Oceanside history: Remembering Albert Davis Jordan

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While the recent passing of two of our local legends, Roger Folz and Al Lyson, received coverage of their contributions to our community, not all of our luminaries from yesteryear receive the same recognition. Albert Davis Jordan is a perfect example.

Our community lost “Dave” Jordan, a longtime resident of Rockville Centre within the Oceanside School District, nearly two years ago. Jordan’s passing, however, went relatively unnoticed. His contributions to the Oceanside School District went unmentioned. Even the detailed obituary printed in the Rockville Centre Herald made no mention of his years advocating on behalf of our community’s children. And since Jordan was a Rockville Centre resident, the Oceanside/Island Park Herald failed to publish information of his passing despite its greater outreach to the Oceanside community.

Perhaps this was due to the fact that Jordan passed away on the same day that Superstorm Sandy swept through the community and diverted everyone’s attention elsewhere. Or perhaps it was due to the fact that Jordan had not been maintained the same level of involvement with the School District community during his 50-plus years as a former Board member. Or maybe because at 95 years old, Jordan just outlived his contemporaries.

So who was Albert Davis Jordan and how did he contribute to our community? Jordan was a devoted husband and the father of seven children. During World War II, Jordan served as an executive officer of a submarine chaser, which survived a shipwreck in the Atlantic Ocean, and he commanded a destroyer escort in the decisive Battle of Leyte Gulf. Back here in the States, he was a successful attorney who practiced corporate and securities law. But, more importantly, Jordan was an example of all that was good in our community.

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