John B. Lamendola of Riverhead, died Nov. 26, 2017. He was 95 years old.
He was born on Nov. 15, 1922 in Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania, the son of Salvatore “Sam” and Vincenza “Virginia” Costanza Lamendola.
He graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a degree in music. He musical career took him to Charleston, South Carolina where he met his future wife Hazel. They were married in 1944. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
He and his family moved to Riverhead in 1960. He was the director of music at Hampton Bays High School where he conducted the orchestra, stage, and jazz bands. A music scholarship is awarded yearly in his name there. He was also the proprietor of Lamendola’s Music Shoppe in Riverhead. An accomplished bass player, John was a part of the big band era. He traveled with the Glenn Miller and Count Basie orchestras, and was a member of The Talk of the Towners Band.
Predeceased by Hazel, his wife of 64 years and his siblings James, Joseph, Anthony, Virginia “Tillie,” Charles, Michael, Marie and Robert, he is survived by his brother Sam; by his six children: John of Riverhead, Jerry (Debbie) of Lake Ronkonkoma, Joanne Sanders (John) of Riverhead, Jamie Wagner of Syracuse, New York, Jennifer Covello of Norwalk, Connecticut and Jeannie Demarest (Lance) of Westhampton Beach; by his seven grandchildren: John, Joseph Elegado (Stacey), John Sanders (Stacy), Erica Sanders, Christopher Covello, Kaitlyn Covello and Haley Demarest; and by three great-grandchildren: Stellan Sanders-Dannaker, Lauren Sanders and Summer Sanders.
The family will receive friends on Nov. 29 at Tuthill-Mangano Funeral Home in Riverhead from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 30 at St. Isidore R.C. Church. Interment will follow at Calverton National Cemetery.
