Floyd R. Vail
Floyd R. Vail, a longtime resident of Mattituck, N.Y., died Sept. 7, 2021, at 97 years old.
He was born on Easter Sunday, April 20, 1924, to Richard Penny and Ruth (Hallock) Vail, grew up in Peconic, N.Y., and graduated from Southold High School, Class of 1941. He served in the Army during World War II, both in the U.S. and Europe.
After the war, Mr. Vail attended General Motors Institute and started a lifelong employment at Vail Bros. Corporation in Peconic, followed by Vail Motors Corp. in Riverhead, where he would become service director and part owner.
He was a devout member of Sacred Heart Parish and served on the Sacred Heart school board. Mr. Vail was a longtime member of the American Legion and past commander of Griswold-Terry-Glover Post 803 in Southold, N.Y., served on the Boy Scout District Committee, and as a trustee for Mattituck-Laurel Library. As well, he was director and past president of the Mattituck Community Fund for many years.
Floyd enjoyed gardening, golf and woodworking and crafted many Christmas gifts for family and friends. For years, he grew a special variety of storage tomato called a ‘long keeper’ to give away at Christmas.
His loving marriage to Audrey A. Reinhart of Huntington, N.Y., spanned 64 years, all in the same house on Bungalow Lane in Mattituck. She predeceased him in 2013. He was also predeceased by a son, Floyd Jr.; a granddaughter, Sarah; and a great-grandson, Smith, as well as by his sisters, Rebecca Terry and Alicia Reeve. He is survived by three children, Gwendolyn (Mark) Cukierski of Mystic, Conn. (830 Noank Road, Mystic CT 06355); Susan (Ralph) Tuthill of Middletown, Del. (358 Tranquility Way, Middletown, DE 19709); and Jonathan (Karen) Vail of Marion, Mass. (20 Olde Knoll Road, Marion, MA 02738). He also leaves seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
The family will receive visitors Friday, Oct. 1, from 5 to 7 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck and will follow COVID-19 protocols for vaccination and wearing masks. Please check the DeFriest-Grattan website for any changes to the visiting schedule, in case of updated COVID guidelines.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, at Our Lady of Good Counsel R.C. Church in Mattituck, with Msgr. Joseph Staudt officiating.
Interment, with U.S. Army honors, will follow at Cutchogue Cemetery, 30472 Main Road.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Sacred Heart Parish, P.O. Box 926, Cut-ch-ogue, NY 11935; or American Legion Griswold-Terry-Glover Post 803, P.O. Box 591, Southold, NY 11971.
This is a paid notice.
