Stephanie Foster Of Water Mill Dies On June 9 At Age of 39.

icon 1 Photo
East Hampton's Turner Foster is the returning county champion. NICHOLAS SERRATA

East Hampton's Turner Foster is the returning county champion. NICHOLAS SERRATA East Hampton's Turner Foster removes the chip from the ball on the 6th green during Round 1 of the NYSPHSAA at Robert Trent Jones Golf Course in Ithaca, NY. Nck Serrata - The East Hampton/Southampton Press

author on Jun 18, 2012

Stephanie Lee Foster

Stephanie Lee Foster of Wind Gap, Pennsylvania, and Water Mill died suddenly at her home in Pennsylvania on Saturday, June 9, from a severe asthma attack. She was 39.

Born on December 2, 1972, to Linda and Leonard Foster of Water Mill, Ms. Foster was a graduate of Southampton High School and East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, with a degree in special education. She continued her studies to obtain a master’s degree, also in special education, with an emphasis on teaching children with autism.

She worked for the Youth Advocacy Program, which specialized in teaching students with autism, during the school day and provided home services to students after school. Shortly thereafter, she became a full time teacher for Colonial Intermediate in Easton, Pennsylvania, but continued to work for YAP, her first love. She was an active member of Autism Speaks and was always looking for and thinking of new and inventive ways to teach and help her special children. Ms. Foster’s love and dedication for her students will live on in their lives, survivors said. Even after her death, she continued to give by being an organ donor.

She is survived by her parents, Linda Casparsen Foster and Leonard Monroe Foster; a sister Nichole Foster; a brother Kevin Foster; grandmothers, Katherine Casparsen and Doris Foster; aunts, uncles, cousins, and her niece, Meredith, who she adored. The family received friends Thursday, June 14, and Friday, June 15, at O’Connell Funeral Home. A funeral took place at the funeral home on Saturday, June 16, in which the Reverend Monsignor Jeff Madley officiated. She was interred at Sacred Hearts Roman Catholic Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Autism Speaks, www.autismspeaks.org, would be appreciated by the family.

You May Also Like:

Joy and Happiness

To the members of our community near and far: We would like to thank everyone who came out to enjoy the Parade of Lights and tree lighting in Agawam Park this past Saturday evening. It was another fantastic experience for Southampton. We are grateful to our fire and EMS departments that participated in the parade, decorating their trucks and vehicles and bringing so much joy and happiness to all those who lined the streets. Thank you to the Voices of Southampton, under the direction of James Tartaglia, for their beautiful singing, and special thanks to the Southampton Fire Department chiefs ... 2 Dec 2025 by Staff Writer

Meaningful Recognition

On behalf of Southampton Village Ocean Rescue (SVOR), we are deeply grateful to Mayor Bill Manger and the Southampton Village Board, including Trustee Roy Stevenson, our liaison, for formally adopting the local law authorizing up to a 10 percent property tax exemption for SVOR members. A heartfelt thank you to Eileen Powers, village attorney, for her diligent work in facilitating this resolution, guiding it smoothly to completion in a timely manner. We also value Scott Russell, village administrator, for his important input and we sincerely appreciate the continued support of the village we proudly serve. Thanks to the efforts of ... by Staff Writer

Connecting to History

David Rung’s recent letter regarding the proposed Southampton Village Historical Walking Tours [“Wasted Dollars,” Letters, November 20] seems to misunderstand the intent of this initiative. The idea is not to recreate Google Maps or offer a generic navigation tool. Rather, this project envisions self-guided historic walking tours of Southampton Village — particularly within the village business district — designed to celebrate and share our community’s rich history. Southampton has many remarkable stories to tell, from its founding to the many historic landmarks that define our identity today. Many visitors and even some residents are unaware of the depth of that ... 1 Dec 2025 by Staff Writer

Lack of Ethics

The November 25 Southampton Village Board work session delivered yet another reminder of our village’s lack of ethics. There were many cringeworthy moments, but none more uncomfortable than watching Trustee Roy Stevenson forced to read a prepared statement recusing himself because the matter involved his golf buddy and major campaign donor. That donor received a reduction in his taxable assessed value through the settlement of an Article 7 tax grievance. What made the moment even more troubling was that Mayor Bill Manger also came into the meeting with a prepared statement expressing his intention to vote in favor of the ... by Staff Writer

Santa Coming to Westhampton Beach

The Village of Westhampton Beach will host its annual Christmas Tree and Menorah Lighting Celebration on the Village Green on Saturday, December 6, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. At 6 p.m., the Westhampton Beach Fire Department will escort Santa to the Green, joining decorated fire trucks from neighboring departments in a festive parade of lights down Main Street. The trucks will leave the Westhampton Beach firehouse at 5:45 p.m., travel south on Sunset Avenue, and turn left onto Main Street before concluding at the Village Green, where Santa will greet children of all ages. by Staff Writer

Garden Club Makes Holiday Baskets for Hospice Patients

The Southampton Garden Club recently designed and decorated holiday baskets for hospice patients and their ... by Staff Writer

About Priorities

In a recent article about SNAP (Supplemental Assistance Benefits Program) being caught up in the most recent government shutdown [“SNAP Funding Turmoil Hits East End Food Pantries Ahead of Winter Season,” 27east.com, October 30], and the consequences to East End food pantries, Congressman Nick LaLota was quoted to the effect that he would insist that Democrats pass the latest continuing resolution to fund the government to restore SNAP benefits. Some thoughts on Mr. LaLota blaming Democrats: Democrats were reluctant to back the continuing resolution since it didn’t extend Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies, but agreed after Senate Republican leader John ... by Staff Writer

Stunningly Wrong

Lake Agawam Conservancy Chair Robert Giuffra is Donald Trump’s personal attorney, according to Business Insider. So I read his letter, “Playing Politics” [November 27], with disbelief and embarrassment — for him. For someone who touts himself as co-chair and attorney at Sullivan & Cromwell, Mr. Giuffra manages to get the law stunningly wrong. Let’s start with the basics. Mr. Giuffra claims that the conservancy’s massive Gin Lane project was “fully approved” by the village trustees. That is simply false, and he knows it. A blanket resolution from 2024 authorizing the mayor to enter an agreement is not approval of detailed ... by Staff Writer

Essential Step

Southampton Village residents deserve a government that operates with full transparency, not through unwritten rules that shift from meeting to meeting. That is why I will introduce a resolution to formally adopt clear, written procedures for how Board of Trustees agendas are prepared. A core part of this resolution makes one thing unmistakable: Every trustee will have the guaranteed right to place resolutions on the agenda for discussion and vote by 4 p.m. the day before each meeting — an essential step for accountability. This ends any ambiguity about agenda access and ensures that all elected officials can bring important ... by Staff Writer

Demonstrably False

Residents should be asking: Why is Village Hall working so hard to hide a publicly funded report? During my tenure as mayor, Southampton Village secured funding for a reconnaissance study to evaluate our historic district. The goal was to gather facts and allow residents to weigh in openly on any proposal that might affect their homes. Today, that same report, paid for with public funds and prepared by the consultant Preservation Studios, is being withheld not only from the public but also from the trustees who funded it. Last week, The Southampton Press awarded Village Hall a “dunce cap” [“Gold ... by Staff Writer