Donald Dwyer

Donald Dwyer of Hampton Bays died at his home on Monday, March 30, of complications from colon cancer. He was 73.

Born and raised in New York, Mr. Dwyer was a graduate of LaSalle Academy in Manhattan, where he excelled in track. Earning a track scholarship to St. John’s University in Brooklyn, he graduated with a degree in business.

“Don was definitely a product of his environment,” said John Mathis, a business associate and friend of Mr. Dwyer for more than 40 years. “He was able to combine his New York City wisdom with his Hell’s Kitchen toughness into a focused, fiercely loyal and tenacious person.”

Diagnosed with colon cancer in 2004, Mr. Dwyer battled the disease until the end, choosing to enter hospice care only a week before his death.

His passion for life took hold even in the business world where he was a major player in the outdoor advertising industry. Throughout the years, he held executive sales management positions at Metromedia, Winston/TDI and Transportation Media Inc. (TMI). Harnessing his industry expertise and his overall competitive spirit, Mr. Dwyer took his career to new heights as he started his own company.

In the 1980s, he started Stadium Advertising & Marketing (SAM), and a few years later started another company, Target Specific Media (TSM). SAM was eventually dismantled, but he sold TSM two years ago to industry leader Metromedia Technologies, and the company remains productive and viable.

“We were fortunate to have Don remain in an executive position,” said Jim Campbell, CEO of Metromedia Technologies. According to associates, he worked even during his illness, and managed to close a multimillion-dollar deal from his bed just four days prior to his death.

Never one to shy away from any challenge, Mr. Dwyer ventured into the entertainment industry where he and his brother Douglas created “Justin’s,” a popular night club in Hampton Bays. After a fire destroyed the building, he rebuilt and opened another night club under the name “Justin’s Post House.”

“He was the driving force behind our venture, and he was really good at it,” said Douglas Dwyer. “He used his advertising expertise to get the word out and his business acumen to help us thrive.”

According to loved ones, Mr. Dwyer’s success could be attributed not only to his passion for everyone and everything, but also to his sense of humor.

“I remember when he took me to Gramercy Park and he flipped some peanuts through the locked fence to the squirrels,” said Mr. Mathis. “They sniffed at the peanuts, and amazingly scattered away, where in turn Donald said ‘These high class squirrels won’t eat peanuts. They only eat cashews and almonds.’”

According to his wife, Margaret, Mr. Dwyer cared for everyone and everything, including animals that would take up residence on their property. One of his favorite birds, a red-headed woodpecker, would greet Mr. Dwyer at the back of his house every morning, and after he became sick and confined to a bed in the front room, the bird moved with him as if he sensed his absence from the back of the house.

Mr. Dwyer kept a framed poster of John “The Duke” Wayne in his office, which was a fitting symbol of his courage, often portrayed in the actor’s roles. “He taught us all to get over ourselves, get on the horse and ride no matter what,” said Mr. Campbell. “As he rides off into the sunset, he will sorely be missed.”

He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Margaret Dwyer; a son, Justin; a daughter, Andrea; a brother, Douglas; a sister, Dolores; three grandchildren, Brittney, Aaron and Brian; seven nephews; four nieces; and 17 grand-nephews and grand-nieces.

A wake was held at the J. Ronald Scott Funeral Home in Hampton Bays on April 2 and 3. Funeral services were held at St. Rosalie’s Roman Catholic Church in Hampton Bays on April 4; interment followed at Good Ground Cemetery in Hampton Bays.

In lieu of flowers, donations to East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978, Bideawee, 118 Old Country Road, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978 or the Quogue Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 492, Quogue, NY 11959, would be appreciated by the family.