Gary Peter Benjamin of Riverhead, and formerly of Hampton Bays, died on April 16. He was 78.
He was an all star basketball player for the LaSalle Academy in Manhattan, and graduated with a master’s degree from the university of Virginia in the field of philosophy and business.
Many of his hobbies included being an avid book reader, especially on philosophy and ancient Greece, and he enjoyed bird watching.
He is survived by his children, Celeste Benjamin (Michael) Tracy, Vanessa Benjamin (Carl) Rus, and Gregory Gary Benjamin; his granddaughters, Mary Emmanuelle Tracy and Veronica Ruth Benjamin; and his brother, Robert Benjamin. He was predeceased by his wife, Ruth Benjamin Velez; and sister, Arlene Schiavone.
A memorial visitation will be held on Thursday, April 20, from 4-6 p.m. at the Tuthill-Mangano funeral home, 406 East Main St, Riverhead; and a funeral Mass is scheduled for Friday, April 21, at the St. Isidore Roman Catholic Church on Pulaski Street in Riverhead at 10:30 a.m., with interment at St. John the Evangelist Cemetery, St. Johns Place to follow.