Last Updated: February 2, 2011

Obituaries

BARRY, John of Centre Island. A five-time Academy Award-winning composer of movies such as "Born Free" and "Out of Africa" who earned a prominent spot in pop-culture history by writing the scores for 11 James Bond films, including "From Russia With Love" and "Goldfinger," Barry was 77.
In a more than 40-year film composing career that began in 1960, the British-born Barry won his first two Oscars for the 1966 film "Born Free" - best original music score and best original song (for the popular title song, which he wrote with lyricist Don Black). Barry's other Oscars for best original score were for "The Lion in Winter" (1968), "Out of Africa" (1985) and "Dances with Wolves" (1990). He also was nominated for "Mary, Queen of Scots" (1971) and "Chaplin" (1992).
His work on the Bond films in the 1960’s helped launch Barry into the forefront of movie music composers. Barry went on to score "From Russia With Love," "Goldfinger," "Thunderball," "You Only Live Twice," "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," "Diamonds Are Forever," "The Man with the Golden Gun," "Moonraker," "Octopussy," "A View to Kill" and "The Living Daylights."
Barry's career began in a twangy guitar, jazz-rock idiom (in the 1960 film 'Beat Girl'), progressed through the fresh pop-orchestral sound of the James Bond films and eventually became one of grandly romantic, lushly orchestrated, symphonic scores for movies like 'Out of Africa' and 'Dances with Wolves.' "
His long and varied list of credits as a composer includes "Zulu," "Seance on a Wet Afternoon," "King Rat," "Petulia," "Midnight Cowboy," "Robin and Marian," the 1976 version of "King Kong," "Somewhere in Time," "Body Heat," "The Cotton Club," "Peggy Sue Got Married" and "Indecent Proposal."
A four-time Grammy Award winner, he also composed music for the 1970s television movies "Eleanor and Franklin," "The Glass Menagerie" and "Love Among the Ruins."
Barry, the youngest of four siblings, was born John Barry Prendergast on Nov. 3, 1933, in Yorkshire, England. He began studying piano at age 9 and later learned trumpet and studied orchestration. At 18, he joined the British Army and served in a military band while stationed in Egypt and Cyprus, where he took a correspondence course in arranging.
After his discharge, he formed his own instrumental group, the John Barry Seven, which played what has been described as jazz-influenced rhythm and blues and rock 'n' roll. The group had a number of hits and also provided backing for singer Adam Faith. When Faith appeared in the movie "Beat Girl," Barry did the score.
Barry, whose theater work includes the musicals "Billy" and "Brighton Rock," was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1998. A year later, he was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire.
Barry was divorced three times. Survivors include his wife of 33 years, Laurie, four children and five grandchildren.The funeral and burial will be private. A memorial service will be held at a later date.

BOCCIO, Richard V., on January 26, of Oyster Bay. Husband of Catherine. Father of James (Jeri), Richard, and Cathy (Glenn) Cartwright. Grandfather of Erin, Rachel, Jaclyn, Jessica, Ashley, Richie, Robbie, Kyle, and Courtney. Funeral Mass at St. Dominic’s R.C.Chapel. Interment Calverton National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the St. Francis Hospital.

CALLEJA, Elfrieda, in her one hundred year, on January 24. Wife of the late Joseph. Mother of Robert (Barbara) and Edward (Rose Marie). Grandmother of six grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren. Service at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 149th Street and Sanford Avenue,Flushing. Interment Flushing Cemetery.

LEAKE, Adelaide E. (nee Hicks) of Glen Cove, on January 27, age 93. Wife of the late Leon. Mother of Ivan (Gloria) and Michael (Gertrude). Sister of Bob, Harry, Janet, David, Tommy, Peter Hicks and the late Marie Crowe, Howell, John and Everett Hicks. Grandmother of Dante, Lachere, Anthony, Michael and Amanda. Great-grandmother of 12. Visiting at the Funeral Home of Dodge-Thomas, Glen Cove. Mass at St. Patrick RC Church. Interment Roslyn Cemetery. www.DodgeThomas.com

LEUTEMAN, Arthur H., on January 23, age 95, of Syosset. Husband of the late Ann (nee Markoski), and Alice (nee Schwenke). Father of Hank (Sylvia), Christina (Brad), Lisa Schaffer (Wayne), and Tory (Doug). Grandfather of Melissa Cole (Jason), Christopher (Joanne), and the late Adam Richards. Great-grandfather of five. Visiting Oyster Bay Funeral Home, 261 South Street, Oyster Bay. Funeral service will be held at Christ Church, Oyster Bay. Interment Holy Rood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations to Boy Scouts of America, Theodore Roosevelt Council, 544 Broadway, Massapequa, NY 11758 would be appreciated. www.oysterbayfuneralhome.com

MESSINA, Mildred on January 18. Wife of the late Salvatore. Mother of Leona Marks. Sister of Raymond Washecka. Grandmother of thirteen. Interment Holy Rood Cemetery.

Plummer, III, James A., on January 26, age 60, of Manhattan and formerly of East Norwich. Husband of the late Nancy “Winkie”. Brother of Lynne Zelano (John). Uncle of Peter Van Beek. Godson of Averil Clark and lifelong family friend of Virginia (Ginny) Russo. He leaves behindAunt Elsie Murray. Visiting Oyster Bay Funeral Home, 261 South Street, Oyster Bay. Interment Private. www.oysterbayfuneralhome.com

STANCO, Maria of Glen Cove, on January 23, age 84. Wife of the late Vito Anthony. Mother of Maria (Peter), Angela (Ted), Daniel, Michael (Christine) and the late Anthony. Sister of Philip Russo (Rosalie) and the late Concetta Andreotti (Dominic). Grandmother of Sarah, A.J. and Mary. Visiting at the Funeral Home of Dodge-Thomas, Glen Cove. Mass at the Church of St. Rocco. Interment Holy Rood Cemetery.

STEGER, Dr. Evelyn E., once described by the New York Times as “A Force of Nature”, died in her Glen Cove home on January 29, at the age of 93. Born in 1917 in Bellingham, Washington, Evelyn May Ecker was the third child of rugged frontier parents. She graduated from Western Washington Normal School (now Western Washington University) in 1935 and began a career as an English Literature teacher. With the outbreak of World War II she left her teaching position and went to work for the Boeing Company in Seattle, Washington as a key punch operator. After the war. she moved successively to El Salvador, Cuba, the Philippines, Singapore, Ann Arbor, Michigan and Washington, DC with her husband, a US Foreign Service Officer. In El Salvador, Evelyn went to work as an education instructor for the US Government Point Four program, the predecessor agency of the United States Agency for International Development. She studied art and became an accomplished artist, winning awards for her art in Havana, Cuba and Miami, FL.
In 1960, Evelyn went back to school and earned her Doctorate of Philosophy at Catholic University in Washington, DC. She became a Professor of Philosophy at St. John’s University in 1963 and continued to teach there until she was in her late 80’s. During this period, she also established Summiye Designs, an upper-end architectural design firm named to honor Japanese Ink Painting. The crowning achievement of her home designs was realized in her own self-designed, self-constructed home in Glen Cove, the subject of a New York Times special report in March, 2006. It was in this context that she was described by the Times as “A Force of Nature.”T She is survived by her three sons, L. Craig Johnstone, Michael K. Johnstone and Sean Steger, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Arrangements Dodge-Thomas Funeral Home, Glen Cove. A memorial service will be held at her home in Glen Cove on February 12 at 10:30 AM. Interment private.

ZIELINSKI, Adele S. of Southold died on January 12. She was 89 years old. Born in Brooklyn New York, on July 26, 1921, she was the daughter of John and Sophie (Kawsneski) Skalecki. Formerly of Locust Valley.
She is survived by her husband, Arthur L. Zielinski; a daughter and son-in-law, Gerlynn and Paul Zambratto of Oyster Bay, a granddaughter, Catherine Nunn; and a great-grandson, Christopher Nunn.

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