Thomas McGrane, Former Northport Resident and WWII Veteran Passes Away

Thomas F. McGrane, former resident of Northport and a World War II Veteran, has passed away at the age of 91. He was born on December 3, 1924 in Port Washington and grew up on Fairview Avenue. He married Anna Marie Thomasen in 1949, and my brothers Mike and Dan and my sister Virginia and I (Mary)grew up in East Williston, and moved to Fort Salonga in 1969 with our dog Fritz. We built our house on BreezyHill, while Dad continued to commute to Great Neck where he owned his own business as a Civil Engineer. We felt like pioneers in our new development, and we were around when the current shopping center on Bread and Cheese Hollow Road was just a country store in a field.

Just recently Thomas and Anna retired to Zephyrhills Florida, where our brother Dan the doctor took care of Mom and Dad. Dad passed away on July 13, 2016 at Florida Hospital where Dan is affiliated.

Thomas was a proud Veteran of World War II. He was drafted on March 17th, St. Patrick's Day, and claimed that St. Patrick kept him safe from harm. He served as a Sergeant in General Patton's 3rd Army Corps of Engineers, landing at Omaha Beach during the Normany Invasion.

Like his father, Walter Senecal McGrane, Thomas was a great fisherman on Long Island, winning many tournaments for Tuna and Swordfish off of Montauk Point, and blue fish off Gardiner's Island at the Rip and Race in Gardiner's Bay in East Hampton.

Thomas was very proud of his Irish heritage and always had a good tale or two to tell, and a great sense of humor. His advice to me through my life was "Keep your Irish up, girl!" in other words be strong and don't let anyone get you down.

Of all the sons and daughters, I(Mary) am the only one left in the Northport area. Thomas and Anna have 6 grandchildren, Jennifer, Erin, Thomas, Britton, Caroline and Nicole, and a new great grandaughter Tamber Grace born on Christmas weekend 2016.

Thomas will have a funeral mass at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Zephyrhills on Friday July 22nd. He will be interred at the National Veteran's Cemetery in Bushnell with full military honors and we will all be there together.

Mary McGrane

July 19, 2016