Freeport Authors: T

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Lyman Taft was a newspaper reporter for the South Shore Messenger and the Rockaway Times.  He moved to Huntington where he was the district manager for the Brooklyn Eagle.  His parents were Mr. and Mrs. Andres Taft of Freeport.  While in Freeport he also was a hydrant inspector, a policeman, real estate broker, and police duty meter reader.  He was a member of Court Iroquois No. 130, the Freeport Fire Department, and Foresters of America.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Brandon Tartikoff was a television executive who was credited with turning around NBC's low prime time reputation with such hit series as Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, ALF, Family Ties, The Cosby Show, Cheers, Miami Vice, The Golden Girls, Knight Rider, The A-Team, St. Elsewhere, Night Court, Hunter, Highway to Heaven, Matlock, Remington Steele, A Different World, 227 and Empty Nest.  He was born in Freeport and was a graduate of Lawrenceville School and received his B.A. from Yale University in 1970.  He left NBC to head Paramount Pictures in 1991 and he then went into independent productions

See Also:

Tartikoff, Brandon (Freeport History Encyclopedia)

Kim Taylor is the author of the children's book A Flag for Juneteenth.  She donated a copy of her book to the library in April 2024.

[Biography by author]

Kim Taylor is a self-taught textile artist. She currently works as a Speech-Language Pathologist at a local school for the Deaf. Her acclaimed story quilts have been on exhibit at the African American Museum in Hempstead New York, a local Mayor’s office and many other venues. She has been the featured artist in several exhibits throughout Long Island. Her debut children’s book, A Flag for Juneteenth, is based on one of her favorite story quilts. Growing up, Kim could always be found with a good book in hand. She appreciated stories that could feed her imagination and take her to far off lands. She still loves to read stories that have lots of adventure and feature creative, curious characters. When she’s not creating story quilts, Kim can be found birdwatching, meditating, or gardening. Kim lives in New York with her beautiful daughter and very mischievous dog.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Bahadur Tejani was “born on the slopes of Kilimanjaro” in Kenya and studied literature at Makerere University, Kampala where he received his B.A. in English and African literature and history in 1964 and was the sports editor of the school newspaper.  He traveled to Cambridge University to read philosophy and received an M.A. in English and European literature.  He taught for a while at the University of Nairobi and in India (1967-1969) and earned a Ph.D. in African literature from the University of Nairobi in 1975.  He also taught at Sokoto University, Nigeria from 1977-1981.  He first immigrated to Vancouver, Canada.  From 1983 to 1988, he was an assistant professor at Medgar Evers College, CCNY.  He has also taught world literature at Fordham (1988-1989) and NYU (1989-1990).  He is now an associate professor at SUNY.

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Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Dr. Virginia R. Terris earned her B.A. from Douglass College; M.A. from Adelphi University and a Ph.D. from NYU in American and English literature.  Her poems have appeared in the New Yorker, Paris Review, Nation, American Poetry Review, Greenfield Review and elsewhere.  She served as the Long Island director of the Poetry Society of America from 1983-1987.  She is a Professor Emerita of English, Adelphi University.  She has contributed poems to poetrymagazines.org.uk.

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Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Michael Thal and his twin brother grew up in Freeport and graduated from Freeport High School in 1967.  He attended the University of Buffalo and earned a B.A. in history and went on to earn an M.A. from Washington University , St. Louis, in elementary education. He took an additional master’s in reading at California State University, Northridge.  He taught in the California public schools for 28 years but had to retire because of a hearing loss.  He has won the Word Weaver's Award for Excellence, the 73rd Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition and the Twelfth Annual Stepping Stone Children's Writer's Competition.  He has had over 50 articles published in local and national magazines

Beverley Thornton donated two copies of her book God Did It! to the Freeport Memorial Library on January 8, 2024.

[Biography by author]

Beverley Thornton is an enthused Freeport Author, was born in Georgetown, Guyana, South America.  She migrated to the USA in 1988, went to College and Grad School, studied Law, also acquired another Master's degree in Biblical Studies.  She has been living in Freeport, New York for over four (4) years now.  She commenced writing her book during the Pandemic, in November, 2020 and released her first Book "GOD DID IT!" in July of 2023, and is currently working on her 2nd Book.

Elizabeth Tocknell contributed a recollection to the book Recollections from a Senior Center, published by Helen Keller Services for the Blind Senior Center. Her recollection is on page 39.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Sasha Tomaszycki writes, along with Patrizia Hayashi, under the pen name of Gabriella Hewitt.  She attended elementary school in Freeport and now lives in Merrick.  She wrote about “vampires, werewolves, fairies and other worldly creatures since she could hold a pencil.”  She is a graduate of Baruch College where she earned a B.B.A. in marketing.  She is continuing her education at Hofstra University where she is working toward a master’s degree in elementary education.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Born on a farm on Merrick Road, Daniel M. Tredwell attended Hempstead Instiute and Kings College and graduated from law school.  He taught in the first school in Raynortown located at the convergence of Church and South Main Streets.  He began to practice law in 1848 and became Brooklyn’s oldest lawyer (for 73 years) and was a partner in the firm, Tredwell White & Co. which were searchers in the Brooklyn County Clerk’s office.  He also served as a substitute county clerk and was chief clerk of the Supreme Court of Brooklyn in 1850.  An historian, he wrote on a variety of subjects including the Civil War, lace, the sea, biography, and the illuminating of books.  He also lectured on popular science and wrote poetry.  He was a noted ethnological scholar.  Later on in his life he originated the title insurance business and was an officer of the Home Title Insurance Company and president of the Long Island Title Company.  At one time he was also a reporter for the Brooklyn Daily Freeman.  His books included History of Freeport, Legendary and Traditionary : History of Kings County, An Account of the Indians of Long Island, A Sketch of the Life of Apollonius of Tyana and Man and Things on Long Island.

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Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

A 1911 graduate of Freeport High School, Edward Wesley Tree came to Freeport from Connecticut in his sophomore year.  He was an editor of the student magazine, and a member of both the football and baseball teams.  He went to Cornell University.  He was the president of the Board of Education in 1924.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Anna Trotta is a native New Yorker who moved to Arizona with her husband and children.  She had previously lived in Freeport where she was a literary agent and public relations coordinator.  She has written for magazines such as Parent’s Magazine. 

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Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Cindi Trotta is the daughter of Anna and left Freeport for Arizona in 1976 with her family.  She won awards for her writing including an essay on crime prevention sponsored by the National Exchange Club in Freeport.

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

Mildred Terry Tucker was born in Freeport and can trace her roots back to the Denton family, one of the original settlers on Long Island.  She graduated in 1925, the first graduating class from the new Freeport High School.  She worked for Grumman Aircraft Company during World War II.  Her first husband was lost at sea in 1942.  She moved to Arizona where she died.  Her rich stories about Freeport evoke the era in which she live

See Also:

Oral History of Mildred Tucker

Biography by Cynthia J Krieg, Village Historian

The “Last of the Red Hot Mamas” Sophie Tucker rented a house in Freeport during the summer and was part of the actor’s colony.  It was handy for her husband, Frank Westphal, who was running the Sophie Tucker Garage on Merrick Road in Baldwin.  Her career started in Connecticut where she was given an introduction to Harry Von Tilzer, the song writer, by a future LIGHTS member.  Her trademark song was “Some of These Days.”  She was popular in vaudeville, and later on television.

[Biography found in the Freeport Baldwin Leader, 15 October 2015]

Meet Dr. Brenda Triplett, school administrator and author of "Mommy?" Dr. Triplett was inspired to write a reality-based book for other caregivers after the long journey of caring for her mother as she suffered through dementia. Hear the author as she presents her story with empathy, humor and shocking candor.