Albert E. Cassidy of North Sea Dies March 18

Albert E. Cassidy of North Sea died on March 18, just days after his 80th birthday.

He was born on March 14, 1945, in Richmond Hill, New York, to the late Robert and Evelyn Cassidy (née Dawson).

After graduating from John Adams High School in Queens in 1963, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving as an electronics technician. He continued to hone his technical skills through his work with the Bell Telephone Company in New York.

Around 1969, he joined the Local One stagehand union of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). Through Local One, he spent the rest of his career building sets for Broadway theater productions, The Juilliard School, CBS “Sunday Morning,” and various daytime soap operas.

In 1973, he began building a home in Southampton, and officially made Southampton his home in 1976. He was an excellent carpenter and did most of the work himself on weekends over those three years. He was passionate about Southampton and enjoyed his work with Local One and commuted between Southampton and New York until his retirement.

Never one to be idle, he spent his limited free time outdoors doing the things he enjoyed: hunting, fishing, clamming and boating. He was happiest spending his time in nature surrounded by trees, or on or near the water. He also appreciated a challenge, and tried his hand at gardening (his vegetables were the best), raising chickens, and even raising three very naughty pigs that would occasionally escape from their pen. On more than one occasion, his neighbors were treated to the sight of three 300-pound pigs sprinting down the road with him trailing after. And he would be quick to note that 300-pound pigs are much faster than one would think.

He enjoyed laughing with his friends, listening to a great story, and traveling. He had a curious and exploratory nature and was eager to learn about the world. He was a proud member of the North Sea Gun Club and the North Sea Fire Department.

He is survived by his daughters Nicole Cassidy of Southampton and her partner Charles Guilloz, and Erica Cassidy of Providence, Rhode Island and her partner Paul Austin; his granddaughter Camille Guilloz; and his nieces Heather Novello of Scotch Plains, New Jersey, and Danielle McNair of Hillsdale, New Jersey, and their families. He was predeceased by his brother Robert.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, March 27, from 4-8 p.m., at O’Connell-Rothwell Funeral Home in Southampton. A family gathering will take place on Friday, March 28, from 11a.m. to noon at the funeral home.

Donations may be made in his name to the North Sea Fire Department Scholarship Fund (northseafiredepartment.org), which supports students in the community to pursue their educational dreams.