff Ecology Club. He was always a willing volunteer, whether it was for Sea Cliff Mini-Mart, playing the part of Santa Claus for the NS Kiwanis family holiday party, contributing brooms for Manhasset’s “Sidewalk Sweep,” or his many years of managing the registration process for the annual Peter Speranza Memorial Run for St. Christopher Ottilie in Sea Cliff.

Don obtained his law degree from Cornell University and received his Bachelor of Arts degree, with a major in Philosophy, from Princeton University. He attended the Manhasset schools through 10th grade when his family moved to Baltimore, MD. There he graduated from the Friends School in Baltimore. (Manhasset friends, however, lovingly claim him as a graduate of MHS, Class of 1961.)

Following law school, Don accepted employment at IBM where he worked as a systems analyst and was involved in the computerization of prisoner tracking and traffic systems for the City of New York. He then joined the New York State’s Office of Court Administration as Director of Education and Training where he oversaw training and development for municipal judges throughout the state.

In 1987, he launched a local practice on Plandome Road in Manhasset; first with partner John Dalton and later as a solo operation. Family and friends were the core of his life and who he was. His three married children, daughters Sarah, Carrie, and son Seth, and their spouses, Ken Bercuson, Kevin McPeek and Belle Chen Taylor respectively, gave him tremendous joy. Running marathons became a family affair, including one 26-mile stretch completed in Alaska with his daughters. An avid wrestler in high school and college, he loyally followed local and state wrestling competitions, often joined by his son Seth, also a former wrestler.

Don is survived by his mother, Mary McCord Taylor, his brother James, sister Ellen Lyon, and three grandchildren, Maisie, Isabel and Tatum who delighted him so deeply.

Friends and family are invited to share their memories of Don at http://memorialwebsites.legacy.com/donaldadamstaylor a site hosted by his children.

Obituary: Emil J. Difede

Emil J. Difede

Emil “Jerry” Difede of Port Washington passed away on April 23, 2009 at the age of 85. The cause was cancer.

Jerry was born in Astoria, NY of two Italian immigrants, James and Gemma Difede. Raised in the apartment above his father’s barber shop and dry goods store, he began a life of achievement beyond what he could have foreseen.

Jerry served in World War II, earning three Bronze Stars for service at Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle of the Romagen Bridge. When not caring for wounded soldiers as a medic, he would entertain troops with his jazz trio. Music remained a big part of his life and his Sinatra-esque voice could be heard in many a local piano bar.

After the War, Jerry began a corporate career that led him to serve in several senior corporate positions, most notably at Black & Decker, where he directed the introduction of one of the most popular consumer products of the time, the “Dustbuster” vacuum. Taking early retirement in 1982, he spent the remaining years of his life singing, clamming and publishing his real estate magazine Portfolio of Homes, which allowed him to surround himself with one of his favorite things – the many wonderful women in the real estate industry.

Jerry Difede is survived by his beloved and devoted Anne Bowie Vavrinec, his three children, Joan, Jim and Jennifer, their mother Doris Difede and his sisters Rose and Gloria. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, May 17, between 2 and 4 p.m. at Fairchilds Funeral Home in Manhasset.

Obituary: Joan H. Whipple

Joan H. Whipple

Joan Dorothy Hopkins Whipple, 88, of Manhasset and Norwalk, CT peacefully passed away on March 11, 2009 at St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn.

Joan was born March 18, 1920 in Maidenhead, England. She was the daughter of Frank and Beatrice Hopkins. Frank was the equine director to the royal family at Windsor castle.

Joan came over to America in 1940 to avoid the German blitz that threatened Britain during WWII and lived with a local Long Island family. It was during this stay that she met and then later married Dr. Ralph U. Whipple (urologist) in 1948. They settled in Manhasset where Ralph headed the Urology Department at the Manhasset Medical Center while Joan raised five children. They remained in their original home in Manhasset for 48 years before moving to a condominium overlooking the Norwalk River in Connecticut. They both enjoyed their retirement years living by the water with frequent visits from children (two daughters live close by) and grandchildren.

After Dr. Whipple’s death Joan moved back to Long Island to an assisted living facility in Great Neck.

There is no question that Joan was a wonderful wife and mother. She was fully devoted to her children’s well-being and active lifestyle. Joan spent much of her time either poolside, at the beach or on the bleachers at uncountable athletic events.

Joan is survived by her loving sister Marjorie Prestyly of Garden City was predeceased by her brother Frank who lived in England and a granddaughter Diane Whipple. She will be fondly remembered by her five children; Pamela, Patricia, Ralph Jr. (Chip), Richard, and Roberta and eight grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at the Congregational Church in Manhasset on May 8 at 4:30 p.m. For further information call 627-4634.