Longtime Sag Harbor Fire Department Volunteer Ted Stafford Jr. Dies On May 2

Ted Stafford Jr., a longtime Sag Harbor Fire Department volunteer and former Southampton Town Police officer, will be remembered for his service and dedication to his family and his work, according to those who knew him.Mr. Stafford, 73, died on May 2 after he collapsed in the driveway of his Sag Harbor home, a few hours after dispatching a medevac call for a child who had fallen down a flight of stairs.

Because Mr. Stafford died within 24 hours of the call, his death was considered to be in the line of duty, according to Sag Harbor Fire Department Chief Thomas Gardella.

He was born in Queens in 1942, and he grew up in Floral Park. His family spent summers in Sag Harbor, where he met Frances Trunzo. They were married in October 1965, and moved to Sag Harbor full-time about a year later. Mr. Stafford’s wife, Frances, died in 1998.

He was a U.S. Navy veteran; his family said that when the Vietnam War began in 1955, his ship was involved in the first shelling from the shore of Vietnam.

A 48-year member of the fire department, he held many different positions, including captain, warden, department treasurer and leader of the honor guard.

Mr. Stafford had served as a Southampton Town Police officer for more than 20 years. He was also deputy mayor of Sag Harbor Village, and served as president of the Southampton Town Patrolman’s Benevolent Association for 12 years, as well as on the executive boards of both the New York State Police Conference and the National Association of Police Organizations.

Mr. Stafford was named Police Officer of the Year in 1978, and he was well-known in different police unions across the state. He was named the “guardian” and “forever president” of the Southampton Town PBA in April 2015.

Town Police Lieutenant Susan Ralph said Mr. Stafford was considered one of the “original members” of the Town Police Department. “Everything starts off with ‘1,’” she said, noting that his shield number was number 76. “Even in his retirement, we did see him,” she said. “That man, whenever he came in the building, he always had a smile on his face. He was well-loved, very well-loved.”

In addition to his two sisters, Helen Diakun and Priscilla Stafford, Mr. Stafford is survived by four children—John Stafford, Andrea McAree, Maureen Stafford and Ted Stafford III—and many grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and in-laws.

Mr. Stafford’s family said he was always at his grandchildren’s softball and baseball games, and that he was their biggest supporter. He kept score for their teams, and he always cheered them on.

In his spare time, Mr. Stafford and his wife enjoyed fishing and scalloping in Sag Harbor, as well as playing cards and doing jigsaw puzzles.

A wake was held at Yardley & Pino Funeral Home in Sag Harbor on Saturday and Sunday, and a funeral was held at the Old Whalers’ Church in Sag Harbor on Monday. Burial was at Oakland Cemetery.