Shelter Island Reporter obituaries: McManus, Meyerson
William Ellis McManus, D.D.S.
William Ellis McManus, D.D.S. died on January 30, 2021 at the age of 80 from COVID-19.
He graduated as valedictorian from Shelter Island High School in 1959 and was the first inductee into the Shelter Island Scholar/Athlete Hall of Fame for his accomplishments in basketball and baseball.
Bill set his sights on becoming a dentist at a young age. He graduated from Brown University with an A.B. in chemistry in 1963 and went on to pursue a doctor of dental surgery (DDS) degree from the Columbia University School of Dentistry in 1968, receiving the distinguished Ella Marie Ewell Medal for proficiency in dentistry, and the pedodontics and oral surgery awards.
He started his dental career as a captain in the U.S. Army in the dental corps during the Vietnam War, from 1968 to 1970, and received a distinguished service medal. He then moved to East Hampton and practiced general dentistry from 1970 to 2006. Bill had a great rapport with his patients, and treated people from all walks of life, from farmers and artists to writers and international musicians.
He was president of the dental staff at Southampton Hospital and was invited to be a member of the New York Academy of Dentistry. He also served as president of the East Hampton Lions Club.
Growing up and living on the East End, Bill loved to clam, fish, and hunt, and would happily barter for fresh catch or lobster from his fisherman patients. He took great pride in what he did and worked hard to help his patients. He retired to Grand Harbor in Vero Beach, FL and enjoyed golf.
In 2013 he won the member-guest championship with his late brother-in-law Admiral Robert E. Kramek. Bill had said before the tournament, “We’re not going to win anything but we’ll have a good time” and to their delight they took the whole thing.
He is survived by his wife Virginia Kramek to whom he had been married 55 years; two daughters Eileen Mason and Kathleen McManus; and three grandsons, William and Edward Mason and Jack McManus.
A memorial service will be planned at a later date.
Arthur T. Meyerson, M.D.
Arthur T. Meyerson, M.D., passed away at the age of 84 Jan. 27, 2021 in New York City after a valiant struggle with cancer. He owned a summer house on Shelter Island.
A lifelong New Yorker, he grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and graduated from Stuyvesant High School, Columbia College, and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
A gifted psychiatrist, Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and former President of the New York County Psychiatric Society, Arthur enjoyed a long career championing the rights of the chronically mentally ill; supporting community mental health programming; and serving as a hospital administrator and professor of medicine at several teaching hospitals, (including Mount Sinai, New York University, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and the Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, where he served as Chair of Psychiatry and Neurology).
Following the attacks on the World Trade Center in September 2001, he also served as the Clinical Director for Disaster Psychiatry Outreach at “Ground Zero,” providing free therapy to first responders, victims of the attacks, and their families.
A lifelong learner and lover of the arts, upon retiring, Arthur devoted himself to travel, spending time on Shelter Island, reading, writing poetry, singing with his glee club, and having spirited discussions with friends and family.
He is survived by his wife, Carol A. Bernstein M.D., his daughter Samantha Meyerson, two children from his first marriage, Peter Meyerson (Kate Short Meyerson) and Jessica Meyerson (Michael Schwarz) as well as his grandsons, Eric and Owen Meyerson.
Donations in Arthur’s name may be made to the Young People’s Chorus of New York City, 37 W 65th St. 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10023, and the University Glee Club of New York City, 71 West 23rd Street, Box Q4 New York, NY 10010-4149.
