Thursday, October 1, 2026
Two residents of the Rockville Centre community, Marilyn Nunes Devlin, left and Gail Schwarting, right, were among those honored at the annual Women of Distinction ceremony hosted by Assemblyman Brian Curran at the Lynbrook Public Library last Saturday. Curran was joined by a number of local officials at the luncheon that was also attended by friends, neighbors and families of the guests. The following are profiles of those two honorees.
Marilyn Nunes Devlin
A Rockville Centre resident for more than 35 years, Marilyn Nunes Devlin is a firm believer in preserving the foundation our early pioneers of progress left behind so future generations can continue to build a strong sense of community service and spirit. Acting on this belief, she is currently the volunteer archivist for the Phillips House, the museum of the Village of Rockville Centre. Devlin is also a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Rockville Centre Library, a former president of the Friends of the Library, and is a member of the board of the Fortnightly Club, a woman’s organization founded in 1898.
A published writer, Devlin introduced her book, “A Brief History of Rockville Centre: The Heritage and History of a Village” at her first book signing at the Phillips House last November. She also appeared in the documentary “Check It Out,” which focuses on the history of the Rockville Centre Library, and she is set to take part in a documentary titled “This is My Long Island.”
It is evident the Devlin has done and continues to do all she can to protect the legacy of the small Long Island village she calls home — Rockville Centre — with her unwavering commitment to keeping the history of her hometown alive for future generations.
Gail Schwarting
A woman whose generosity of heart knows no bounds, Gail Schwarting has consistently gone above and beyond in all aspects of her life – personal and professional. As the mother of young children, she dedicated her time and energy as PTA president of Covert Elementary School, commissioner of South Hempstead PAL, and as a facilitator of Sports Night, a program for children ages 7 to 14 which provides a supervised, safe environment where they could spend time on Friday evenings.
As her children grew, so did Schwarting’s involvement. Each February for four years she helped coordinate, design and sew costumes for 200 girls in South Side High School’s Red and Blue Meet. She and her husband Steve assisted students in creating, budgeting and building a float for Homecoming, with their house as the construction site. She spent countless hours working on various projects with her daughter, Taylor, who was voted president of her class four years in a row.
In her professional life, Schwarting continues to find ways to give of herself. She is a mentor for new employees, volunteers her time teaching co-workers the course material for the New York State Insurance Casualty License, and spent many lunch hours teaching a 24-year-old co-worker how to drive.
For her generosity and selflessness, Schwarting was the sole recipient of the 2011 citizenship award from her employer, Wright Risk Management.
As life’s challenges have come her way, Schwarting has always been able to work through them and find a way to continue on. She lives her life with clarity of purpose and honesty. She is an incredibly strong woman who is an example to all those who know her.
