Paul Murray, 64, of Bayville, died on July 13, 2008. Son of Marrietta and the late Paul. Father of Christine Humphreys, Sean (Jamie), Sharon Gabriele (Chip) and Michael (Suzanne). Pop pop of Even, Tyler, Connor, Kevin, Roxanne, Ashley, Anthony, Michael, Kristen, Elise and Nicole. Brother of Patricia (the late Frank), John (Ellen), Jimmy (Chris), Mary McDonald (Bruce), Brian (Savi), Donna Ruggerio (Ralph), Liz Castellaneta (Tony) and Bob (Stacey). Uncle of many nieces and nephews. Arrangements were made by the Oyster Bay Funeral Home. Funeral Mass at St. Gertrude's RC Church. Interment Locust Valley Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations to Autism Speaks (www.autismspeaks.org), 5455 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 would be appreciated.

The community was saddened to hear that Barbara Hadel, retired Doubleday Babcock Senior Center executive director had died on Sunday, July 13. Doubleday Babcock Senior Center Board President Dick Longworth, Esq. said, "I worked with Barbara since 1984, 1985, about 23 years. We became good friends. She was an amazing lady. She essentially built the center - and the building they are now in - two separate things. She helped design the building and was instrumental in the construction; the move; the design. At the same time she was involved with the Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce as president and chaired an Oyster Festival. She was able to multi-task and never shorted her job. She was a very capable, nice dependable woman.

"She basically started as an employee [she started working at DBSC as their cook in what was going to be part time job. When the community responded in great numbers it became evident there was a great need for the senior center and it eventually became her full time job to run it.] and became the director. She served until 2005, when she retired. The party was given on Jan. 6, 2006."

Mr. Longworth said, "Barbara was just basically always there and could do everything: budgets; fund raising; staff management - she did everything until the day she retired. That on top of being involved in the community as a whole."

He remembered that when she retired, she didn't want a party. "I said, we didn't ask you if you want to have a party. You have no choice, we are having a party. She was not looking to be in the limelight, but she was a good sport and she agreed to come," he said.

Fritz Coudert said, "One of my fondest memories of Barbara was the "Evening in the Caribbean" party given in her honor. During a truly warm and wonderful evening had by all, she gave us a walk down memory lane including humorous incidents during her long and eventful career at Doubleday Babcock.

"One vignette she recalled was why she had banned all balloons from the Center. She explained that it was because she knew that inevitably someday yet another balloon would escape and lodge itself in the rafters, setting off the sprinklers at 3 o'clock in the morning, rousing her out of bed to let the firemen in!"

Gail Speranza, DBSC executive director said: "Doubleday Babcock Senior Center and the Oyster Bay community have lost a dear friend and dedicated leader. Barbara led this organization for 29 years until her retirement at the end of 2005 at which time she became a member of the center. Up until a couple of weeks ago, she was still exercising in Judy's strength training class twice a week.

"Her memory will live on in Doubleday for the many programs and services she instituted and for her outstanding efforts in moving the Center from Christ Church to its present location in 1998. She is gone but will never be forgotten," said Ms. Speranza.

NYS Senator Carl Marcellino said, "Whether it was negotiating the challenges of the construction of Doubleday Babcock Senior Center or rolling up her sleeves at the Annual Oyster Festival, Barbara distinguished herself. Armed with a humanistic spirit and a sense of humor and compassion, Barbara leaves behind a legacy which will long endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all who knew her. She will be deeply missed."

After the funeral on Thursday, July 17, a reception was held for the family at DBSC. Ms. Speranza said, "So many members were here and the whole Hadel family was here. It was our pleasure to do it for the family. We were just so happy to do that."

DBSC Board Member Tom Reardon, who has worked at all the Oyster Festivals, recalled that the one Barbara chaired was the only one that had an entire day rained out. "There was a torrential rain that Saturday. People made up for it the next day, it was beautiful," he said.

Ms. Hadel told this newspaper the story of that day saying that the DBSC seniors kept their booth open in the rain, and since it was the only one open, they sold out that day.

Kathy Wilson, who worked as the Oyster Bay Chamber of Commerce executive director and helped at the Oyster Festival remembers that festival too. "People were calling and they were upset the festival was cancelled. I was in the command post with Barbara. The police all had gone to Bayville because of the storm. We sold a lot of raffle tickets to the locals meandering down the street, all bundled up. Everybody thought they had a good chance of winning."

Ms. Wilson added that Ms. Hadel was nominated by NYS Senator Carl Marcellino as a Woman of Distinction in 2000. She is the senator's director of communications.

Mr. Reardon has been on the DBSC board for over 25 years. He added, "Barbara had the ability to see the needs of DBSC and the community and quietly get things done. She was the one who saw the need for Daybreak at the senior center to give the frail elderly a special place to come."

He said, "The decision to build their own building was a large one. I was in on the negotiations when Barbara was one of the major forces behind getting the building - and during the construction. Barbara left a great legacy to the community. It's a pity she left this world too early. She went on to greater glory. She was a great lady."

Michael Corssen said, "I worked in the Oyster Festival and in the Chamber of Commerce together with Barbara." He remembered, "We did quite a few things together." Mr. Corssen worked with Barbara on several Oyster Festivals and chaired one himself.

Barbara Hadel used to say, "If you ever wondered about retiring, you should retire into something", and that is what Barbara did. She taught a knitting class at DBSC and had a crafts business. At last year's Victorian Holiday Fair she sold beautiful scarves that she knit, as well as angels for which she was well known.

While on view at the DeVine Funeral Home, Barbara wore one of them, and tucked into the casket was an angel made by one of her grandchildren. Barbara Hadel was very proud of her grandkids.

Barbara was very upfront about her fight against cancer. She said in an interview in January 2006, "In June I had a piece of my lung taken out and I worked through it."

Barbara had breast cancer and worked at DBSC all during her chemotherapy. When cancer was found in her lower lobe, it was taken out. "I had massive chemo. I wore a wig at the gala," she said.

She was a great inspiration to other women when she had breast cancer. She said the same happened with her lung cancer. "Another woman had it and said if I could get through it she would too," said Ms. Hadel.

While she was at DBSC she went back to college. She said, "I thought if I ever left DBSC I didn't have the right initials after my name. I went to Post and needed to write a thesis. I was doing it on the 'The need for senior centers to upgrade what they do because the seniors themselves change.' I was in the middle of doing it when we were doing it - upgrading and building our new site. That's when I decided, I don't need a master's. I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going to do it. I don't need to do it, but it took two years before I threw it out. I'm used to finishing things. Between the first cancer and building the center I decided I can't do this.

"It's been a great run. I can liken it to a roller coaster ride. I had cancer and kept on working. I had another cancer and went through a lung resection and I feel good."

A long time friend, Bev Zembko who chairs the Oyster Festival food court and who worked with Barbara and the DBSC booth, said she had seen Barbara over the weekend and she was looking wonderful. She was saddened to hear that Barbara had died Sunday.

Beth Hadel said the whole family was around Barbara when she died. It was comforting to the family to be there knowing how much it meant to Barbara.

Talking about Barbara Hadel, you have to mention Angela Koenig, who was the long time DBSC board president. She said in 2006, No matter how much people tell me, it really was an us thing. I actually believe it. I had lunch with Ada and Franklin Flower and she said, 'You don't really realize what you did - do you?

She just said, It's been a great run!

At the DeVine Funeral home there were envelopes suggesting a donation to DBSC in Barbara's memory.

Ms. Speranza said, "The donations are coming in, in her name. The Mass was beautiful. The whole family will go to their Myrtle Beach vacation area again. The whole family always went, Barbara, Bill and all the children and grandchildren. She really lived for that week.

"She would take the photos from the vacation and make an annual wall calendar. She was great on the computer and could do it all. She was a master knitter and enjoyed making crafts in her retirement.

"Beth told us she had a lot of Barbara's crafts and will be donating them to the center. I think it is going to be her hand knit items. So many of the seniors had requested one of Barbara's hand knit creations, or one of her Christmas ornaments. So we are hoping to have them here at the center for when we have our holiday craft fair, hopefully. That would be nice for the seniors. So many of them were with Barbara since 'Day One'.

"We showed her retirement video and we also passed around the journals from her retirement dinner and the CD Fritz Coudert made up for Barbara.

"We gave the family a bag of journals and CDs. It was good we were able to put these special touches together for her."

Ms. Speranza paused for a moment and said, "Barbara would have 10 grandchildren. She has eight now and two are on the way. It will make Bill happy. Every single one of the grandchildren are beautiful."