Three times the fun as East Rockaway triplets turn 60

The big 6-0 was three times the fun for the Hamsley Sisters, East Rockaway natives and triplets, who celebrated the milestone birthday on Feb. 9.

Ellen, Diane and Lizbeth are identical triplets who grew up in the village and went on to star in ads for baby clothing, banking, pizza, toilet paper, makeup and other products and services from the 1960s through the 1980s. Their appearances not only ran locally, they were also featured across the U.S.

Ellen told the Herald that it was interesting going through life as a triplet.

“Just being an identical triplet my entire life has been a very unique experience,” she said. “It was just very uncommon many years ago.”

She also shared a poem that read, “Like branches on a tree, sisters may grow in different directions, yet their roots are one — each life will always be a special part of the other.”

Diane now lives in northern Virginia, while her sisters have remained local, living in Lynbrook and East Rockaway. The trio was born on Feb. 9, 1962, in Freeport, three of five children by Minton and Paula Hamsley, who died in 2002 and 2013, respectively.

Soon after, they became child models, which included ads for Carter’s clothing, Seamen’s Bank life insurance and many other companies. The sisters went through the East Rockaway school system and went on to graduate from Molloy College, all earning degrees in business management in 1984.