Wantagh, Seaford people of the year honored by community

Margaret Silberger and Terrence Murphy were honored for their selection as the Wantagh and Seaford Herald’s 2025 Person of the Year last month by local leaders.

Silberger, a 74-year-old retired nurse and current president of the Wantagh Kiwanis Club has dedicated herself to improving the lives of others, whether by comforting patients at their hospital bedsides or by organizing community food drives and beach cleanups. She credits her decades in nursing for being the foundation for her community work.

“Her lifelong commitment to volunteerism and civic engagement has made a lasting impact on my hometown of Wantagh and its residents,” County Legislator Kayla Knight wrote in a Jan. 29 Facebook post. Knight, alongside State Sen. Steve Rhoads and Town of Hempstead Councilman Chris Schnedier presented each honoree with a citation.

Murphy, 70, is the longtime commander of Seaford American Legion Post 1132. He joined the Army shortly after graduating from Seaford High School in 1973. He served in German until 1976, after working as a mailman for several years, he returned as a judge advocate general in the Army Reserves for 24 years, until 2015.

“From serving our nation at home and abroad to strengthening Seaford’s civic life and honoring our veterans, Terry has spent a lifetime giving back,” Rhoads wrote in a Jan. 24 Facebook post. “Guided by the values he learned growing up in a large Seaford family: responsibility, fairness, and community.”

Murphy received his citation at the legion post, located on  2301 Penatiquit Ave. in Seaford. Silberger was honored in her house–at the corner of Pine Street and Walters Avenue, where she has lived for over five decades.