Frederick Filasky
Frederick C. Filasky, the onetime owner of an East Hampton bed and breakfast called the Plover’s Nest, died at Southampton Hospital on May 29 of congestive heart failure. He was 75, and had been ill for some time.
With his wife, the former Adele Stoessel, Mr. Filasky had recently been renovating a house in Springs. The couple were skilled in interior design and the renovation process, and since 1992 had bought and sold houses in various places from the Hamptons to Vermont. They owned and operated a rental property on the Caribbean island of St. Barth’s for 11 years, and had spent the last few years living in a log cabin in southern Vermont, overlooking the Green Mountain range.
They established the Plover’s Nest in 1996 and ran it for four years.
Mr. Filasky was born in Hempstead on Aug. 6, 1938, a son of John H. Filasky and the former Rose Vollkommer. He spent his childhood on the family farm in Upper Brookville, sharing with six siblings the responsibilities of harvesting potatoes, cabbages, and other crops.
After graduating from Oyster Bay High School he took over the management of the farm and transformed it into a Long Island and metropolitan area tourist attraction, offering pumpkin picking and hayrides in the fall, Christmas-tree cutting, and a selection of summertime sweet corn.
He loved to be outdoors, his family said. On camping trips in the wilderness, they said, he would hunt during the day and tell stories and jokes around the campfire by night. With his wife, he enjoyed boating and tanning on the beach, as well as fast cars, snowmobiling, motorcycles, and skiing.
A savvy negotiator, Mr. Filasky also loved to seek out and buy interesting antiques, including old guns and knives, military pieces, furniture, and other home décor. In 1987, when his farming days were over, he started a soil-excavating business with his two elder sons, Fred Filasky Jr. of Jericho and Brian Filasky of Huntington Station.
In addition to his wife and sons, he was survived by three other children. They are Karen Filasky of Rocky Point, Holly Rule of Plainsboro, N.J., and Shane Filasky of Amagansett.
Also surviving are three sisters, Delores Somelofski of Andes, N.Y., Barbara Wyatt of Sandy Spring, Md., and June Burket of Rochester, and a brother, Ray Filasky of Delaware and Maryland. He leaves three grandchildren.
Mr. Filasky “was a true businessman, entrepreneur, and charmer, with many talents and a quick wit that captivated everyone around him,” his family said. “Each and every dream” he envisioned with his wife, “always and without fail became a reality,” she said.
A wake was held at the Yardley and Pino Funeral Home in East Hampton on June 2, with a service presided over by the Rev. Tony Larson of the Springs Presbyterian Church. A get-together followed at Nichol’s restaurant in East Hampton.
Mr. Filasky was cremated. The family plans a memorial celebration at a future date.
Memorial contributions have been suggested to the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 417005, Boston 02241, or to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 11454, Alexandria, Va. 22312.