Freeport Authors: S

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Nat Scammacca is a New York born Sicilian American who reversed his Sicilian family's immigration story.  His writing became a “moving testament to the trials and tribulations of relocating an American self in contemporary Sicily.”  He is the author of hundreds of poems, stories, and articles.

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Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Dick Schaap was born in Brooklyn and graduated from Freeport High School in 1951.  At 14 he was writing a sports column, "Scanning the Sports Scene,” for the Freeport Leader.  "I think I was paid five dollars a column. I was overpaid," he wrote.  The following year he moved to the Nassau Daily Review-Star where he worked for Jimmy Breslin.  At Cornell University he was editor-in-chief of the student paper, the Cornell Daily Sun, and graduated in 1955.  He received a Grantland Rice fellowship to the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.  After college, he was the sports editor of Newsweek magazine.  He followed Breslin to the Long Island Press, the New York Herald Tribune and the World Journal Tribune.  He appeared on the NBC Nightly News.

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Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Doris Schindler, the daughter of famous auto racing driver William “Bill” Schindler graduated from Freeport High School.  After her father lost his life in a racing accident in 1952, she entered the United States military.  She owned Schindler Enterprises in Irving, Texas and wrote a monthly auto racing column for The Alternative, a vintage motor racing publication in Pennsylvania. 

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Gilbert C. Shadwell was the historian of Spartan Lodge, No. 956 of Freeport.  In 1926 and 1930 his occupation dealt with ranges. 

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Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

A journalist and historian, Lacy Shaw graduated from Brooklyn College with a B.A. in history.  He was a graduate assistant at Morgan State University where he earned his M.A. in African American History.  At NYU he was an ABD in American History.  Professor Shaw was an academic advisor and instructor in the department of history and political science at Touro College.  He is a professor of history at Empire State College and Medger Evans College.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Sharon Sigmond Shebar and her husband, Jonathan, were born in Brooklyn and attended school in Miami, Florida.  She is a graduate of Hofstra University and he a graduate of the University of Miami.  Her M.A. is from C.W. Post College.  He also attended law school in New York City.  They met while teaching elementary school in Amityville where he continued to teach third grade.  She was a special education teacher in New York.  In 2005 she was teaching writing at Nassau Community College.

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Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Daughter of Sharon and Jonathan Shebar, Susan E. Shebar graduated from Freeport High School in 1990 where she was in the Drama and Key Clubs and was on the staff of the newspaper and yearbook.  She attended Brandeis University and has earned both her B.A. and M.A. (1996 from Long Island University).  In 2005, she was the Director of Development Services/Capital Campaign Associate for Long Island University.

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Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

A transplant from Boston, Ernest Sherman moved to Freeport in 1951, at the age of 15, and graduated from Freeport High School in 1953.  He earned his B.A. in philosophy from Adelphi University in 1957 and his M.A. in philosophy and psychology from The New School in 1964.  He also completed doctoral level courses at the New School.  He joined the faculty at Pace University as a philosophy instructor and retired as a full professor in 2000.  Beside his book, which was a basic college text for many years, he has written journal articles and professional papers.  Presently he is writing haiku and has had his work published in Frogpond and Modern Haiku.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Murray J. Siegel was a 1942 graduate of Freeport High School where he was a tackle on the football team.  His father owned A. Siegel’s paint store on South Main Street.  He became a band boy for Freeporter Chubby Jackson, toured the country and became friends with many jazz greats.  Always a fat person, Siegel researched obesity and developed a program to help people lose weight through his organization, Think Thin, Inc. which became a multi-million dollar corporation.  Because of his inspiration, over 55 of his clients established “Think Thin” sites.  In promoting his venture, Siegel appeared on the Alan Burke, Joe Franklin, Mike Douglas and Merv Griffin shows.  He also broadcast the races from Freeport Stadium, was an officer of the Chamber of Commerce and a trustee of the Freeport Historical Society.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Editor of Fortune magazine and a journalist, Charles J. Silberman was born in Des Moines, Idaho.  He received his B.A. from Columbia University in 1946 and continued in graduate study.  He taught at City College and Columbia University.

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Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Roy Silver was born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and attended De Witt Clinton High School in 1935.  He earned his Bachelor’s from the State Normal School at New Paltz in 1939 and began teaching eighth graders at the Oakland Military Academy in New Jersey.  After a few jobs, he went to work as a copy boy for The New York Times and soon became a reporter assigned to Police Headquarters in Brooklyn.  He served in World War II in the Air Force.  From 1957 on, he reported from Nassau County and moved to Freeport around 1965.  He was regarded as the dean of the press corps at the State Supreme Court building in Mineola.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

A Freeport High School graduate in 1956, Jacqueline Sinton wrote a weekly column “Transcendance” in the Community International Reporter, a newspaper.  She founded in 1979 and was a reverend with Discovered Being Ministries, Inc. in Roosevelt as was her husband, who also graduated in 1956.  The community outreach program is entitled C.L.O.W.N.S. (Children, Love, Obedience, Wisdom, Nourishment, Success) and is concerned with character education based on spirituality.

Robert E. Sizemore is graduate of Freeport High Schools and is an employee of the Freeport Memorial Library.

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See:

Thornton, Beverley

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

A retired Eastern Air Lines pilot, Ed Slane was born in Brooklyn and his family moved to Freeport in 1938.  As a youngster, he worked for Schultz Sporting Goods Co. providing them with worms, many of which were dug up on the lawn of the Freeport Memorial Library.  A 1953 graduate of Freeport High School, he announced the football games at Freeport Municipal Stadium with his co-anchor Dick Schaap.  He would sneak into the Freeport Stadium to watch the racecars.  He writes articles for Vintage Oval Racing using photographs from Marty Himes Museum.  He has been buying classic racecars and races them.  He also collects Schultz fishing reels.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Alvin G. Smith was a civil engineer and president of the Smith & Malcomson Company located at 117 Olive Boulevard.  During the incorporation of Freeport in 1892, he surveyed and mapped the territory that would be included.  Many of the surveys of Freeport developments were surveyed by Smith.

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Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Elinor Smith was born in New York City and had her first plane ride when she was six.  Her father, Tom Smith a vaudevillian who was part of the actor’s colony, encouraged her.  She set many aviation records: youngest woman to fly solo at the age of 15 and the youngest person to earn a pilot's license in the United States.  At the age of 17, Smith flew under four East River bridges in New York City - Queensboro, the Williamsburg, the Manhattan, and the Brooklyn.  She is the only person ever to accomplish that feat.  She set a new women's endurance record of 42 hours in 1929 and was the first women aviator to accomplish aerial refueling.   She was a test pilot for Fairchild Aviation Corporation.  In 1033 she married Patrick Sullivan, a New York state legislator and attorney in and remained in Freeport to raise their four children.  She was a founding member of the Long Island Early Fliers and promoted the creation of the Cradle of Aviation Museum.  

See Also:

Smith, Elinor (Freeport History Encyclopedia)

Latia Smith is author of the children's book Peter's Trip to the Dentist. She donated the book to the library in February 2023.  In November 2023, She donated her books, Charlotte Gets Braces and Mimi Gets a Tooth Filling.

[Biography by author]

For over a decade Latia Smith has been serving the community members of Long Island and Queens as a dedicated Dental Hygienist. Working in a pediatric setting has inspired her to debut her first children’s story book, allowing her to share a positive experience that children can encounter during their visit with the dentist.

Being an advocate for oral hygiene has been a focal point for the UNC Chapel Hill graduate throughout her career. When she isn’t indulging in work and her creative writing hobby, Latia enjoys dabbling in culinary arts, studying Spanish as a second language, and going on outdoor excursions.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

President of the Far Rockaway Bank, Samuel R. Smith was a director of the Equitable Personal Loan Company.  He was one of the seven man committee involved in the incorporation of Freeport in 1892.   He was charged with doing the research “to procure a copy of the law” relating to incorporation.  He was further requested to ask Far Rockaway how they achieved this status and to survey the people of Coe’s Neck (South Bayview) to determine if they wanted to be included.  Although nominated to be the first president of Freeport, he lost the election to Carman Cornelius.  He also was president of the school board in 1906 as well as part of the Library Association’s committee drive to build a memorial library.

See Also:

Smith, Samuel R. (Freeport History Encyclopedia)

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Valentine W. Smith was a cashier of the Far Rockaway Bank.

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Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Edward J. Smits grew up in Freeport and graduated with the class of 1951.  He earned a B.A. in history from Hofstra University and an M.A. in American civilization from Columbia University.  He was the curator of the Nassau County Historical Museum from 1955-1971 and the County’s Division of Museum Services from 1971-1992.  He was involved with the development of the Cradle of Aviation Museum.  He continues as the official Nassau County Historian.

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Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

A Freeport resident, Madeline H. Snyder was born in Ward, West Virginia and spent her young years in Louisiana and Texas.  She graduated from a private school in Brooklyn.  She enjoys writing, painting, crewel embroidery, dancing and tennis.

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Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Born in New York, Lester Sobel graduated from City College in 1942 with a B.B.A.  He served during World War II from 1942-1944 and became a sergeant.  He received the Bronze Star.  Sobel worked for Facts on File beginning in 1946 as an editor and writer.  His name is affixed to many of the volumes from this publisher.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Michael Sofarelli grew up in Freeport hearing his father talk about his tour of duty as a Marine in Vietnam.  His father received the Purple Heart for wounds suffered in battle.  The son is a creative director and graphic designer.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Ruth Freeman Solomon was born in Kiev and immigrated to the United States when she was three.  She was raised in Fall River, Massachusetts and Freeport and educated in Freeport schools.  She graduated Phi Beta Kappa, in 1929, with a degree in political science from Syracuse University.  After a short residence in Vienna, she lived the rest of her life in San Francisco.  She also earned a graduate degree in humanities from the University of Vienna.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Henry Somers was born and raised in New York City and was drafted into the Army at the age of 18.  After the surrender of Japan, he returned home and attended Columbia University on the GI Bill.  He and his wife moved to Freeport in 1954 and he worked for the Travelers Insurance Company in Garden City.  After he retired, he wrote his book about the career of a man in the service.

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[Biography by author]

Barbara J. Spinelli is a former finance industry leader, now a career consultant assisting people in finding and fortifying their career path. She is also the co-chairperson of a community business center supporting the development and growth of new and existing small businesses. She holds a B.A. from Adelphi University and a Master’s degree in Organizational Counseling from New York Institute of Technology.

Barbara has always balanced her professional life with her creative enterprises. As a prolific published poet, she has hosted numerous poetry events in a variety of settings. She has also collaborated on documentaries supporting children’s causes and hosts a regular memoir group since 2014, producing anthologies showcasing the member’s works.

Barbara also is a successful mixed media artist who has had her works exhibited in several venues and had a one-woman show sponsored by the Long Island Artists Council of Freeport, NY.

Deborah Stephney is the author of Simon Saves the Land of Colorloo and Simon's Alphabet Adventure.  She donated copies of her books to the library in May 2021.

[Biography by author]

Writing has always been a passion, isn't that what everyone says? Sure, I enjoyed it in school, but I never thought much about it afterward. People joked that I could write an interesting story if I wrote about my dreams and nightmares. As creative as I was, I'd laugh it off and walk away. Who did I think I was, J.K. Rowling? Stephen King? Or any of the other millions of famous and published authors?

But one night, after reading a book known for sparkling vamps, this dream hit differently. I couldn't stop thinking about it - at a stop light, eating lunch, while I was trying to work - it took over all thoughts I had. I needed to release the dialogue in my mind. So, I wrote. And wrote. All of my free time, and some of my work time, I spent unloading this story. While I never thought it'd see the light of day, I continued because it was therapeutic. Writing was no longer just a hobby, it was my therapy, something I needed to do to get through some rough times. Once the first book was written, I wrote another. I jotted down concepts for a third and then a fourth, all while continuing to create.

It'd be irresponsible of me to call this a career, as lovely as it'd be to quit my job and write in front of a large picture window that overlooks a beach with clear waters and beautiful sands. It has become a passion, one that has personal rewards and maybe one day a financial one (gotta put it in the universe just to be safe).

Everyday I try to improve my writing techniques and develop my unique literary style. It is a lot of work editing something that's so personal, but I'll keep doing it because it's what I love. And it doesn't hurt knowing people enjoy reading something I've created.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Hugo Stearns was a wealthy Manhattan importer and merchant and was born in Westphalia where he spent much of his youth writing short stories and loafing behind the scenes in theatres and circuses.  He came to the United States in 1888 and began his business career which culminated in his control of the ostrich feather market.  The Queen of England sent him a gift in recognition of his efforts in promoting the ostrich feather business.  Around 1905, he purchased a large tract of land in Freeport north of the railroad along Pennsylvania Avenue.  At some point, his friends prevailed on him to sell them some of the property.  By 1925, there were 35 expensive and stylish homes in Stearns Park  This club colony was one of the show places of Freeport.  Stearns retired in 1928 and was able to devote his full time to his first love – writing, and keeping open house for his friends, many of whom were connected with the arts.  His wife Erna died in 1968.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

James Esmond Stiles was born in Saratoga Springs, New York and came, with his family, to Freeport in 1905.  He played on Freeport High School’s football team, was the manager of the basketball team, acted in plays, and graduated as the president of his class in 1909.   He graduated from Wesleyan University in 1913 and went on to be the manager and publisher of the Alumni Record.  Soon after college, he began the Nassau Post and was editor and publisher of this weekly located in Freeport.  Over the years be bought up a number of south shore newspapers which he consolidated into the Nassau Daily Review (later the Nassau Daily-Review-Star).  He relocated the plant to Rockville Centre and was editor and publisher for a number of years.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Helen L. Strang graduated from Freeport High School in 1922.  She was a DAR Regent.

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Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Born in Freeport, Thomas Stroh received his B.A. from Colgate University in 1948 and his M.A. from Columbia in 1963 as well as his professional diploma in 1965 and his Ed.D. in 1968.  He was a reporter for Dun & Bradstreet and worked in marketing for a number of firms.  He moved to Boca Raton where he joined the faculty of Florida Atlantic University.  He was the author and producer of more than 50 educational films and a contributor of articles to Marketing News Letter.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Margaret Beebe Sutton was the author of the 38 volume popular Judy Bolton Mystery Series.  Born in Odin, Pennsylvania, she graduated from Rochester Business Institute and worked as a secretary for Stromberg-Carlson in Rochester.  She held a number of printing jobs in various cities.  When she moved to Freeport, she was instrumental in founding and was a board member of the South Nassau Unitarian Universalist Church at 280 South Ocean Avenue.  She was active in community affairs and taught creative writing at the Freeport Memorial Library.

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Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Georgette Symonds is a former Freeporter who was born in Brooklyn to an Irish family.  Her mother brought her to the library at the age of six to get a library card and she has been a book lover ever since.  She pursued her career as a critical care nurse at South Nassau Community Hospital as she raised her three children.  Her first book, Thoughts on Life From My Desk Chair; about improving your health, led to TV appearances and seminars on stress reduction through perception.  One of her stories was published in the Chicken Soup series and she’s been interviewed on KJOY-FM radio.