Shelter Island obituaries: McCarthy, Taplin, Van Vliet, Vaughan

Donald F. McCarthy Sr.

Don McCarthy, 80, of Shelter Island, passed on August 1, 2016.

Don is survived by his wife and best friend of 56 years, Eileen; his children Don, Elizabeth (Jim), Mary Kate (Bryan), Patrick (Tricia) and 11 grandchildren. He was predeceased by his son, Bill.

He served four years in the U.S. Air Force and earned a Master of Arts Degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Don had a 20-year career with the New York Police Department and retired as a homicide detective. He then became professor emeritus of criminology at Finger Lakes Community College.

Don was an avid fisherman who loved boats and being on the water.

A member of the American Legion for 20 years, he served as 1st Vice Commander for the last two years.

His family said they will remember Don as a great husband, father, family man and true gentleman. He filled so many hearts with love and laughter, they said, and was a friend to all and was always willing to help those in need.

Interment was at Our Lady of the Isle Cemetery. For donations in his name, please contact the Shelter Island Ambulance Foundation, P.O. Box 547, Shelter Island, NY 11964, or American Legion Mitchell Post 281, P.O. Box 2021, Shelter Island, NY 11964.

Scott E. Taplin

Scott E. Taplin died at home in Manassas, Virginia on July 30, 2016 from complications of cirrhosis. He was 55.

Scott was born in Dover, New Jersey and grew up on Shelter Island and was a long time resident of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.  He is survived by his brothers George and Bruce; sisters Jill, Terry, and Lynn, as well as many nieces and nephews, and his dog Hobbes.

Scott was an accomplished chef and wood craftsman. He traveled the United States, the Caribbean and Europe learning various cuisines, and was the first American to work as sous-chef at the Carlyle Hotel in New York City. Scott worked as a private chef for 30 years. His custom-crafted bowls, platters, cutting boards and furniture were displayed at craft fairs throughout New England.

There will be a memorial service for Scott on Shelter Island in mid-September. Please contact [email protected] for additional information.  In lieu of flowers, please send any donations to the Foundation for Alcoholism Research at alcoholismresearch.org.  He was our brother and our friend and he will be greatly missed, his family said.

Lila R. Van Vliet
Lila R. Van Vliet of Concord, Massachusetts, died on Friday, August 5, 2016 at home. She was 89 years old.

Lila was born in Manhattan on July 10, 1927 to Charles and Florence Greenberg. Her brother was William Greenberg.

After graduating from Cornell University, she married Gerald Miller, an accountant, who passed away in 1971. They raised their daughters in Scarsdale, New York. Her second husband was David Van Vliet, who died at the age of 100.

Lila and David Van Vliet chose Shelter Island for retirement. Their first home was on Montclair Avenue and later they lived on Terry Drive. While on Shelter Island, Lila was an active member of the Womens’ Club, the Nine Holers at Gardiner’s Bay Country Club, the Shelter Island Public Library and the Duplicate Bridge Club at St. Mary’s Church.

Surviving her are her two daughters, Bonnie Miller of Cambridge, Massachusetts and Teri Miller Piccozzi (Angelo) of Shelter Island, her granddaughters, Lila Piccozzi Kneeland of Shelter Island and Eva Piccozzi of Hadley, Massachusetts, and her loving dog, Honey, a rescue Pekingese.

Burial services were held on Monday, August 8, 2016 at the Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge.
Memorial donations can be made to the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, P.O. Box 901, Wainscott, NY 11075.

Edwin Darracott Vaughan Jr.

Edwin Darracott Vaughan Jr., 76, of Sheridan, Wyoming, who spent many years on Shelter Island where he was a member of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, passed away on April 22, 2016, in Sheridan.

He was born on May 13, 1939, in Richmond, Virgina to Blanche (Bashaw) and Edwin Darracott Vaughan Sr.

A graduate of Washington and Lee University, he earned his medical degree at the University of Virginia. Dr. Vaughan trained in general surgery at Vanderbilt University and fulfilled his residency in urology at the University of Virginia.

He had a clinical research fellowship at Columbia University and became an assistant and associate professor of urology at the University of Virginia. Among his numerous professional achievements, Dr. Vaughn was the James J. Colt Professor of Urology, chairman of the Department of Urology at Cornell University Medical Center and the urologist-in-chief at The New York Hospital. He held many leadership roles during decades of dedicated service to the Cornell/New York Hospital community including the Chief Medical Officer of the Weill Cornell Physician Organization and the Executive vice dean/senior associate dean for clinical affairs there.

Dr. Vaughan provided many years of service to the American Urological Association and the American Board of Urology, including a term as president of each organization.

Among his many honors, Dr. Vaughan received the Gold Cystoscope Award, the Barringer Medal, the Valentine Award, the Hugh Hampton Young Award, the St. Paul’s Medal and the Greenberg Distinguished Service Award. He was a founding member of the Medical Program of the American Austrian Foundation, with over 17,000 physicians attending Salzburg Seminars to date.

Dr. Vaughn earned a Doctor of Science from Washington and Lee in 1982 and was a member of Alpha Omega Alpha and Omicron Delta Kappa. He published over 380 articles, 250 abstracts and authored several books. He completed numerous visiting professorships and named lectureships, collaborating with leaders in his field all over the world.

One of Dr. Vaughan’s proudest accomplishments, his family said, was his eight years of service on the University of Virginia Board of Visitors – receiving two appointments from governors representing two political parties.

Most importantly, Dr. Vaughan, who was beloved by his patients and those he worked with, was a teacher and mentor, his family said. He made time to listen to and advise his peers, friends and family, giving deeply personal care to all he encountered. His influence and guidance indelibly enriched the lives of his far-reaching circle of acquaintances, his family said.

Dr. Vaughan married Virginia Anne Lloyd in 1962. The many years he spent with Anne, family and friends on Shelter Island, were his “therapy,” his family said. Dr. Vaughan was a member of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church and the Shelter Island Yacht Club. He and Anne retired to Sheridan in 2010.

An avid Brooklyn Dodgers fan, Dr. Vaughan never forgave the team for moving west, his family said.
Dr. Vaughan is survived by his wife; his son, Edwin Darracott Vaughan III (Melissa), of Castle Pines, Colorado; his daughter, Barbara Anderson Vaughan, of Berlin, Germany; three grandchildren; and a nephew.

Funeral Services were held at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Sheridan with interment in the Sheridan Municipal Cemetery.

Online condolences may be written at kanefuneral.com.