JOHN JEROME, 45, OF OAKDALE DIED SADLY ON NOVEMBER 2, 2004. JOHN WAS HEAD CHIEF OF THE WEST SAYVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT. HE WAS A DEVOTED MEMBER FOR 20 YEARS AND IN HIS SEVENTH YEAR AS CHIEF.
JOHN LOST HIS 11 MONTH BATTLE WITH LUNG CANCER WITH HIS FAMILY AND FELLLOW FIREFIGHTERS BY HIS SIDE. HE WAS A WONDREFUL HUSBAND, FATHER, AND GRANDFATHER.
JOHN IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE, JOAN, FIVE CHILDREN, JEANINE (BRISSON), CHRISTOPHER, DAVID, TAMARA, AND JOHN JR. HE IS ALSO SURVIVED BY A SON IN LAW, RUSS, AND THREE BEAUTIFUL GRANDCHILDREN, RUSSELL, LOGAN, AND RILEY.
NO MATTER HOW SICK JOHN WAS, HE CARED MORE OF HOW HIS FAMILY WAS DEALING WITH IT. HE WAS NOT READY TO LEAVE THEM BEHIND. JOHN FOUGHT THIS DEADLY DISEASE UNTIL THE MOMENT HE PASSED ON.
HE WAS A DEVOTED HUSBAND, FATHER, GRANDFATHER, CHIEF AND FIREFIGHTER UNTIL THE DAY HE DIED.
HE WILL ALWAYS BE IN ALL OF OUR HEARTS!!!!

George Simms, a beloved and trusted former Long Island druggist, died from heart disease at the Marliere Hospice Center near his home in New Port Richey, Florida on Saturday. May 7th - he was 75 years old.

As a long time resident of Oakdale, Simms volunteered as a firefighter and was a member of the local Lions Club. He was an avid photographer and loved to fish - having been a first mate on charter fishing boats while working his way through school.

Simms, who was born in Flushing, retired from Islip Rexall Drugs in 1988 after cardiac bypass surgery. He had been a trusted member of the Islip community during his 30 years at the pharmacy and relocated to Florida in 1990. A graduate of Sayville High School in 1945, he attended St. John's University before a career that included sales (for Wyeth Drugs and others) and retail (in a few Sayville and West Sayville pharmacies) before his long stint in Islip. His son George still lives in Islip and said "People always stop me to relate stories of the selfless acts my father performed over the years. Whether it was extending credit and holding checks during hard times; staying open late so they could get a much-needed prescription filled; or just taking photos of their special occasion, one theme always came through - he loved helping people."