James E. Zaleski of Riverhead died on Nov. 20, 2023. He was 81.
Zaleski was born on July 29, 1942, in Southampton, to Charlotte K. (née Turbush) and Thomas A. Zaleski. He graduated from Riverhead High School and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, serving from 1962 to 1966 during the Vietnam War. He attained the rank of airman first class and was awarded the Air Force Good Conduct Medal and Air Force Expeditionary Medal.
After his military service, Zaleski worked for UPS from 1967 to 1971. In 1972, he became a police officer with the Riverhead Town Police Department, where he served until his retirement in 1994. His family said he was known for his devotion to community service and remembered a time when he rescued a woman from a bridge.
Zaleski was a member of the Retired Police Association of New York, the Suffolk County Police Association, the Suffolk County Police Conference, and the V.F.W. Post 2476 in Riverhead. He was a lifelong member of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Riverhead and enjoyed bowling and golfing.
Zaleski was predeceased by his first wife, Constance. He is survived by his second wife, RuthLinda (whom he married on Aug. 28, 2005, in Riverhead); children Tanya Doherty of Ridge, James Zaleski II of Riverhead, Michael Zaleski of Riverhead and Frank Zaleski of Selden; grandchildren Thomas Doherty, Michael Doherty, Kaitlyn Doherty, James Zaleski III, Ryan Zaleski, Charlotte Zaleski and Catherine Callahan-Zaleski; sister Dorothy Bogdan of Aquebogue; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives throughout the United States.
The family will receive friends on Sunday, Nov. 26 from 3 to 8 p.m. at the DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck. The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, Nov. 27 at St. John the Evangelist R.C. Church in Riverhead at 11 a.m. Interment with U.S. Air Force honors will follow at St. John the Evangelist R.C. Cemetery adjacent to the church. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Wounded Warrior Project would be appreciated.
