Obituaries

Sheila Crasky Ray, whose yard in Montauk was a sanctuary for deer, squirrels, and a variety of birds, died of heart failure on Aug. 16 at Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson. She was 79 and had been ill for eight months.

Elisabeth Brugnoni, a painter, talented seamstress, and gifted cook, moved to Amagansett in 1972 with her husband, Marc Brugnoni, and three daughters, and “immediately fell in love with her new home and the surroundings,” her family wrote. Mrs. Brugnoni, described as “a loving mother, a cherished wife, and a much-beloved friend,” died in her sleep on July 3 in Northampton, Mass. She was 83.

Richard Ellis Lynn had already retired from a career as a successful insurance executive when he was accepted at Harris Manchester College at the University of Oxford in England to study Renaissance literature. When he returned to East Hampton after his studies, he published a book of his poetry, “Bottom’s Dream," and “for the rest of his life, he would find great satisfaction in his poetry practice,” his family said.

Thomas Kelsall, who was deputy principal investigator on the NASA team credited with developing technology that yielded proof that the Big Bang Theory was correct, died in hospice care in Mitchellville, Md., on Aug. 13. Formerly of East Hampton, he had experienced complications of dementia.

Marshall Garypie Jr., a science teacher and a member of the Sag Harbor Village Board in the early 1990s, died on Aug. 3 at Long Island Community Hospital in Patchogue. He was 86 and had been ill for three months.

An English teacher and attorney in private practice, Robert T. Anker of East Hampton and Brooklyn Heights died at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital on Aug. 2.

Averill Dayton Geus, who died at home on Old Orchard Lane in East Hampton on Aug. 1, was one of the last of what East Hampton used to call its “great ladies.” In a life distinguished by personal courage and indomitable energy, she wielded considerable political and social influence through the channels of soft power available to women of her generation — as the town’s official historian; as a president of the Ladies Village Improvement Society and of the Suffolk County Historical Society; as curator at Home, Sweet Home Museum; as a teacher, and as an outspoken champion of the preservation of our built heritage.

Mario Jose Stutterheim of Amagansett, a classical music announcer at WQXR, WNCN, and WBAI in New York City for over 40 years, died on July 10 at the Kanas Center for Hospice Care in Quiogue. He was 82.

Gladys Whitridge Collier, a national duplicate bridge champion who twice represented the United States at the World Bridge Championships and was one of the top players on Long Island and in the country, died at home in East Hampton on June 27. She was 101.

A memorial gathering for Richard Ellis Lynn of East Hampton will be held on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Yardley and Pino Funeral Home in East Hampton, with visiting hours to begin at 1:30.

Richard Evan Ekstract, a magazine publisher who founded Hamptons Cottages and Gardens, a noted art collector, and a real estate developer, died on Aug. 7 at Good Samaritan Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. A part-time resident of the South Fork for many years, he was 92.

Dick Webb, who grew up in Montauk and devoted his life to charity and humanitarian work, died on July 18. He was 89.