Obituaries

Evelyn F. Van Tuyl

Longtime Greenport resident Evelyn F. Van Tuyl passed on at her home Nov. 6, 2013, two days after her 86th birthday.

Evelyn was born at Misericordia Hospital in the Bronx Nov. 4, 1927, to Howard C. and Gladys (Erickson) Flynn and graduated from White Plains High School in 1945.

During World War II, her father’s job as picture editor of Wide World Photos and The New York Times Rotogravure took him to Washington, D.C., where he was picture chief for the Office of War Information. The rest of the family spent most of its time in Orient and Ev worked as a clerk at Tappert’s Book Store in Greenport. It was there that she met Rod Van Tuyl, who claimed to be looking for a particular book. They were married May 1, 1948, at Orient Congregational Church and made their home on Aquaview Avenue in East Marion before moving to Greenport in 1957.

Ev served as a trustee of Floyd Memorial Library and was secretary of the Greenport Shakespeare Club for many years. A Girl Scout in her youth, she later became a troop leader. For 30 years, Ev worked at Preston’s Ship & Sea Gallery, where she made some of her dearest friendships and enjoyed bringing homemade fudge and brownies to her co-workers.

Evie enjoyed knitting, making huge Christmas stockings for every member of the family, doing crossword puzzles and watching “Monk,” Joel Osteen, the Yankees and any professional football game. Her greatest love was being “Mom” and “Gram” to a family who will miss her wonderful sense of humor and her always being there with support, encouragement and a few bucks for snacks.

Predeceased by her husband, Roderick, in 1996; her daughter-in-law Janet Van Tuyl in 1994; and brothers Richard and Thomas Flynn in 2011, she is survived by her sons, Colin (Leslee), of Greenport, and Mark (Joani), of Eldersburg, Md.; her daughter, Andrea (Robert) King of Orient; grandchildren Kelly and Matthew Van Tuyl, Adam, Christian and Emily King and Brianna Van Tuyl; great-grandsons Dylan and Colby Van Tuyl; and sister-in-law, Virginia Flynn of Chester, Md. “Aunt Ev” is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

The family will welcome friends Friday, Nov. 15, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Horton-Mathie Funeral Home in Greenport. Private burial at Cutchogue Cemetery will be followed by a memorial service at Orient Congregational Church Saturday, Nov. 16, at 11 a.m., the Rev. Ann Van Cleef officiating.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites those wishing to make a lasting tribute in Ev’s memory to make a donation to the Orient Congregational Church Memorial Fund.

This is a paid notice.