Brookhaven Town Councilman Keith Romaine dies unexpectedly - 27 East
logo logo logo logo

News / Obituaries / Southampton Press / 1472156

Brookhaven Town Councilman Keith Romaine dies unexpectedly

icon 1 Photo

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

author on Nov 18, 2009

Brookhaven Town Councilman Keith Romaine of Moriches died Saturday morning at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola from heart failure following complications from pneumonia.

He was 36.

According to family members, Mr. Romaine contracted what they thought was the flu earlier in the week. He was later diagnosed with two forms of pneumonia, both viral and bacterial. The virus then attacked his heart, and doctors were unable to relieve the condition. He died shortly after 11 a.m. on Saturday after his heart failed.

He was admitted to Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead on Thursday and was transferred to Winthrop on Friday, according to his family.

Mr. Romaine was elected to his second term on the Brookhaven Town Board on November 3. He was first elected to the board in November 2007.

Mr. Romaine’s campaign manager and friend, Dan Panico of Manorville, said Mr. Romaine had been feeling tired during the recent campaign, but refused to slow down.

“I was with him during the campaign,” Mr. Panico said. “We we’re driving around all night and he was run down, but he wouldn’t stop. He wanted to win the election.”

Mr. Panico said Mr. Romaine’s condition deteriorated quickly by the end of the week.

“He was walking around feeling a little sick,” he said. “He was doing his campaign fund-raising thank you letters on Thursday, and by Saturday at 11 a.m. he was gone.”

Tests for the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, were negative, a family spokesperson said on Sunday.

A wake will be held for Mr. Romaine at Sinnicksons Moriches Funeral home on Main Street in Center Moriches on Monday night, November 16, from 7 to 9 p.m. and on Tuesday, November 17, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, November 18, at noon at St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church on Ocean Avenue in Center Moriches. For more information, call the funeral home at 878-0065.

Family members were unavailable for comment. Mr. Romaine is the son of Suffolk County Legislator Edward P. Romaine.

Mr. Panico remembered his friend as not only a dedicated public servant, but as a positive influence on the people around him.

“Keith not only fought for what he believed in, he loved to laugh,” Mr. Panico said. “He had a good personality, and he was a gentleman. He was even a better person than people give him credit for.”

You May Also Like:

Maeve Burke Shugrue of Southampton Dies April 18

Maeve Burke Shugrue of Southampton died on April 18. She was 65. She was born ... 25 Apr 2024 by Staff Writer

Grace Hamor-Coady of Westhampton Beach Dies April 6

Grace Hamor-Coady died peacefully on April 6 at her home in Westhampton Beach, surrounded by family and friends. She was 92. She was born on March 30, 1932, in Hazelton, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Robert Christian Frick and Helen Ruth Vose. She attended Hazelton High School, then when the family moved to Lebanon, Pennsylvania, she attended school at Lebanon Valley Collage, where she received her degree in education. It was at Lebanon Valley Collage where she met her first husband, Ira Scott Hamor. She completed her education with a master’s degree in education from Long Island University. She was a ... by Staff Writer

Buses Discharging Passengers in Hampton Bays Sparks Social Media Outcry

Eyewitness reports that a bus arrived in the parking lot at Macy’s in Hampton Bays on Tuesday evening, April 23, from which a few dozen adults emerged, collected suitcases and other belongings and disappeared into waiting cars have sparked speculation on social media that they were migrants sent from New York City. But that assumption may be unfounded, according to Southampton Town officials. While officials had no definitive information on Thursday morning as to who the people were or where they came from, Southampton Town Supervisor Maria Moore told The Express News Group on Wednesday that according to Town Police ... by Christopher Walsh

East End Parkinson’s Boxers Are Rock Steady | 27Speaks Podcast

Rock Steady Boxing is a non-contact, boxing-inspired fitness program for people with Parkinson's disease to ... by 27Speaks

Southampton Town Board Hears Report on Tax Assessment Status

Though no action is imminent, the Southampton Town Board heard an update on a potential ... 24 Apr 2024 by Christopher Walsh

Southampton DWI Arrests for the Week of April 25

Michael Martin, 58, of Montclair, New Jersey, was arrested by Southampton Town Police on April 22 at 1:02 a.m. on Old Riverhead Road in Northampton and charged with DWI, a misdemeanor. Police said that an officer responding to a motor vehicle accident determined that Martin had failed to yield right of way, causing the accident. He had an odor of alcohol on his breath, bloodshot and glassy eyes, and was unsteady on his feet, according to police. He refused to provide a prescreen breath test sample and could not perform field sobriety tests, police said. He was transported to headquarters ... by Staff Writer

Positive Path Forward

State lawmakers and Governor Kathy Hochul delivered for residents of the South Fork and Stony Brook University in the state budget formulated last week. As part of the massive spending plan, the governor agreed to a measure that would allow the state and the Town of Southampton to partner in an effort to restore the historic windmill at Stony Brook’s Southampton campus. Additionally, Hochul’s plan to create up to 15,000 affordable housing units on state-owned land across the state — including at the Southampton campus — was included in the budget. Both measures mark a significant dedication by state and ... by Editorial Board

PFAS Cleanup at Hampton Bays Firehouse Scheduled

The State Department of Environmental Conservation is accepting public comment through May 10 on its ... by Christopher Walsh

Four Candidates Compete for Two Undefended Seats in Eastport-South Manor

Four candidates have thrown their hats into the ring for two undefended seats on the Eastport-South Manor Board of Education. Sandra DaEira-Loccisano, Marion Diener, Michael Davis and Shannon Timoney are competing in the May 21 election for the seats that will be vacated by James Governali, who is currently the board’s president, and Christine Racca at the end of their three-year terms on the board. DaEira-Loccisano has been a Manorville resident for 17 years and has two children in the district, ages 12 and 16. She has been a teacher for 21 years and a union representative for more than ... by Brendan J. O’Reilly

Southampton Village Board Unanimously Passes Code Updates on Side Yard Setbacks and Gross Floor Area Calculations, With Modifications

The Southampton Village Board unanimously approved several code changes at a work session on Tuesday night, April 23, related to dimensional regulations for residential yards, basement and cellar footprints, and calculations for the inclusion of additional structures, including garages, in a lot’s gross floor area. It had been the subject of controversy during a series of public hearings on the matter at the last board meeting on April 11. In response to objections raised at that meeting, the board amended some of the original proposed code changes, most notably pushing forward the effective grandfathering date from March 13 to April ... by Cailin Riley