Frank Joseph Barylski, athlete, world-traveler, devoted family man and lover of beer, died March 24, 2018. He was 89.
Born in 1928 to Frank Joseph Barylski and Mary Fischetti, Mr. Barylski was known for his willingness to help anyone, survivors said, whether it was showing up at your house with breakfast and a pair of hedge clippers on a Saturday morning, or making sure that your garbage can got moved to the curb. He loved to travel—there were many times when he would pack the family into the station wagon and drive through the night to Disney World, or later cruising and traveling though Europe with the love of his life, “Trudy” (Gertrude, his wife of more than 50 years). Anytime his sons or grandsons would suggest a trip to Mohegan Sun, he would be the first one ready to go. His grandchildren knew that his door was always open for them and a bowl of Tootsie Rolls would always be on the table, recalled his granddaughter, Abigail Cummings.
After serving in the Navy aboard the U.S.S. Cabot, he signed with the minor league Philadelphia Phillies until an injury shortened his baseball career. He moved his family to Sayville and established Frank Barylski Land Surveying, a business that gave him vast knowledge of Long Island—“the man could give you directions to anywhere,” said his daughter, Julie Cummings-Bosch. His business expanded to include an office on the East End, in the heart of Bridgehampton, where he became a fixture at the Candy Kitchen. He was a regular at the Southampton Golf Club, until his wife needed his care when she fell ill to pancreatic cancer; she died in 2005. In his retirement he lived in Riverhead and volunteered for the Riverhead Ambulance Corps, which brought him back to his early days as a volunteer fireman in Lindenhurst.
He is survived by six children, John of East Hampton, Jane Peters of Nebraska, Steven (Kathy) of Southampton, Peter (Susan) of Water Mill, Julie Cummings-Bosch (Jeffery) of Water Mill, and Paul of Oakdale; 14 grandchildren, Joe (Bibi) and Mark, Nicole and April (Tito), James and Sean, Abigail and Natalie, Samantha and Dylan, Michael (Bridgette), Stephanie, Mary and Alex; three great-grandchildren, Grace, Raven, and Tyler; and a brother, Joseph of Florida. He was predeceased by two brothers, James Barylski and John Barylski.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Brockett Funeral Home in Southampton, with visitation on March 27. A graveside service, with U.S. Navy honors, was planned for March 28 at Calverton National Cemetery.
Memorial donations may be made to a charity of choice.