Nov. 5-11 Issue

Thomas G. Barnes

Former Floodlight Rescue Company captain

Tom Barnes was a longtime Rockville Centre resident who unexpected;y died on Oct. 5, at his current home in Orlando, Fla. Born on Oct. 2, 1959, Barnes grew up in Rockville Centre, attended the Morris Avenue School and was an active member

of Boy Scout Troop #40. He graduated from South Side High School in 1977, the same year he joined the Rockville Centre Fire Department as a member of Floodlight

Rescue Company 1.

During his tenure in the Fire Department, Tom served on numerous committees and was a New York state certified AEMT. He also held a number of elected offices within Floodlight — secretary from 1980-1982; second lieutenant from 1982 to 1984; first lieutenant from 1984 to 1986 and finally, captain, from 1986 to 1988. For several years Tom (known affectionately to his friends as “Bonzo”) was one of the top responders in the department. During his years as a volunteer firefighter he was credited with multiple rescues including saving a young boy who was struck by lightning at Mill River Park. He remained an active associate member of Floodlight until his passing, where he still has numerous close lifetime friends.

At the time of his death, Tom was a project manager for ADT Security Services, working to set up offices throughout the United States, a career he began in 1980 while still a Fire Technology student at Suffolk Community College. During the course of his business career, he relocated several times, first moving from Rockville Centre to Manorville, on eastern Long Island, and then to Somerset, N. J., and Raleigh, N.C., before settling in Orlando about 10 years ago. While living in Manorville, he also joined its fire department.

As a child and young man, Tom was very active in the United Church of Rockville Centre, the church his family has attended for generations. In later years, he was also a dedicated member of Peace United Methodist Church in Orlando, where he sang in the choir and participated in many committees and mission projects.

Tom is survived by his mother, Pat Barnes, of Rockville Centre; his sister and brother-in-law, Kathy and Scott Fenton of Virginia Beach, Va; two nieces, Barbara Steide and Sarah Fenton; a nephew, Scotty Fenton; and a grandniece, Katelyn Steide, all of Virginia; as well as a large network of extended family and very dear friends. He was predeceased by his father, Cassius Bartlett Barnes, Jr.

Tom was remembered by his Florida friends at a memorial service in Orlando at Peace United Methodist Church on Oct. 11. A second memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 7, at United Church of Rockville Centre, 430 Morris Ave. In lieu of flowers, his family requests that donations in memory of Tom be made to either United Church of Rockville Centre or Floodlight Company 1, 58 North Centre Ave., Rockville Centre, NY 11570.

Warren Raymond Brenner

Former RVC Superintendent of Public Works

Warren Raymond Brenner, a former Superintendent of Public Works for the Village of Rockville Centre, died at his Rockville Centre home on Oct. 21, at the age of 81.

After graduating from Clemson University in 1951, he served in the Army as a Lieutenant during the Korean War. While overseas, he supervised the construction of airfield roads and runways. Before leaving for his tour of duty, Brenner worked in a small grocery store in the Noyack area of Sag Harbor. He struck up a conversation with one of the customers, Dolores Leahy, whose family was vacationing in the area. They married in early 1952 and raised three children, Robert, Carol and Raymond together in Rockville Centre until Dolores died in 1978.

Returning from the war, Warren put his construction supervisory experience to use, becoming the assistant superintendent of Public Works in Garden City and subsequently, as superintendent of Public Works in Rockville Centre, where he also oversaw the construction of the municipal buildings at the village transfer station.

Former Mayor Gene Murray described Warren as a very fine person. “He was an excellent village employee, took great pride in his job and was highly respected by the men in public works. When they were building the new village garage there were delays getting the done because of the contractors’ laxity. So he called a meeting of all the contractors and threatened to shut the job down unless they got busy. As a result,“ said Murray, “all the contractors got together and finished the building on time.”

Murray remembers that Warren took on leadership positions in the regional chapter of the American Public Works Association, and would bring colleagues to the village for tours of completed projects and work under way.

During this time he met and married his second wife, Cynthia, and found great happiness with her and their expanded family that now consisted of his children, stepchildren Kevin and Brian, and grandchildren.

After retiring from municipal service, he became the proprietor of JRM Cross Connection Control, designing backflow prevention device systems for water supply mains to residential and commercial buildings, safeguarding the drinking water of thousands of people in the area.

He and Cynthia traveled extensively during the subsequent years and Warren also enjoyed playing golf, visiting local golf courses often. He had a great interest in genealogy, and loved the detective work of researching the family tree and those of friends, tracking them back many centuries.

Warren loved his family most of all, and graced them with what they described as his wonderful, warm, gentle presence. His wife says he was a blessing to all who knew him.

Rockville Centre Police Commissioner Jack McKeon echoed those sentiments, recalling Warren as “an intellectual, gentle man, one of the finest minds that ever worked for this village. When he retired, instead of having a big party, he chose to have coffee and cake with his friends in his office which I thought made it very special, it had more meaning to me. He was truly a great, great guy.”