Obituaries
George Smawley, Beloved Lindenhurst Coach and Teacher, Dies At 47
"If you had the pleasure of knowing Mr. Smawley, you know what a kind person he was," Superintendent Dan Giordan wrote in a letter.
LINDENHURST, NY - George Dawson Smawley, a beloved Lindenhurst School District teacher and coach, unexpectedly passed away due to a sudden illness on Tuesday. He was 47.
"It is with the utmost sadness that we inform you about the untimely loss of our friend and colleague, Mr. George Smawley," a message from Superintendent of Schools Dan Giordan reads. "The entire Lindenhurst community extends its heartfelt sympathy to his family, friends and relatives."
On Wednesday morning, high School Principal Dr. Candice Brodie and Assistant Principal Dr. Daniel Noviello informed Smawley’s students with the support of a school social worker. Additional support staff will be available for faculty, staff and students throughout the week.
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"If you had the pleasure of knowing Mr. Smawley, you know what a kind person he was and how dedicated he was to the students of the district as a teacher and a coach," Giordan wrote in the statement. "We are all deeply impacted by his passing. He will be deeply missed by the entire Lindenhurst community."
Local residents Maria Dominic and Laurie Ucciardo started a fundraiser to help his wife Donna and daughters, Grace and Abby. The GoFundMe page "For the family of George Smawley," is looking to raise $50,000 to the Smawley family.
Find out what's happening in Lindenhurstfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"Although these contributions cannot make up for the magnitude of their loss, it can show the girls that we loved and admired their father and how deeply we care about their future," the two women wrote on the page.
As of Wednesday, the campaign has raised a total of $28,941.
To donate or to read more, visit the GoFundMe page here.
A visitation has been scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 8 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the M. A. Connell Funeral Home on 934 New York Avenue in Huntington Station.
A funeral mass will take place on Monday, Dec. 9 starting at 9:30 a.m. at St Elizabeths Church on 181 Wolf Hill Road in Melville followed by a burial at the Melville Cemetery Association on Sweet Hollow Road.
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