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Jeannine Cecilia Forrestal
Jeannie Cecilia Forrestal of Hampton Bays died on May 11. She was 89.
Born in The Bronx, she was a long-time resident of Hampton Bays, where she died peacefully at her home surrounded by family.
In her younger years, she was a consummate horse rider on her dappled gray horse, Blue Dawn, exploring Pelham Bay Park.
After marriage in 1955, she relocated, first to Valley Stream, then Amityville, and finally to Hampton Bays in 1971 as her husband, Richard, served in the New York Air National Guard for 28 years.
She was very active in her community. She was a pioneer in the early days of community ambulances when women were not always welcome. She helped establish the role of women in EMS to this day. Ultimately, she obtained her EMT license and served her community in various roles on the ambulances for decades: dispatcher, driver and medic.
She was an active member of the Eastern Long Island Quilters Guild (ELIQG) and well known for her beautiful creations of quilts, crochet and knitting.
She served for many years as a CPR instructor for Southampton Town, certifying hundreds of people in lifesaving skills. Her efforts saved uncounted lives. She also worked at Southampton Town for 20 years as the coordinator for the Southampton senior shuttle, enabling senior citizens to get to medical appointments they otherwise would not have been able to.
When not in service to others, or traveling the world with her husband, she could be found in her garden, coaxing magnificent colors from sometimes reluctant flowers or, as an avid reader, reading history books to herself or others, over a cup of coffee in her kitchen.
Often, she would be found guiding her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren along the beaches of the oceans and bays teaching them about the wonders of the seashore.
She was predeceased by her parents, Francis and Lillian McCullough.
She is survived by her husband of 69 years, Richard; her children, Rory, Holly, and Kerry, their spouses Jennie, James, and Shannon, respectively; eight grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren, with two more expected this summer.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, May 23, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. at the Scott-Rothwell Funeral Home in Hampton Bays. A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, May 24, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Rosalie’s Church in Hampton Bays. Interment will follow at Calverton National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hallockville Museum Farm, 6038 Sound Ave., Riverhead, NY, 11901 or the Hampton Bays Volunteer Ambulance Corps, 18C Ponquogue Ave., Hampton Bays, New York 11946.
Staff Writer on May 13, 2024