By Jeff Lipton
Mr. Horan, a village trustee since 1978 and deputy mayor for the past eight years, died at St. John's Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway on Tuesday night, Feb. 25, losing a 10-year battle with the disease.
Village Mayor Andrew Parise said that losing Mr. Horan was like losing a brother and a trusted confidante. Each morning when he was well, Mr. Horan met with Parise over a cup of coffee to discuss how they could further improve the village.
When he became mayor in 1995, Parise immediately appointed Mr. Horan his deputy mayor. He was the salt of the earth, Parise said of Mr. Horan. He was a guy you could definitely rely on. He's a gentlemen with a gentle heart, one of the finest guys I've ever known. What he gave to the village is unbelievable.
A Cedarhurst resident for 50 years, Mr. Horan worked as a salesman for an auto-parts company in the Bronx for more than 50 years before retiring around 1990. After his retirement, he dedicated himself to bettering his community, his friends and family said. As a village trustee, he served as a liaison to the Cedarhurst Business Improvement District and was in charge of renovations to the Cedarhurst Water Pollution Control Plant. In addition, he was liaison to the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department and the village senior citizens, taking care of their needs, Parise said.
He loved the village. It was his pride and joy, the mayor said.
But his community involvement didn't stop with his work as a village trustee. Mr. Horan was an active member of St. Joachim's R.C. Church, where he was a trustee and lector and served on the Diamond Ball Committee for many years. He was also a past president of St. John's Episcopal Hospital's Advisory Board and past commander of Lawrence-Cedarhurst Post 339 of the American Legion. In addition, he founded Cub Scout Pack 111 in 1962, and was a past president of the Cedarhurst-Five Towns United Fund.
From 1942 to 1945, Mr. Horan was a pilot in the U.S. Naval Air Corp, and later served as an officer of the Catholic War Veterans.
Obviously, Joe Horan was a very special man, said Ari Brown, village trustee. He was very dear to me. He was a true gentleman, calm and very well spoken. He took his village business to heart and he cared about every single resident. He certainly will be missed.
Brown said Mr. Horan was the letter-writer for the board of trustees because he had a flair for writing and a unique way with words.
Another trustee, Benjamin Weinstock, called Mr. Horan a wonderfully warm, graceful and charming person. He had the image of being everyone's grandfather. Weinstock said Mr. Horan had a knack for bridging gaps in the community. He was a dynamo, Weinstock said. For someone who was in retirement, he had a 16-hour day.
One of Mr. Horan's sons, Stephen, of Bay Shore, said he will be remembered as a great father, a great husband and a great community leader who touched everyone. He also had a great sense of humor and was always telling you a joke, even up to his dying days. He was a true Irishman in that sense.
We are saddened that Dad will no longer be here to share his love, quick wit and ready advice, said his other son, Rick, of Belle Harbor. The outpouring of love and affection by the community, from his fellow parishioners at St. Joachim's and the Village of Cedarhurst, where he has served as trustee and deputy mayor, has been overwhelming.
Joe Horan lived a long, full life and will continue to be an inspiration for years to come. Anita, his wife, and the entire family would like to thank everyone who knew Dad for their support during this difficult time.
In addition to his sons Stephen and Rick, Mr. Horan is survived by his wife of 52 years, Anita; another son, Christopher, of Hoboken, N.J.; two daughters, Linda Osborn of Monroe, N.H., and Elizabeth Jenks of Sonoma, Calif.; a brother, John; three sisters, Virginia Bonner, Catherine Finnerty and Rita Hennessey; and eight grandchildren.
A Mass of Christian Burial took place at St. Joachim's on Saturday, March 1, followed by interment at Holy Rood R.C. Cemetery in Westbury. The family said it would appreciate memorial gifts to be sent to the Interfaith Nutrition Network, 211 Fulton St., Hempstead, NY 11550. Funeral arrangements were handled by Meserole Funeral Home in Inwood.
