Jacqueline W. Denis of Southampton Dies August 20

Jacqueline W. Denis of Southampton died peacefully on August 20 at the East End Hospice Kanas Center for Hospice Care on Quioque. She was 90.

She was born in Southampton on March 21, 1934, to Albert and Estelle Warner. She and her two sisters, Shirley and Patricia, grew up in Riverhead.

She graduated with a B.S. degree from Syracuse University in 1956. A few weeks after graduation, she married the love of her life, Donald Denis. They met while they were both attending Syracuse University.

After graduation, the couple lived in Germany for about two years after her husband was drafted into the U.S. Army and stationed there. They both looked back fondly on their time in Germany. They took advantage of it; every weekend and vacation time was spent driving their Karman Ghia to explore new towns and cities.

The couple settled in Syracuse after returning from Germany. She taught kindergarten, and he was an architect. After several years, they moved to Riverhead, where they raised their two children, Alison and Patrick. In 1983, they moved to Southampton.

She taught kindergarten in the Riverhead Central School District until her retirement in 1996. She enjoyed teaching, and all her students benefited to have her as their introduction to school life. She offered nothing but love and support for “her little 5-year-olds,” her family said.

During her retirement, she was a member of the Southampton Golf Club and enjoyed playing golf with her husband and her Nine-Holer golf buddies.

She formed an investment club comprised of retired schoolteachers and enjoyed running the club and learning about the stock market.

She and her husband traveled extensively, visiting Japan, China, Russia, and Europe.

Additionally, she volunteered weekly at the Southampton Hospital Thrift Shop, and enjoyed interacting with the other volunteers and customers.

Her unending kindness, unwavering integrity, and cheerful sense of humor will be remembered and cherished by all who knew and loved her, her family said.

“Rest in peace, dear Jackie,” they said. “Your light continues to shine brightly, inspiring all who had the privilege of knowing you. Your legacy lives on in the countless lives you touched with your kindness, sense of humor, and warm, gentle smile.”

She is survived by her daughter, Alison Denis Longley; her son, Patrick; her son-in-law, the Reverend Steve Longley; and her two step-grandchildren, Henry and Emily Longley.

A visitation was scheduled for Tuesday, August 27, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at the Brockett Funeral Home in Southampton. A funeral Mass was planned for Wednesday, August 28, at 11 a.m. at the Basilica Parish of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in Southampton.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in her name to the Peconic Bay Medical Center (pbmchealth.org) in Riverhead or to the East End Hospice Kanas Center for Hospice Care on Quioque (eeh.org).