Seaford grad, loving father, friend to many: Remembering community leader Harry J. Strole Sr.

A faithful friend. A railway enthusiast. An inspiring and loving father. Those are just a few of the ways those who knew him described Harry J. Strole Sr., who died on July 16. He was 79.

Strole was born in Queens to Harry E. and Naomi Strole on June 8, 1942. In 1946, the family moved to Wantagh, where they took up residence on Oakland Avenue. Strole would live there for over 50 years.

He attended the Seaford School District and graduated from Seaford High School in 1960 — a member of the school’s first graduating class.

Strole met his sweetheart, Geraldine Harris, at a stock car race at the old Freeport Speedway in the early 1960s. They were married in 1964 at the Wantagh Hotel (a building that eventually became a McDonald’s). The couple later purchased Strole’s childhood home on Oakland Avenue.

Longtime family friend Audrey Healy said she met Geraldine at a Seaford PTA bowling event around 1970, before the Stroles’ daughter Deborah, and Healy’s daughter, Lorraine, were born. The families clicked, and have been close for over 50 years. “The girls have been friends since birth,” Audrey said.

Within a year after the Stroles married, they welcomed a son, Harry John Jr. Deborah (now Deborah Chaney) was born eight years later.

“I really learned a lot from him,” Harry Jr., who now lives in Albany, said of his father. “He taught me how to be a human being, in all sorts of aspects. It wasn’t just one thing or the other — he taught me how to enjoy life, have fun, and the hard lessons, too, like finances and how to live.”

Strole’s career path varied: He got his start as a salesman for Golden Books, sold Foster Grant sunglasses in the 1970s and then worked for Woolworths, Channel Home Centers and, briefly, Caldor. But many locals may remember him as a fixture at the Wantagh 5 & 10, a convenience store on Wantagh Avenue that sold household items, where Geraldine was already working when he joined the staff. He worked there for over 25 years.

Jay Miller, who took over the store in 1999, said that Strole was an “incredible man.” “He was very conscientious,” said Miller, a former Merrick resident who has since moved to Florida. “He was very good with the customers. He was very handy, and he fixed a lot of stuff in the store. … He was just a nice, nice man. I don’t think there was a bad bone in his body.”

He was also a bit of a sports fanatic, his son said. On his days off, Strole could be spotted riding his bike down to Jones Beach State Park. He volunteered as a Seaford Little League coach from the time his son was 8, and briefly served as a board member of the organization.

“His love of sports was definitely something that was embedded into me,” Harry Jr. said.

Other residents may have known Strole as the face of the Wantagh Preservation Society, or as a regular marcher in the Memorial Day Parade. Ever a history and train buff, he volunteered as a member of the Preservation Society, and served as its president. He helped the historic Wantagh train station and passenger car on museum grounds.

Strole retired in 2008, and moved to the Albany area to spend more time with his family. When he moved upstate he became a volunteer at the Berkshire Scenic Railway, where he took pride in his work on its trains and facilities.

In a eulogy written by Strole Jr. and given by vicar Jessy Wilson on July 21 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Delmar, Strole Jr. recounted when his father took Deborah to see the Mets clinch the National League East title in 1986. Always the rule followers, the Stroles stayed in their seats while revelers ripped up the Shea Stadium field. But when a chunk of sod landed on his head, Wilson said, Harry picked it up, took it home and planted it in his front lawn. As the years went by, you could see that patch of Kentucky bluegrass take over more and more of the lawn.

Jack Healy, of Seaford, and Strole were lifelong friends, and served as leaders of Boy Scout Troop 581 together in their younger years. On their days off, Healy recalled, they would go fishing, while Healey’s wife, Audrey, and Geraldine would grab dinner. Even after Strole moved upstate, they stayed in close contact.

“Harry was a man of many talents,” Healy said. “He was the type of friend that was like a brother to me. I’m going to miss him.”