Noon, who lived on Rockaway Avenue, was born in Oceanside on May 7, 1917. A third-generation Oceansider and one of 12 children, Noon grew up under the strict hand of his father, working on his farm which sprawled behind what is now Dee’s Nursery. When he wasn’t working, he was going to school. Of Noon's nine brothers and three sisters, he was the only one to graduate school and was the oldest living Oceanside graduate.
“The Oceanside community will really miss him,” said County Legislator Jeff Toback, referring to Noon as "Mr. Oceanside," which was Noon's nickname. “He really was a character in the best sense of the word,” Toback said.
Noon was a fixture at many Oceanside High School sporting events. He was very often in the stands, cheering on the home team. He would even occasionally follow the team on away games and root for Oceanside at other schools.
Not only was Noon born in Oceanside, but he spent his entire life in the town. According to his great-niece, Leslie Inforzato, during car trips Noon would often point and identify the homes where many of his contemporaries grew up. And his encyclopedic knowledge of the town was well known. He was able to quickly locate any street in Oceanside on a map if given the street name.
Even Oceansiders that didn't know Noon by name recognized him as the guy that was always zipping around town on a bicycle. Inforzato said no matter where Noon was headed, he was pedaling there. According to Inforzato, “he would even ride down to Long Beach sometimes.”
“He was something else, my uncle Tracy,” Inforzato said. “He was just a character. Riding around on the bicycle and talking about old times.”
Every morning, Noon would ride his bicycle to the McDonald’s on Atlantic Avenue for breakfast. It was during one such ride in November that Noon was hit by a car. He was admitted to the hospital with a broken hip, and steadily got worse. He came down with pneumonia and hung on for two months until last Sunday when he died from the complications caused by the car accident.
A pastor from the Oceanside Presbetyrian Church performed a service at A. Towers Funeral Home, at 2681 Long Beach Rd., on Jan. 15. Noon is survived by his brother Elroy, his niece Leslie, and his grandson Eric.
