Their Story
Their story together spans 65 years with 60 of those as husband and wife. Over the course of those years, their love brought about 4 children (Dennis, Michelle, Scott, & Kristen), they witnessed the marriages of each of their children and participated in raising 8 grandchildren (Devon & Brianna, Kyle & Kalya, Kathleen & Brooke, Abigail & Meaghan,) and 1 great grandchild (Peter III). They lived a life full of adventure, laughter, and sorrow with the loss of their son Scott. As family and friends, we have fond memories and will miss them greatly.
Their Early Years
Dennis and Lynne attended grammar school in the same grade together at St Andrew Avellino - grades 1 through 8. They knew of each other but had no connection yet. Dennis went off the Bishop Loughlin HS in Brooklyn where he medaled in swimming. Lynne attended Delahanty HS in Jamaica Queens. By chance, the principal of Delahanty HS was none other than Dennis’ Aunt, Madeline Stewart. Lynne had some fond memories of that after they started dating. She had lots of attention from Aunt Madeline.
Dennis and Lynne both grew up in Flushing NY. Dennis was at 149th St. and Northern Blvd and Lynne was at 163 St. Dennis was in apartment 4C and Lynne was in a brick house. Dennis’ best friend at the time, Billie Valerie was a neighbor of Lynne’s and introduced them freshman year of high school, and they started to date. Dennis and Billy started a band together in high school called The Crystals. They played local high school dances. Lynne attended all their jam sessions in our apartment and the dances too. Once they started dating, they went “steady” very quickly and remained together for 65 years.
Dennis attended Fairfield University in CT. and he and Lynne got married during his freshman year. They lived on Reef Rd. in a duplex house while Dennis finished his degree. Dennis worked almost full-time during college at UPS. He also worked as a night watchman at a lumber yard. After graduation, Dennis got a job at American Can Company and they moved to Eugene Oregon for several years. They returned to the east coast after that. They moved back to Flushing briefly then and bought a house in Lynbrook, NY right near their good friends Marilyn and Phil DeGennaro. Dennis and Phil worked together at TIAA where the company put them both through law school. Dennis attended Fordham Law School. After graduating Dennis worked for the law firm of Sullivan and Cromwell and moved the family (now four children) to Redding Ridge Ct.
(Their Early Years courtesy of Peter Callagy, youngest brother)
Their Later Years
Their later years brought about a big change and a dream realized with Dennis and Lynne moving from Redding, CT, to Pocasset, MA, where they winterized the summer residence, formally Aunt Madeline's house on Patuisset, and purchased Green Pond Marina in Falmouth, MA. Many long days were spent working at the marina, their office in what was formerly a functional tugboat. Dennis oversaw the growth of the Marina, his brother Richard ran the operations, and Lynne managed the office. Over the years many family members and cousins worked at the Marina and contributed to its success. During this time, they also renovated a home on Wings Neck where the children grew up attending school in Bourne and at Falmouth Academy and ultimately becoming young adults and leaving the nest going off to college, getting married and having children of their own. Although Dennis (Dad) and Lynne (Mom) often remarked that they hoped we each had children that behaved just like their own, they would relay to others that their greatest achievement was in fact their children. Their son Dennis and wife Susan gave birth to Devon and Brianna, and Michelle and her husband Michael gave birth to Kyle and Kayla.
After selling the Marina, Dennis and Lynne realized their next dream in buying Vadura, a 109-foot classic sailing vessel and embarking on a voyage that would take them around the world. Upon their return to Cape Cod, MA, they moved to Dallas, Texas to be closer to their grandchildren and family. It was in Texas that they became known as RD and LadyL as they felt far too young to have grandchildren and well – it’s Texas and everyone has nicknames. Their time in Texas saw the marriage of their son Scott to Monique and the growth of their family with Kathleen and Brooke. As they departed Texas, their daughter Kristen who lived in Maine, met Tom and together they share two girls Abigail and Meaghan.
Their 50th wedding anniversary brought another change with their move from Texas to Fort Pierce Florida where they lived out their days on South Hutchison Island, waking up to the sounds of the Atlantic Ocean waves hitting the beach, and watching the ships leave and return to port through the Fort Pierce inlet. Their love for Cape Cod brough them back each summer, and while retired, Dennis continued to be active in the community and as a business advisor. Lynne’s love for reading brought her much pleasure devouring as many books as possible. Her passion and flare for gourmet cooking was enjoyed by so many, yet keeping up with her growing family is what she loved most. This last year brought the birth of their first great grandchild, Peter III, which brought them much joy. Up until their passing, their love for each other continued to grow and was indeed timeless. In June, they would have celebrated 60 years of marriage, a milestone not many conquer. They passed within two months of each other, Mom in February and Dad in April. May they both Rest in Peace reunited together again with their beloved son Scott, who passed away in March of 2020.
“There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart.” -Mahatma Gandhi
