Donald J. Stanton

Donald J Stanton was born February 3, 1933 in Mineola, NY.  He was one of 7 children belonging to Charles and Margaret Stanton of Williston Park, NY.  He attended Chaminade High School subsequently pursuing an Electrical Engineering degree at Manhattan College.  In 1956 he married his sweetheart, Virginia eventually settling in Smithtown, NY.  He served in the Armed Forces then later on spent the bulk of his career at Airborne Instruments Laboratories – Eaton Corporation developing advanced radar systems.  He and Ginny had 3 children; Andrew, Peter and Jenifer, six grandchildren; Bryant, Veronica, Mattison, Kenneth, Alexander, and Elizabeth and 2 great grandchildren; Byron and Wynn.  He was a longstanding faithful and active member of Saints Philip & James RC Church serving as a Eucharistic Minister and co-leading a prayer group for many years.  A lifelong boater and sailing enthusiast, his deep passion for the sea led him to pursue a Masters degree in Marine Engineering at Stony Brook University along with gaining his Professional Engineering licensure.  Upon retirement, he established a marine consulting firm dedicated to the preservation of Long Island’s ecosystems. He was especially focused on man-made projects that were destructive to the local shorelines.  He led the fight to save the local waterways and beaches caused by Goldsmith’s jetty in Southold, a fight that continues today.  He was a contributor to the marina project of downtown Greenport, NY which now provides areas for musical enjoyment along with the historic carousel.  Over the years he has owned several boats, but his great joy was an Alberg 35 sailboat which he moored in Port Jefferson harbor.  He was a member of the Setauket Yacht Club enthusiastically participating in weekly races with his sons as crew. Later on, he was a member of the Smithtown Bay Yacht Club racing another sailboat with his daughter as crew. He and Ginny were involved in local community golf leagues with tenure as President for 2 of them.  In his later years, he enjoyed winters in his Palm Coast, FL residence which allowed him to continue playing both tennis and golf year-round.  Towards the end he was well cared for by the Long Island State Veterans Home in Stony Brook, NY. He waged a long battle with COVID-19 succumbing to its effects May 30th, 2020 entering into the loving arms of Jesus for eternity.  He will be greatly missed.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the frontline care givers of the victims of COVID 19 would be greatly appreciated. A memorial service to celebrate his life is scheduled to be held at the one-year anniversary of his passing.